[Buddha-l] G-d, the D-vil and other imaginary friends

[Evelyn Ruut]

Richard Hayes said:

"What I may be allergic to is people who talk about God at
every drop of the hat, and this is only because I live in a country that
is being hounded on a daily basis by right-wing extremists, who insist
on cramming God-talk into every conversation. Buddha-l, I think, is a
place where people should be able to spend a few moments without being
reminded of the unpleasantness of those who are forcing the issue of
God."

Dear Buddha-L list,

I agree with Richard completely in his comments about getting tired of discussing god.   Every where one goes there are people who seem to know exactly what gods will is for everybody else, never mind questioning even if there is such a being.   The true horror is that these people seem to be running the country (USA) just now.

Imaginary friends can be nice, but everybody doesn't necessarily share in the fantasy.   I do understand that when one has been indoctrinated since an early age to believe that such a being exists that belief becomes very real.   But if you really think about it, there is very little evidence for it, unless you are ascribing importance to things that really aren't evidence at all, like the fact the sun rises or sets.

Actually it might be fun to talk about some of the imaginary beings that people place so much stock in.  There is a whole collection of them.   Angels for instance, and how about the devil?   If you nurture a belief in such things you can work yourself into quite a solid and immovable mindset over them, seeing devils and angels behind every bush (pun intended).

But are there any REAL effects that could be described or measured in some way?  I don't think so, unless so very much thought energy expended by so many believers is generated to the point that there is some sort of a thought-form that manifests.   

Every religion has its miracles and its manifestations and phantasms and wonders.   Tales abound of supernatural experiences and such no matter what religion one looks into.   The fact so many religion-specific stories like this exist, speaks for the mentally created nature of all of them.

If I understand buddhism correctly (if there is a correct way at all) seeking salvation or anything else outside of oneself is seen as a mistake and a delusion.   Understanding that we create our own experience of the world is essential, and that we do it all to and for ourselves, allows us to find a way to stop doing things that create unhappiness.   Looking to a god to stop our suffering is just more confusion and more delusion.

Populating the cosmos with human-like spiritual super-creatures who are jealous, who crave, and who have enmity with one another, seeing these beings as some who are all good and some all bad, just entraps us more in samsaric confusion.   

In a buddhist cosmic picture, god and the devil might both become enlightened and hug one another and vow for eternity to give all living beings whatever they want to have happiness.   They would together, blow out the fires of hell, put in air conditioning and make it all one big heaven.   No more suffering, no more illness, need more room?  Just create some more worlds for all the happy people!

But then, even in such a heaven we would all do it to ourselves again and invent a new set of super-beings to entreat for favor over others, to pit against one another much as we do amongst ourselves.   

Man created god in his own image, and understanding that simple fact *IS* the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Best Regards,

Evelyn
 
"Since everything is but an apparition, perfect in being what it is, having nothing to do with good or bad, acceptance or rejection, one may well burst into laughter."    –Longchenpa
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