I'm asking any athirst out there if they follow Buddhism or why they don't I'm curious because Buddhism doesn't care for a god but instead a way to live their life. Also what do you guys believe happens after AND before death. I just don't really understand what you guys think. Are you existentialists?
I don't follow it because I'm perfectly happy living my life the way I want to rather than how others want me to.
I am a practicing Buddhist so I figured i could contribute. I do, however, believe in a God. But not in the traditional Christian sense, but rather a more Hindu flavor.. the essence of all living things. Or maybe a better understanding would be the Tao. As a Buddhist, life after death is just that - after death, there is more life, and then death, and then life, and so on. The cycle of rebirth; samsara. In the particular Tibetan tradition I follow there is an intermediate state, and other bardos that occur after death, but mainly what comes after death is just another rebirth; animal form, human form, and so on. Also, Buddhism isn't particularly convenient for most atheists. I say this because it requires alot of work and dedication, and it is a path of faith. Except maybe for some sects of Dharma like Zen. In general, atheists come upon the conclusion of the existence of God by thinking about it, and this approach is rather useless for a practitioner of the Dharma.
Not a follower of Buddhism but I have no issues with it. Before and after death, I think we just don't exist.
i believe that before death, we haven't been created. we are conceived, and live thanks to the nervous system, neuron transmittal, and memory. when we die, we stop producing the energy for these reactions to take place. the molecules in the body then gradually meld into the relatively, "stronger," reactions that take place around them. some, like bone matter, take longer to decompose and blend in with the environment than others do. the buddha suggested to follow what makes sense to me. that does. any being of greater 'power' doesn't.
It actually isn't all that uncommon. But maybe it could be better described as pantheism, than theism or atheism. Pantheism is very reconcilable with atheism, but the two aren't exactly the same.
I dont see how you can be an atheist and a Buddhist, because being an atheist suggests that you are seperate from the God essence in all living things.
What makes you think an atheist would be an existentialist? It's not that it couldn't happen. Im just not sure why you'd connect the two right off the bat.
I think you are under the impression that all atheists agree on the same things. The only thing we agree on is that we don't think God(s) are real. Some can be existentialists, but others won't be. Some can think we just die and that's it, while others can think we will continue on in some form. Some atheists can also follow buddhism, but others won't. Basically, "I don't believe in God(s)" is the only thing we can say for certain that we all have in common. Anything else would just be up to the individual. Hope that helps the misunderstanding.
At least he made an effort to learn. Lots of religious people seem to think there's a set of beliefs that all atheists must agree with. For example, if atheist person X says Y, they think all atheists would have to agree with Y because person X said it and person X is an atheist.