Sunday, 31 July 2011

Richard Dawkins - The God Delusion - on Buddhism

Richard Dawkins's controversial book The God Delusion takes an intellectual broadside at the major Abrahamic religions of Judaism,Islam and Christianity. But what does he have to say about one of the world's greatest other religion Buddhism ? I thought I would trawl through the book to find out what.In the comprehensive index there are only 3 references pages 59,232 and 443.

Page 59 ...".shall not be concerned at all with other religions such as Buddhism or Confucianism.Indeed there is something to be said for treating these not as religions at all but as ethical systems or philosophies of life."

Page 232 ...."Perhaps Islam is analogous to a carnivorous gene complex, Buddhism to a herbivorous one."

Page 443...."Julia Sweeney is also right on target when she briefly mentions Buddhism. Just as Christianity is sometimes thought to be a nicer , gentler religion than Islam, Buddhism is often cracked up to be the nicest of all.But the doctrine of demotion on the reincarnation ladder because of sins in a past life is pretty unpleasant."

And that's the sum total of references - Buddhism isn't a religion that means you have to swallow a supernatural belief system and an omnipresent God. You yourself are responsible for your life, your choices and your happiness -end of. And by practising compassion and loving kindness we find the world a whole lot of a better place than if we do the converse.

Maybe Richard Dawkins should cut back on the throttle a little and respect the deeply held beliefs of some he would regard as God deluded. A little kindness rather than arrogant superiority never goes amiss !

Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.

Dalai Lama

4 comments:

  1. I am a Buddhist but I like the questioning of Richard Dawkins. He is truely against the superstious as was Buddha. I think Richard must study about Buddhism..Hats off to richard dawkins

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  2. According to Buddha, there is no reincarnation.

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  3. 敬爱的佛教信土:
    我是甲洞三宝寺 (暹廟) SAMNAK SAMBODHI BUDDHIST ASSOCIATION NO: 19-21 JALAN 38 TAMAN DESA JAYA KEPONG 52100 KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA. 的理事, 当任此职多年, 对内的事務也一清二楚。

    最近, 在网络上看了PHRA PIYATHAMMO和尚和马华公会鸱唛区主席叶金福(Yip Kum Fook, MCA Gombak)律师的双方信件, 使我的内心久久不能平伏, 良心受到很大的譴責, 不吐訢不痛快, 所以我要誠恳的説:他叶金福(Yip Kum Fook, MCA Gombak)侓师叫外来的流流氓到三宝寺(暹廟)挑衅和尚打架及电招警方人员扣捕沙彌, 其嘲笑手法, 不外是要显示其权力, 而鞏固其职位, 以达到权力就是一切, 好让住持难堪, 自动離开, 方便行事……这种举动, 已间接的表逹其含意, 住持和尚兼顾问, 都无能为力,你们这些信徒能做什么?即使告马耒西亜佛教总会又能为难什么?这种心态, 的硧令人反感, 不是一个正信佛教者应有的行为。

    至今, 三宝寺的理事成员多数是其親戚, 这是实事, 加入会员需交RM100元费用,同时,必须经过叶金福(Yip Kum Fook)律师的同意,否则免談, 所以会员也不多。

    马华公会鹅唛区主席叶金福(Yip Kum Fook, MCA Gombak)律师,自控制三宝寺之後,把三宝寺(暹廟)当着私人產業,聘用和尚賺钱,利用佛教的道地为政治活动埸所,而处理三宝寺的钱财也不透明?这点,值得信众追问。马来西亚地擴人多,和尚也不缺乏,为什么不用本地和尚当任住持化缘,却偏偏劳心劳神,浪费签证费,交通费? 还要烦劳梹城佛总的推荐信, 向文化不同, 而語言又不通之千哩外囯缅旬和尚求助? 为什么….为什么? 只要我们用头脑想一想,便一日了然, 不必晝虎添足。

    叶金福(Yip Kum Fook, MCA Gombak )律师说:欢迎任何人如有意见,可以电话03:62762369/0122039700 Email: YIPKUMFOOK@HOTMAIL.COM 戓到其马华公会鹅唛区会甲洞三宝寺及以下地圵:NO.2,B JALAN 53 TAMAN DESA JAYA KEPONG 52100 SELANGOR, MALAYSIA.討論, 我要老实的提醒大家, 最好不要一个去見他, 因为这个人狡滑, 笑裡藏刀, 很阴险, 出家人都不放在眼裡, 連TAMAN DAYA 52100 KEPONG, KUALA LUMPUR. 众人的印度廟也敢放火燒, 利用权势把场地佔为己有, 由此可见, 他是何等的心毒? 还有现在三宝寺内, 各处都按裝计孔监视来人一举一动。

    目前, 三宝寺很多信徒及当地居民, 已经对叶金福(Yip Kum Fook, MCA Gombak )律师不满, 但也不能做什么。他计划把三宝寺主席的职位轉给其子YIP JIUN HANN律师, 续承皇朝. 想近一部了觧詳情, 可上网得知。

    再说, 根据前理事在网络上给叶金福(Yip Kum Fook, MCA Gombak)律师的批評, 説他懂得包裝自己的道德守则, 以宗教为幌子手, 到处募款, 啇業经营, 政治活动为重, 并没依循佛教守則行事, 也没对人道作出貢献, 只不过借三宝寺宗教之名捞取权和私利而己, 其言也不为过, 是实事。

    在此, 我恳切希望, 廣大的佛教信仰者, 给予关注, 并共創義举, 弘扬佛教. 谢谢。

    Mr Lim Sok Chia敬啟
    Ms Yap

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  4. DATUK YIP KUM FOOK叶金福 pushed the Buddhist monk from the temple, not a big deal but he disrespected the Buddhists, and the sangha is responsible for all the Buddhist teachings (Dhamma), without the Sangha, the Buddhist is no more until today, every society has good and bad, it is the nature of law in this world



    MCA also has good and bad, like you(Yip) it's worse because you make every negative thing bad, you make bad for the religion, for the society, the society and destroy the life of the sangha...if you die today, your mind will suffer then will go to hell



    we are not happy and don't like you(Yip) because your mind is very dirty and more jealous of other human beings, also you destroy our feelings and our respect as Buddhists, if you are in Buddhist country, you will collapse and have no life on earth, people will step on your head



    last time, SAMNAK SAMBODHI BUDDHIST TEMPLE(吉隆坡甲洞帝沙再也三宝) is very famous because various Sangha (Buddhist monks) visit and stay there, now only Myanmar monks live there because committee’s temple always ask money from Buddhist monks, for Ven. U Nandiya gave RM20,000.00 to the President (DATUK YIP KUM FOOK 叶金福), if any monk does not give, this president will make trouble or will cancel their Visa or make a police report to arrest any matter.



    the conclusion of this matter, we hope everything will be fine, now any society also follows personal way because people think different ways, we practice the Buddhist teachings long time but we have never seen people like (DATUK YIP KUM FOOK 叶金福), have problems with the Sangha. ..this is a great sin in Buddhism


    we are a Buddhist group in Kepong

    (Ms Low, Ng, Shia, chew, wong and others)

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