today is Buddah's birthday

[StrictCatholicGirl]

Of course, as we all know that there is no enlightenment regarding rice without red beans (and a little andouille doesn't hurt neither, cha). 

More than the soul will "light up" if Buddha eats too many beans.
 
- Lisa

Was he in a fraternity (or you)?  How do YOU know of such "lighting?*

 - Dad

*Oh, I forgot, West sider! 

...from the south side of the river, where there's lots of fish for....  

- Lisa

[DarkKnight]

What DID Hillary give him for his birthday?

[CradleCatholic]

Shame on you all who know so much about Bubba, this must have taken some studying, time better spent studying the lives of the saints, or something in that vein.

[gjwalberg]

CradleCatholic, I learned it all in Catholic school.

Seriously, no joke.  I learned more about Buddhism than I learned about the Communion of Saints.

[Cephas]

Shame on you all who know so much about Bubba, this must have taken some studying, time better spent studying the lives of the saints, or something in that vein.

Yeah sure, let's all be deliberately ignorant about an "enemy"(although 'enemy' may not be the best word).(Separated brethren, perhaps?)

[Marius]

Shame on you all who know so much about Bubba, this must have taken some studying, time better spent studying the lives of the saints, or something in that vein.

I thought willful ignorance was only a fundie Protestant virtue.

Learning about the saints is certainly better in a spiritual sense than learning about Buddhist art or, say, the time-consuming task of learning calculus.  Does that mean that it's better in a secular sense?  I don't think such a comparison makes sense.  You have your spiritual education on one hand and then you have your secular education (math, science, world history, history of art, etc.) on the other.  God willing, you're well-rounded in both.

[StrictCatholicGirl]

Shame on you all who know so much about Bubba, this must have taken some studying, time better spent studying the lives of the saints, or something in that vein.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with studying other religions. What do you have to fear from knowledge? I learned about Buddha (what little I know) in World History class. I am well grounded in my Catholic faith, thank you very much.

- Lisa

[kjvail]

Today is "Vesak" the Buddhist holiday that celebrates both the birth of Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha = "enlightened one", it's a title like "the Christ", not a proper name), his enlightenment  and his "paranirvana" which according to Buddhist legend occurred on the same day, 35 years and 80 years apart respectively. It's Christmas, Easter and the Ascension all rolled into one for Buddhists.

The "fat" Buddha you often see is not Siddhartha but a future Buddha who according to Buddhist scriptures will be born into the world when the Buddhadharma is no longer taught anywhere in the world, his name is Maitreya. All traditions recognize at least these two Buddhas, in Mahayana (northern, the "great vehicle") Buddhism there are many Buddhas but Theravadans (southern, AKA Hinayana = small vehicle) recognize only these two. He's fat because he currently lives in the highest of the heavenly realms according to Buddhist scriptures which is a land of bliss and plenty with only the suffering of eventual death (heaven is not eternal in Buddhism, only very long).

[CradleCatholic]

Then there is the St Francis school of thought, who, when deciding whether his students should be studying or praying, often choose praying.

GW, if they would have force fed me that crap, I would have got up and walked out. Once in high school, they made us go to a synagogue, I had never been before, and after that I said I would refuse to ever do it again. And never have. Same for any false faith, creed, or studying about them. Knowing who inspired them is all I need to know.

[DarkKnight]

CradleCatholic, I learned it all in Catholic school.

Seriously, no joke.  I learned more about Buddhism than I learned about the Communion of Saints.

Or any number of homilies.