Are Buddhists really atheists?

Atheists in the West claim that Buddhists are atheists, so they (the atheists in the West) feel better that they are not the only atheists in the world.

My purpose is to ask Buddhists whether they really deny that God exists.

From my part, I know from my reason and intelligence that God exists.

So, paging Buddhists, please come over and let us discuss whether you Buddhists really deny God exists.

This page is a permanent link to the reply below and its nested replies. See all post replies »

yrger · 80-89, M

@SW-User

You ask, "where is the dividing line between theists and atheists?"

My answer:
I am theist I know God exists.
They atheists deny God exists.

I am still waiting for you to react to my answer.

Anyway, let's go to the topic at hand, "Are Buddhists really atheists?"

What do you say?

From my part, insofar as I know about the the native Buddhists in the Far East, they are not atheists in the sense of atheists in the West, but to the onctrary, they are polytheists, they pray to many gods, and they raised Gautama to the status of a god, they pray to him for alll kinds of needs.

SW-User

@yrger hello again.

In fact I answered your question, as put, right at the start of my first response i.e. "The Dharma knows no creator God".

But as I have sought to say, that is as far as it goes as a direct answer. After that, in terms of actual Reality, any dividing line between "theism" and "atheism" becomes difficult to pin down in terms of actual experience

At risk of being termed "erudite" here is another cut and paste job from D T Suzuki, known in the west mainly for his writings on zen, but was in fact also very much associated with Shin Buddhism (i.e. Pure Land Buddhism), the so called Buddhism of faith. He is writing of Who, What or It many in the east, particularly Japan, look to for hope, comfort and support:-

....we believe in Amida Buddha as our Oya-sama, or Oya-san, as it is sometimes called. It is the term used to express love and compassion. Oya means parent, but not either parent, rather both mother and father; not separate personalities, but both fatherly and motherly qualities united in one personality. The honorific san is the familiar form of sama. The latter, Oya-sama,is the standard form. In Christianity, God is addressed as the Father - "Our father who art in Heaven" - but Oya-sama is not in Heaven, nor is Oya-sama Father. It is incorrect to say "he" or "she," for no gender distinction is found. I don't like to say "it," so I don't know what to say. Oya-sama is a unique word, deeply endearing and at the same time rich with religious significance and warmth.

As you say about many native Buddhists, the situation is diverse. As it is with Christians in the West when we begin to deconstruct.

In Pure Land Buddhism, in reality, there are those who see Amida as "him up there" who will come to them at death to escort them to the Pure Land. Others see Amida as a personification of Reality-as-is and the Pure Land is here, now, when we see with new eyes. And of course, all points in between. In the end all such ways of seeing and being are purely conceptual. We are all unique, unrepeatable human beings, precious beyond price. What matters, as I see it, is to accept and love all beyond all divisions and judgements, as much as we are able.

As Thomas Merton has said:- The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them.

Thank you.