Nov 12, 2008

More on uncontrollable conditions

My views on Buddhism - weblog.
As at today, with my current perspective on Buddhism, I'll give my 2 cents worth opinions to the topic mentioned above.

Kamma is one of the conditions that makes the difference in you and me. Kamma means Intentions. Intention is not random. Intention arise because of 'causes and conditions'.

Do we have the ability to distinguish right from wrong, good intention from bad intention? When there is right-view, we are able to know right from wrong. When there is no right-view, then we are not able to know right from wrong. So, the ability to distinguish right from wrong is dependent on right-view.

I think we should not ask questions, whether there is freewill or not, or whether there is control or not. If we use the wrong type of mould to form our questions, then the wrong-type of answers will be formed also. If the question itself is wrong, then the answer that is given will certainly be wrong.

In Buddhism, everything arises because there is a cause for it to arise. These conditions are described in the Dependent-Origination (Paticca-samuppada).

We have the ability to know lust, cruelty, kindness and compassion, etc. Human beings have the ability to distinguish these wholesome and unwholesome thoughts only when there is right-view.

We should not blame everything that happens in our lives on 'conditions that we cannot control'. Fatalism is definitely not Buddhism.

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about me - and the disclaimer ...

((My views on Buddhism)). I'm just a practicing Buddhist - that's what I hope I am, anyway. I'm not a expert nor a scholar on Buddhism, neither am I a 'pious' Buddhist, but I try my best in following the Buddha's teachings. Well, no matter how far-off Buddhism has been 'interpreted' or 'misinterpreted' by people, I guess we just have to try our best in practicing Buddhism with loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic- joy and with equanimity.