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floridian · Apr 17, 2004, 11:32 am

<blockquote>Quote:<hr size="1" />Originally Posted by
yes, the eightfold path is religion... following any set of criteria for a goal is religious<hr size="1" /></blockquote>

The eight-fold path is an ethical or moral code (right speech, right thinking, etc). The boyscout motto (a scout is courteous, clean, thrifty, etc) is not religious (except perhaps for the 'reverent' part, and that is left to the interpretation of the individual).

Your definition of religion as "following any set of criteria for a goal" is way too loose. That would make gardening and olympic figure skating (and everything else) religions.

<blockquote>Quote:<hr size="1" />Originally Posted by
yes it does, but the gods of buddhism serve a different function than the gods of other religions... the goal of buddhism is to end the cycle of reincarnation and become nothing<hr size="1" /></blockquote>

Not all Buddhists believe in reincarnation. Nirvana (the place where no wind blows) can be envisioned as release from the wheel of birth/death/reincarnation for Buddhists that follow the Hindu tradition, while others conceptualize nirvana as a personal transcendence of desire and illusion, a release from the ego.

Apr 17, 2004, 11:32 am	#111 (permalink) (top)
floridian Molten Ash Posts: 84	</span><blockquote><span class="smallfont">Quote:</span><hr size="1" />Originally Posted by yes, the eightfold path is religion... following any set of criteria for a goal is religious<hr size="1" /></blockquote><span class='postcolor'> The eight-fold path is an ethical or moral code (right speech, right thinking, etc). The boyscout motto (a scout is courteous, clean, thrifty, etc) is not religious (except perhaps for the 'reverent' part, and that is left to the interpretation of the individual). Your definition of religion as "following any set of criteria for a goal" is way too loose. That would make gardening and olympic figure skating (and everything else) religions. </span><blockquote><span class="smallfont">Quote:</span><hr size="1" />Originally Posted by yes it does, but the gods of buddhism serve a different function than the gods of other religions... the goal of buddhism is to end the cycle of reincarnation and become nothing<hr size="1" /></blockquote><span class='postcolor'> Not all Buddhists believe in reincarnation. Nirvana (the place where no wind blows) can be envisioned as release from the wheel of birth/death/reincarnation for Buddhists that follow the Hindu tradition, while others conceptualize nirvana as a personal transcendence of desire and illusion, a release from the ego.