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Originally Posted by GX 
Listening to others we disagree with helps us to define what we are not and thus discover who we really are. Im with you on that. The fool hardies are caught in a trap of unconditionally believing what they have been told and are held there by fear (in the case of christians). I guess as far as people hating religion, Im sure the reasons are many and varied. Im sure alot of it has to do with the feeling of being enslaved by it and then the subsequent contempt for it after throwing off the shackles. Not necessary but understandable. I havent studied Buddhism to the extent that you have. What have you learned from the Buddhists about prayer? Are they prayers of supplication (asking for stuff) or thanks or what?
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Hey GX do you understand this:
God – Country – Religion – me and mine.
This is a general structure that I follow. We can substitute any words here.
I am no expert in Buddhism.
Like any religion, the basic faith statements are straight forward. What you know of them is probably the same as what I know. Jesus had many years of his life missing and with the trade routes and other historic factors I am sure he, at least, studied some Buddhism and other religions at least that is what I would expect a good teacher to do any way. I just fell more in line of Jesus in that that Buddha’s nirvana was ministered by Buddha. That is an arrogant statement on my part. Buddha saw the limits and decided that it meant empty, I just disagree with him and I call it wonderful. This higher power is so old and so misunderstood.
I have learned from them to slow down and pick a focal point and it all starts within me. I like using Zen Buddhist questioning also. The type of prayer is a personal thing. My prayers are of thanks giving. I thank the universe for the day and then my parents and for all those that have gone before us that gave us what we have today. Things like that.
I stopped meditating because the experience is to powerful for me. I was a non-believer for most of my life so the spiritual thing is too powerful for me. It is like an out of body experience. I do not like that transcendent thing. Being suddenly tapped into and part of everything is too much for me. I understand why Buddha came back to put his feet on the ground. In talking to some people around my way about it they said that maybe I just get into that state of mind really fast, they take an hour, I take minutes, so maybe that’s it, I don’t know. I do know this; I can tell those that had it and those that just know the theory. We insane people know each other well.
