Vipassana and Islam

[amity2kok]

Vipassana and Islam
Vipassana and Islam: Public talk at Kurla, Mumbai, 7th May 2005 with Questions and Answers. [In Hindi]

EDIT (Matthew): (Blatant advertising and irrelevant links removed)

[Flipasso]

Today I talked with a friend who owns a restaurant who is a Muslim.

Inspite of all the media anti-propaganda.. It doesn't seem like such a bad religion after all!!

Plus I love the beards they grow!! 

[frepi]

Religion is what we make of it. Christianity is supposedly the religion of love yet the Christian societies hold by far the upper hand of genocides and looting and wars. Religion is a vector that orients the needs of its followers. No matter what the holy book might say, the scriptures will be interpreted and then used to indulge the followers in their aspirations. Today, there is a movement that wants to persuade people that the Koran is violent and that would explains the Islamic terrorism. The New Testament talks about love yet it never stopped the popes from declaring a war, they just had to tag it as Holy and it became "God's will". Religion never helped men and  women become better nor made their lives better, it only united them for the best of religion itself.

I hope I didn't offend anyone, it is only my opinion but nothing more than an opinion.

[Matthew]

Religion from latin means "to tie back" or "to hold back". Says it all.

[Flipasso]

I speak portuguese which is closer to latin than english.
Religion is something like re-connect. Think of it like this!!
Man's wireless connection to the whole is failing, and the role of religion is to make it work again!!
 

[frepi]

Humm...I'd say religion tries to replace this connection, not make it work.  As Bill Maher said: Religion is the bureaucracy between God and the individual. Religion exists for its own good.

[Matthew]

Humm...I'd say religion tries to replace this connection, not make it work.  As Bill Maher said: Religion is the bureaucracy between God and the individual. Religion exists for its own good.

I totally agree with you. Like Politics is that which stands between us and world peace.

[Flipasso]

Maybe...
Ultimately one has to abandon all aquired knowledge to reach the truth, but if it weren't for religion we wouldn't know anything about spirituality!!

[Hazmatac]

Irreverent Buddhist, I disagree with you about politics. If there were no laws then our rights wouldn't be protected. Governments aren't inherently evil, but they have the potential to be.

Flipasso, I don't think you have to abandon knowledge to reach truth or enlightenment. In fact, enlightenment is a realization of truth. And I think religion does more harm then good. The main one is they tell people to accept their claims based on faith rather than evidence. This starts as "you have to do what God says or you will go to hell," then to "God wants us to have this war," or to "we have to burn these witches." Pretty bad.

[ravalbapu]

My salutations to all,

It is with abundant caution I state that Islam is the youngest religeon.
Though it is a concoction of hassidism,judaism and christianity, and some factions like sufism may also contain flavours of hindu bhaktism, its proponent's intolerance ( towards others) is so intense that it will die sooner than later.

The days of forceful conversions,call them jehad or some exotic name, are over in this reign of fast communication and internet.

Apologists like goenka may want to market their kind of brand vipassana to all and sundry, it does not abrogate the fact that mainstream muslim will change his paradigm.

raval

 

[Matthew]

My salutations to all,

It is with abundant caution I state that Islam is the youngest religeon.
Though it is a concoction of hassidism,judaism and christianity, and some factions like sufism may also contain flavours of hindu bhaktism, its proponent's intolerance ( towards others) is so intense that it will die sooner than later.

The days of forceful conversions,call them jehad or some exotic name, are over in this reign of fast communication and internet.

Apologists like goenka may want to market their kind of brand vipassana to all and sundry, it does not abrogate the fact that mainstream muslim will change his paradigm.

raval

 

Your analysis is incorrect: The "mainstream" Muslim leads a quiet gentle life whereas the fundamentalists and ones who wish to forcefully convert the world are a minority. Please be mindful of speech towards others.

Matthew

[ravalbapu]

My salutations to all,

I wish it were a fact and not a casual observation.

Be that as it may. I am not talking about converting fundamentalists.  I am talking about paradigm shift in the mainstream muslims which depends on the koran which itself is undependable scripture.

May you attain nibbana,
raval

[Matthew]

The paradigm shift in Islamic societies is the paradigm shift from feudal thinking to freedom. The Koran has been hijacked by a patriarchal society. Just as the Christian Bible has been hijacked by a patriarchal society (thou the feudalism is more hidden).

Both the original teachers were teaching freedom.

Matthew