From: spam@hotmail.com   
      
   Evelyn Ruut wrote:   
   > Hi Dave,   
   >   
   > I have formally been a buddhist (a practicing buddhist) since   
   > 1982 and considered myself a buddhist many years before that.   
   > I have hundreds of books and have familiarized myself with   
   > many different sects of buddhism. I assure you that you may   
   > have a misunderstanding here.   
      
   I do not think I'm the one that has the misunderstanding here.   
      
   > Buddhists do not believe in gods.....   
      
   Then go to those sites I suggested and then go to the monks I   
   spoke to in Nepal. They all believe that these gods, or deva, are   
   real and not just something to not think about while meditating.   
   Please tell those native born Buddhists that they have a   
   misunderstanding of their religion.   
      
   > Here are a couple of quotes I saved that expressed how deities   
   >  are viewed in buddhism.   
      
   Nice quotes but did you read the websites I mentioned and did you   
   talk to the monk in Tibet spinning his prayer wheel?   
      
   > So essentially, what westerners take for "deities" or "gods"   
   > are not in any way comparable to say... the Judeo/Christian   
   > God,.......   
      
   I already covered that point. Did you even read my last posting?   
      
   > Here is how a top scholar and author explained it some time   
   > ago......   
      
   Appeal to authority? "Top scholars" also claim christianity is   
   true and other "top scholars" will claim that astrology is true.   
   So much for "top scholars."   
      
   > No doubt, some people fail to get the point of yidam practice.   
   >  They become even more deluded than they were before. That is   
   > precisely why the practice is said to be dangerous.....   
      
   Since I do not practice "yidam" there is no problem of that   
   happening.   
      
   > By the way, Dave, I promise absolutely that I am not here to   
   > seek converts or to proselytize in any way.   But the fact   
   > that I have participated on buddhist forums for many years,   
   > may move me to attempt to correct misunderstandings about   
   > buddhism if they arise in some discussion or other.   
      
   That's all I'm trying to do, correct a misunderstanding about   
   Buddhism. Most native born Buddhists believe in some pantheon of   
   gods. They offer prayers and offerings to these gods. They are   
   actual, real, beings to these people. They are not worshiped,   
   but honored. They are not, I'll repeat that for you, THEY ARE NOT,   
   Western style omnipotent creator gods and the term "god" is being   
   used here in the most generic sense.   
      
   Don't forget that Sidd was Hindu. He was born into a family that   
   followed the Hindu religion and honored the millions of Hindu   
   gods. Read your books and you'll find that part where Sidd talked   
   to some of those gods in his dad's garden.   
      
   > I don't care if anyone else is a buddhist or not a buddhist. I   
   >  only hope that whatever you are or do, that you find   
   > happiness.   
      
   Why would you assume that I haven't found happiness already? I   
   don't care if anyone wants to follow the Buddhist religion, I   
   just don't like people conflating it with Atheism or Humanism.   
   There is a big difference; Buddhism has gods and other trappings   
   of a religion, Atheism and Secular Humanism do not.   
   --   
   Dave   
      
   "Sacred cows make the best hamburger."  Mark Twain.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)