Buddhists do not believe in any kind of deity or god, although there are supernatural figures who can help or hinder people on the path towards enlightenmentIn the western world the concept of spiritual enlightenment has become synonymous with self-realization and the true self and false self, being regarded as a substantial essence being covered over by social conditioning.https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Enlightenment_(spiritual)
While Buddhism is a tradition focused on spiritual liberation, it is not a theistic religion. The Buddha himself rejected the idea of a creator god, and Buddhist philosophers have even argued that belief in an eternal god is nothing but a distraction for humans seeking enlightenment.
Buddhist teachings state that there are divine beings called devas (sometimes translated as 'gods') and other Buddhist deities, heavens, and rebirths in its doctrine of saṃsāra, or cyclical rebirth. Buddhism teaches that none of these gods is a creator or an eternal being, though they can live very long lives.
In Buddhism, there is no concept of punishment or reward and there is no divine being who decides who goes to hell or heaven. There is merely the illusory results of our thought, words and deeds, which we call karma.
There are inherent and fundamental differences between Buddhism and Christianity, one significant element being that while Christianity is at its core monotheistic and relies on a God as a Creator, Buddhism is generally non-theistic and rejects the notion of a Creator God which provides divine values for the world.
Instead, in Buddhism, we pray to Buddhas and bodhisattvas for the inspiration and strength to work on ourselves so that we can create our own causes of happiness , as well as benefit others as much as possible.
Buddhists do not believe in any kind of deity or god, although there are supernatural figures who can help or hinder people on the path towards enlightenment.
Despite the great diversity of Buddhist traditions across various countries, Buddhism in general has restricted the consumption of alcohol since early times.
Generally, Buddhist teaching views life and death as a continuum, believing that consciousness (the spirit) continues after death and may be reborn. Death can be an opportunity for liberation from the cycle of life, death and rebirth.
So generally Buddhists celebrate Christmas but not in Christianity way. They have their own way to celebrate Christmas. So Buddhists often see Jesus as an avatar of being blessed to our beloved Earth.
Do Buddhists pray? Buddhists don't pray to a Creator God, but they do have devotional meditation practices which could be compared to praying. Radiating loving-kindness to all living beings is a practice which is believed to benefit those beings.
The three Buddhist deities Vajrapāṇi, Mañjuśrī and Avalokiteśvara.
Followers of Buddhism don't acknowledge a supreme god or deity. They instead focus on achieving enlightenment—a state of inner peace and wisdom. When followers reach this spiritual echelon, they're said to have experienced nirvana. The religion's founder, Buddha, is considered an extraordinary being, but not a god.
Worshippers may sit on the floor barefoot facing an image of Buddha and chanting. They will listen to monks chanting from religious texts, perhaps accompanied by instruments, and take part in prayers.
Buddhism is a religion that is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama. The main principles of this belief system are karma, rebirth, and impermanence.
Buddhavacana. The concept of buddhavacana (word of the Buddha) is important in understanding how Buddhists classify and see their texts. Buddhavacana texts have special status as sacred scripture and are generally seen as in accord with the teachings of the historical Buddha, which is termed "the Dharma".
Although cremation is the most common choice among Buddhists, burial is also permissible. Individual traditions or sects do have specific funeral practices that practitioners usually follow but unlike Christianity, none of these would have any impact on the soul or eternal destiny of the practitioner.
Buddhists and cremation
Due to their belief in reincarnation, cremation is seen as the preferred choice when a loved one dies. The physical body holds little significance to the Buddhist faith, it is merely a vessel for holding the soul. Buddhists also believe in organ donation as it is seen as a good deed.
For Buddhists, karma has implications beyond this life. Bad actions in a previous life can follow a person into their next life and cause bad effects (which Westerners are more likely to interpret as 'bad luck'). Even an Enlightened One is not exempt from the effects of past karma.
The precepts are commitments to abstain from killing living beings, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying and intoxication. Within the Buddhist doctrine, they are meant to develop mind and character to make progress on the path to enlightenment.
Food is prepared as a spiritual exercise with attention to balance, harmony, and delicacy. Conscious eating is followed among all Buddhists. Buddha advised monks to avoid eating 10 kinds of meat for self-respect and protection: humans, elephants, horses, dogs, snakes, lions, tigers, boars and hyenas.
While the jury is still out on coffee consumption, most Buddhists believe coffee in moderation is perfectly fine, as long as it does not interfere with the fifth precept, a guideline of morals for practicing Buddhists.
Pali canon, also called Tipitaka (Pali: “Triple Basket”) or Tripitaka (Sanskrit), the complete canon, first recorded in Pali, of the Theravada (“Way of the Elders”) branch of Buddhism.
A commonly held modern view is that Buddhism is exceptionally compatible with science and reason, or even that it is a kind of science (perhaps a "science of the mind" or a "scientific religion").
The problem with this notion of original sin or mistake is that it acts very much as a hinderance [sic] to people. At some point it is of course necessary to realize one's shortcomings. But if one goes too far with that, it kills any inspiration and can destroy one's vision as well.