What is something you admire or appreciate?

[juantoo3]

Since the title can only be so long...the question that crossed my mind is: "What is something you admire or appreciate in some faith other than your own?"

One that has made what I feel is a profound impact on me, is the teaching supposedly from Buddhism about "menus and meals" and "fingers pointing and the moon."

As I understand, and we all know how interpretations can go, it is easy to get so caught up reading the menu we forget to savor the meal...in other words; the meal is the thing, the menu is the guide to the meal after a fashion. The finger pointing is the guide to the moon, the moon is the thing. And while words will always fall short in explaining, what I take away is that my chosen faith text is an excellent guide - however, just like the menu or the finger - it is not the thing in itself.

So what lesson of value have you discovered in some other faith?

 

[Aupmanyav]

I do not consider Buddhism as any different from Hinduism. I do not find even an iota of difference between my views (Advaita) and Buddhism. I consider Buddha as my guru and most Hindus consider Buddha and the ninth and the latest avatara of Lord Vishnu. I hugely appreciate the Buddhist Ockham's Razor - The Kesamutti Sutta (or Kalama Sutta). It guides my thinking.

" (Kalamas) Do not go upon what has been acquired by repeated hearing (anussava),
nor upon tradition (paramparā),
nor upon rumor (itikirā),
nor upon what is in a scripture (piṭaka-sampadāna)
nor upon surmise (takka-hetu),
nor upon an axiom (naya-hetu),
nor upon specious reasoning (ākāra-parivitakka),
nor upon a bias towards a notion that has been pondered over (diṭṭhi-nijjhān-akkh-antiyā),
nor upon another's seeming ability (bhabba-rūpatāya),
nor upon the consideration, The monk is our teacher (samaṇo no garū)
Kalamas, when you yourselves know: "These things are good; these things are not blamable; these things are praised by the wise; undertaken and observed, these things lead to benefit and happiness," enter on and abide in them."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kesamutti_Sutta

I do not find anything to appreciate in any other religions.

 

[wil]

I do not find anything to appreciate in any other religions.

I find that hilarious....sorry.

I am the opposite...i find much to appreciate in other religions...if not the least the similarities...the Golden rules, various treatises on love..the islamic method of tithing, the Jains honor of life, the various verbal traditions ceremonies that are passed down...

Of course there is much I disagree....but soon much to admire.

 

[stranger]

Since the title can only be so long...the question that crossed my mind is: "What is something you admire or appreciate in some faith other than your own?"

One that has made what I feel is a profound impact on me, is the teaching supposedly from Buddhism about "menus and meals" and "fingers pointing and the moon."

As I understand, and we all know how interpretations can go, it is easy to get so caught up reading the menu we forget to savor the meal...in other words; the meal is the thing, the menu is the guide to the meal after a fashion. The finger pointing is the guide to the moon, the moon is the thing. And while words will always fall short in explaining, what I take away is that my chosen faith text is an excellent guide - however, just like the menu or the finger - it is not the thing in itself.

So what lesson of value have you discovered in some other faith?

Profits, prophets, cabbages, and kings... Still trying to sort it all out. When in doubt, though, just follow the love. Something I read once, dimly remembered, perhaps paraphrasing: Though lovers be lost, love shall not. Death shall have no dominion.

 

[Cino]

I admire a broad-minded understanding of Tikkun Olam, "healing the world", from Judaism.

Also, the Buddhist teaching about different, only weakly intersecting areas of personal development: Sila, Samadhi, Pañña, or "ethical conduct, mental training, seeking wisdom".

 

[RJM]

I believe that Moses, Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad, Krishna and Zoroaster -- and the ancient sages of Taoism and so many others too -- would be able to sit together in a room in perfect understanding, probably in silence.

No religion has the (exclusive) key to heaven. A spiritual key is something which requires the involvement energy of the person who holds the key, otherwise it will not turn. Imo

 

[Cino]

No religion has the (exclusive) key to heaven. A spiritual key is something which requires the involvement energy of the person who holds the key, otherwise it will not turn. Imo

Yes! But who says keys always have to unlock something? A great many people are perfectly happy to use it as a tasteful ornament, or keep it as an heirloom, and that is fine, too, IMO.

 

[RJM]

Yes! But who says keys always have to unlock something? A great many people are perfectly happy to use it as a tasteful ornament, or keep it as an heirloom, and that is fine, too, IMO.

The deeper knowledge is spread to become the valuable daily family mores that are social religion, imo.

The intense Taoist yoga of immortality becomes family 'householder' Confucianism, and still of great benefit and light for 'everyman'

So with others too,?

 

[RJM]

Individual submits to God from wherever. God responds to individual. Sure as sure. The rest follows ...?

