[Buddha-l] The words of the Buddha

[[DPD Web] Shen Shi'an]

It doesn't take faith to be agreeable with what already makes sense. At
the end of the day, the Buddha expects us "to empirically test his
teachings" before blindly abiding by any - this teaching itself is easy
to have "faith" in - for its sensibility. 

The Buddha's teachings are thus doubly "insured" with the Kalama spirit
- we can agree to disagree with the Buddha's teachings - including this
teaching about agreeing to disagree. Neat! 

-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Zeuschner [mailto:rbzeuschner at adelphia.net] 
Sent: Monday, 14 May, 2007 1:49 PM
To: Buddhist discussion forum
Subject: Re: [Buddha-l] The words of the Buddha

It seems to me that if I accept something as true simply because the 
Buddha is supposed to have said it, then I have faith in the Buddhist 
religion.

[DPD Web] Shen Shi'an wrote:
> Unacademically but spiritually speaking, Buddhists are supposed to
> believe the Buddha taught that truth should be accepted wherever it is
> found. 

On the other hand, if I accept the claim only after having empirically 
tested it and found it correct (Kalamas), then am I a philosopher?
In this case I do not have faith in the Buddha's words simply because 
the Buddha said so.

It is for this reason that I am not a Buddhist. I do not have blind 
faith ... in fact I can't abide blind faith.
I think of myself as a Buddhologist.

Bob
Dept. of Philosophy



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