How do buddhist calculate their good deeds?
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I heard alot of buddhist say that if the good deeds that you do in your life exceeds the bad deeds that you do, than you will go to heaven. If not you go to hell.
So how do buddhist actually calculate the amount of good deeds and bad deeds that they do?
Is there a point calculation system?
Like if I rob a bank, I get minus 100 points. If I go a good deed like feed the stray cats, I get 10 points.
Or how do the buddhist calculate than?
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LOL. The calculation system is karma. No man operation but it can never go wrong. It is just like when you plant apple tree, the tree will bear apples. Can never go wrong.Doing good deeds but insincere is not considered as good deeds. It is "auto calculated". You can bluff others but you can't bluff karma and get away with your insincere intention of doing good deeds. Karma applies to everyone regardless of your religion. Everyone including Buddha (before His enlightenment) and heavenly gods.
Chrisitans like to say Buddhists aim to gather good points in our report book. I wonder what kind of report book they are talking about. No one is going to look at your report book. You are answerable to what you do. No one is interested in your report book because it has nothing to do with Buddha or whoever. Buddha is not going to promote you or demote you. He will only pity you and try to change you through His teachings so you will not suffer.
By the way, Buddhists don't aim to go heaven. There are Buddhists sutra which clearly explain what are the heavy sins, lighter sins and so on.
Following is a better explanation in Chinese.
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There is no calculation system, because karma is far more complex than just a simplistic 'good' and 'bad' definition. Each karmic action will have its own particular reaction. Also, it is not true that if you do more good deeds than bad deeds, you will go heaven, and if not, then vice versa. It is also possible that you do a lot of bad deeds, but you go to heaven, only to fall back into hell later. Nothing is as simple as it seems.
But because our rebirth is determined by our last thought, if you have an unwholesome mind, due to your karmic tendency it is very easy for you to fall into the 3 lower realms. By the way there are 6 realms of rebirth: 3 lower realms are hell, ghost and animal, 3 higher realms are human, asuras, and heavenly or celestial beings/devas.
Also because your life in heaven, if you do get reborn there, is still temporary, and there is no telling if a bad karma from your previous lifetimes would manifest in the next life after heaven - rebirth in heaven is *insecure*.
That is why if you have the good opportunity to be born as a human and practice the dharma, strive hard to attain enlightenment and liberation from the uncontrolled karmic cycle of rebirth. This is truly possible, many people up to today have done it.
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Aiyah, same principles to life itself what
if u wanna live ur life as a cruel dictator, u will be
no one is able to stop u, unless Uncle Sam decides ur getting in his way then ur out
U urself know what u have done & what will happen
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Originally posted by icare:
I heard alot of buddhist say that if the good deeds that you do in your life exceeds the bad deeds that you do, than you will go to heaven. If not you go to hell.
So how do buddhist actually calculate the amount of good deeds and bad deeds that they do?
Is there a point calculation system?
Like if I rob a bank, I get minus 100 points. If I go a good deed like feed the stray cats, I get 10 points.
Or how do the buddhist calculate than?
Haha... interesting. There's actually no calculator system.
Try your best to do as many good deeds as possible... no matter how small e.g. giving up seats for the people who needs more than u
lastly dedicate all your merits to all sentient beings... you will feel great and useful! :)
hmm reminds me of western philosophers... jeremy bentham moral calculator XD
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double post
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"There are these four unconjecturables that are not to be conjectured about, that would bring madness & vexation to anyone who conjectured about them. Which four?
"The Buddha-range of the Buddhas[1] is an unconjecturable that is not to be conjectured about, that would bring madness & vexation to anyone who conjectured about it.
"The jhana-range of a person in jhana...[2]
"The [precise working out of the] results of kamma...
"Conjecture about [the origin, etc., of] the world is an unconjecturable that is not to be conjectured about, that would bring madness & vexation to anyone who conjectured about it.