Deeply and perfectly am I known. Ranting religionists will fail

 

[wil]

The deeper knowledge is spread to become the valuable daily family mores that are social religion, imo.

Deeply and perfectly am I known. Ranting religionists will fail

Need some help with these

 

[RJM]

Need some help with these

Sorry.

I meant the inner core teachings are eventually 'diluted' to become the religions of the ordinary people. The apostles gave up everything to follow Christ.

God knows and responds to every soul. No religion 'owns' the way to God. Some religionists behave as if they do?

There are Microsoft apps and Apple apps. There are different search engines and computer languages. But I don't have to be an IT expert to benefit from a computer?

 

[stranger]

I believe that Moses, Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad, Krishna and Zoroaster -- and the ancient sages of Taoism and so many others too -- would be able to sit together in a room in perfect understanding, probably in silence.

No religion has the (exclusive) key to heaven. A spiritual key is something which requires the involvement energy of the person who holds the key, otherwise it will not turn. Imo

I don't know anything about sages but your last paragraph seems to separate the men from the boys in a manner of speaking. There is a lot of knowledge about religion in our world, and also here on this forum. And it's all only a drop in the ocean. The distance between a sage and everyman is miniscule if it even exists at all.

Keys, locks, turning. More mysteries that can't be solved with the conscious mind. How does one use his energy to turn the key? By figuring it all out? Or by going all in? The latter, I think. Go in with everything you have, everything you are, everything you will ever be. IMO that is how you turn a key.

I tremble a little bit with rage when it is suggested that extra study is going to get me anywhere at this point. There is a time for study and then there is a time when you realize you will never get there but through pure gnosis. Where is "there"? It's where you were chosen to be, where you were before time, except better now because of passing through incarnation.

 

[RJM]

Go in with everything you have, everything you are, everything you will ever be. IMO that is how you turn a key.

Yes. I meant something like that. It takes more than a flick of the wrist. I don't really know what I mean. But I know it's true. Total submission, perhaps? I don't know. But it's not about walking around thinking I have the key to heaven in my pocket.

Spiritual laws are sometimes different from natural laws. A religion does not own exclusive rights to paradise. It's not a members only club. That's all I meant.

I tremble a little bit with rage when it is suggested that extra study is going to get me anywhere at this point. There is a time for study and then there is a time when you realize you will never get there but through pure gnosis. Where is "there"? It's where you were chosen to be, where you were before time, except better now because of passing through incarnation.

I can't find anything in your post to disagree with.
I'm not the expert on spiritual keys and things.
My point is that all/most religions reach the same place, at core?
Something like that?
Whatever ...

 

[stranger]

Yes. I meant something like that. It takes more than a flick of the wrist. I don't really know what I mean. But I know it's true. Total submission, perhaps? I don't know. But it's not about walking around thinking I have the key to heaven in my pocket.

Spiritual laws are sometimes different from natural laws. A religion does not own exclusive rights to paradise. It's not a members only club. That's all I meant.
I can't find anything in your post to disagree with.
I'm not the expert on spiritual keys and things.
My point is that all/most religions reach the same place, at core?
Something like that?
Whatever ...

You know you're on it. The religions have to reach the same place don't they? Seeing they came from the same place. What I have seen is that we return better than when we left and that is an amazing and beautiful thing to me. That there is a reason for all this suffering and skinwalking.

 

[Thomas]

Keys, locks, turning. More mysteries that can't be solved with the conscious mind. How does one use his energy to turn the key? By figuring it all out? Or by going all in? The latter, I think. Go in with everything you have, everything you are, everything you will ever be. IMO that is how you turn a key.

Oh, Bravo! Well, "What is something you admire or appreciate in some faith other than your own?" turns out to be, at this moment, that!

 

[stranger]

Oh, Bravo! Well, "What is something you admire or appreciate in some faith other than your own?" turns out to be, at this moment, that!

C'mon now Thomas, you know nobody around here sticks to the script for long. We're always riffing.

 

[Aupmanyav]

No religion has the (exclusive) key to heaven.

That is different from what many of these religions say.

Individual submits to God from wherever.

No. I do not believe in existence of God. Therefore, nothing to submit to expect 'dharma' (duties).

 

[RJM]

I do not believe in existence of God. Therefore, nothing to submit to expect 'dharma' (duties).

We have to live with change and new knowledge or fall by the wayside, imo. Change is the constant certainty.

But dogmatic atheism is also set in stone. Imo? God still might have surprises?

What's not growing is dying. It's sad but true. There is no standstill in nature: stagnation is slow death. But I always have my own mind. I am always learning -- never too old to learn?

 

[juantoo3]

the ancient sage of Taoism

Lao Tzu (alternately Laotzi)

 

[juantoo3]

Another I admire and have learned from, Sun Tzu