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    #16
    Re: Ask a Buddhist

    How can you argument the fact that desires are cravings and not an expression of our free will? (assuming there is free will in Buddhism)

    Check out my blog! The Daily Satanist

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      #17
      Re: Ask a Buddhist

      Originally posted by habbalah View Post
      Do you consider Buddhism to be a theist or atheistic path?
      Some schools are polytheistic, but broadly Buddhism is non-theistic in the sense that there is no creator God. From my own experience I would say that quite a lot of western Buddhists are atheist, having abandoned a previous Christian upbringing.

      - - - Updated - - -

      Originally posted by SeanRave View Post
      How can you argument the fact that desires are cravings and not an expression of our free will? (assuming there is free will in Buddhism)
      I would say that there is always a choice but it is often limited by our conditioning, personality, circumstances and culture. Desires in themselves are not a problem, it's craving or attachment to desire which is seen as the root of suffering. Craving is more like addictive behaviour, strong attachment, clinging and grasping. Impermanence means that the object of our attachments and cravings will inevitably change and disappear. So as the suttas say, "what is impermanent is unsatisfactory".
      Once a man, like the sea I raged;
      Once a woman, like the earth I gave;
      And there is in fact more earth than sea.
      Genesis lyric

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        #18
        Re: Ask a Buddhist

        Originally posted by SeanRave View Post
        How can you argument the fact that desires are cravings and not an expression of our free will? (assuming there is free will in Buddhism)
        Myself? I don't. Yes, you have free will. You can desire and crave things all you want. You can desire and crave things that are bad for you, or that are good for you, or that you may get, or that are impossible to get.

        You can also use your free will to release yourself from harmful cravings and desires, to reduce the impact of desiring things you can't get, and the hurt of wanting or loosing the things you crave.

        As Porpoise wrote, craving/desire isn't the problem. The problem is attachment to such an extent that you become miserable via desire/craving, which leads you to be unhappy when you don't get it, or when you lose it, or when you fear you may lose it or not get it.

        Desire or crave happiness, though, and learning to dis-attach is the way...
        Every moment of a life is a horrible tragedy, a slapstick comedy, dark nihilism, golden illumination, or nothing at all; depending on how we write the story we tell ourselves.

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          #19
          Re: Ask a Buddhist

          Thank you both for your answers.

          Check out my blog! The Daily Satanist

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            #20
            Re: Ask a Buddhist

            Originally posted by B. de Corbin View Post
            You can also use your free will to release yourself from harmful cravings and desires, to reduce the impact of desiring things you can't get, and the hurt of wanting or loosing the things you crave.
            With some insight into the impermanent and insubstantial nature of things there is a natural lessening of the tendency to grasp and crave. People often talk about this as "letting go", though it's not an act of will, more a result of insight, seeing how things really are.
            Once a man, like the sea I raged;
            Once a woman, like the earth I gave;
            And there is in fact more earth than sea.
            Genesis lyric

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              #21
              Re: Ask a Buddhist

              Originally posted by Porpoise View Post
              With some insight into the impermanent and insubstantial nature of things there is a natural lessening of the tendency to grasp and crave. People often talk about this as "letting go", though it's not an act of will, more a result of insight, seeing how things really are.
              Yes, but to gather that insight, one has to chose to do so - free will
              Every moment of a life is a horrible tragedy, a slapstick comedy, dark nihilism, golden illumination, or nothing at all; depending on how we write the story we tell ourselves.

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                #22
                Re: Ask a Buddhist

                Originally posted by B. de Corbin View Post
                Yes, but to gather that insight, one has to chose to do so - free will
                The choice involved here is to do Buddhist practice. Or not, as the case may be.
                Once a man, like the sea I raged;
                Once a woman, like the earth I gave;
                And there is in fact more earth than sea.
                Genesis lyric

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                  #23
                  Re: Ask a Buddhist

                  How do Buddhist get along with people with different religions? For example you're a Buddhist and I'm a Taoist. We'll reacted differently because of our different belief systems.

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                    #24
                    Re: Ask a Buddhist

                    Originally posted by Bartmanhomer View Post
                    How do Buddhist get along with people with different religions? For example you're a Buddhist and I'm a Taoist. We'll reacted differently because of our different belief systems.
                    Generally Buddhists are pretty laid back, though personally I struggle with monotheists, particularly the fundamentalists. I also get frustrated with new-age types!
                    Once a man, like the sea I raged;
                    Once a woman, like the earth I gave;
                    And there is in fact more earth than sea.
                    Genesis lyric

                    Comment

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