Just lost a rant to the internet ether. Might put a rant about losing rants on Ramrage.

Bailey (Filth Dragon) posed me a question in the middle of a religious debate on friday (we were both quite drunk). But I'm still not sure I put up an adequate explanation or defence of Buddhism.

Bailey, has the perfectly reasonable objection that a lot of Buddhists seem to get walked over. That the Dalai Lama, despite years of trying to end the Chinese occupation peacefully and compromising many times has not succeeded. If he wanted, he could perhaps get Buddhists to take up arms and fight the Chinese back.

But...
Buddha taught us to question our beliefs, to examine our faith with an inquiring mind. These doubts are not 'holes' in the Dharmma, they are merely things you haven't thought about. Blind faith is not the answer, it is easy to poke holes in a blind faith, but if one arrives at a conclusion through thought and introspection, this KNOWLEDGE is immovable as a mountain.

Everyone is different, they all understand dharmma differently. I can't comment about the Chinese occupation, but the Dalai Lama could not 'force' any Bodhisatva to do anything. We have all come to this way through our own choice, we have all walked our own path to get here. Do Buddhists get walked over? Sometimes, yes.

But is it better to bend like a willow in the breeze than snap like an oak?

Bailey posed another question,

"What if Buddha was wrong?"

My immediate answer would be that if he was 'wrong' then he would have been exposed as a fraud long ago. But the question has troubled me all weekend. I give thanks to my friend that he made me question and renew my faith once more.

As I said above, Buddha taught us to question belief, even his teachings,

"Don't just believe" he said, "Come and see."

Whether he was 'wrong' or 'right' depends on your own concept of 'wrong' and 'right'. The value is what value you place upon it. There is action and consquence. Whether you believe your actions are right or wrong, there will be a result of them. This result may or may not be what you wanted. It bears little realtion to the 'right-ness' or 'wrong-ness' but more to the action and the reaction themselves.

If Buddha was 'wrong', could his teachings have been kept alive for so long? Could they have spread across the world? Could they have brought calm, contentment and even nirvana to many? And those who follow his teachings love everyone and every living thing?

If we judge right and wrong by action and reaction, they you may all draw your own conclusions.

Ram.
May you all find happiness and peace.