"These are the four unconjecturables that are not to be conjectured about, that would bring madness & vexation to anyone who conjectured about them."
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Originally posted by icare:
I heard alot of buddhist say that if the good deeds that you do in your life exceeds the bad deeds that you do, than you will go to heaven. If not you go to hell.
So how do buddhist actually calculate the amount of good deeds and bad deeds that they do?
Is there a point calculation system?
Like if I rob a bank, I get minus 100 points. If I go a good deed like feed the stray cats, I get 10 points.
Or how do the buddhist calculate than?
actually it's different from the brownie points system of x'tian.in general karma mean Action. then purify karma mean purify your habitual Action, be it body or mind. there's this habit we have in the past that need to change.
if keep commiting bad action, how to purify into good action? do more good action until it become a good habit. :)
u can use quiting smoking/gambling as an example.
it's the root of 3 poisons (greed, hatred, folly) that made one enter into the lower realms such as hell realm. yet the main purpose of buddhists is also not to go to heaven, but escape from samsara/suffering. go to heaven will also one day go to hell. go to hell will also one day go to heaven. what's the point? the point is to all don't go, and let go, that's Nirvana.
/\
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Christianity is salvation by faith nothing to do with works.
Good works like going to church don't save u.
But a true believer surely will do good works like go to church, pray,evangelism,preaching and church services.
Good works are still important although they do not saved u.
Islam then is good deeds and bad deeds put on scale then decide who goes heaven.
The TS reminds of me Islam.
Muslims do not have assurance of salvation even they convert to Muslim.
Correct me If I am wrong abt Islam. I am open to corrections.
My pastor tell me abt that.
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TS, i just thought of a simple calculator. Lol. Get 2 empty bottles. 1 for good deeds & 1 for bad. Haha. Try your best to fill up the bottle for good deeds, with tiny things u like e.g. Color pebbles haha. But too bad it's not point system lol
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Points system
lol
reminds me of the points system used by the banks to reward their customers who keep using their credit card
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to almond: ts asked about buddhist karma, not christianity, dun off topic
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Ah I see, sinweiy mentioned about it
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there is no point system lah
how to count something that is intangible?
it does not even matter if u were an evil doer in this life or a good person
it just happens
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there are just too many deeds to be done over a lifetime which almost all of us can only do that much...be humble and one could reach goodness forever more....
there is no way one could calculate how much good deeds are enough but using humility as a sense of what more needs to be done would help to give one a stronger sense of goodness with more needs to be done..
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Originally posted by Mr Milo:
there is no point system lah
how to count something that is intangible?
it does not even matter if u were an evil doer in this life or a good person
it just happens
oh... no... it mattersRead this:
When, Kalamas, this noble disciple has thus made his mind free
of enmity, free of ill will, uncorrupted and pure,
he has won four assurances in this very life.“The first assurance he has won is this:
‘If there is another world,
and if good and bad deeds bear fruit and yield results,
it is possible that with the breakup of this body, after death,
I shall arise in a good destination, in a heavenly world.’“The second assurance he has won is this:
‘If there is no other world,
and if good and bad deeds do not bear fruit and yield results,
still right here, in this very life,
I live happily, free of enmity and ill will.’“The third assurance he has won is this:
‘Suppose evil befalls the evil-doer.
Then, as I do not intend evil for anyone,
how can suffering afflict me, one who does no evil deed?’“The fourth assurance he has won is this:
‘Suppose evil does not befall the evil-doer.
Then, right here I see myself purified in both respects.’ -
Originally posted by Fcukpap:
Nice...! -
reminds me of Liao Fan’s 4 Lessons, http://venchinkung.com/liao-fan-4-lessons/ /\
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I believed in Jesus and do not need to calculate the bad things or good things I done.
I don't need my good deeds to outweight my bad deeds to go heaven.
I am not saved by works but by faith.
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If someone does good deeds for the sake of building up "positive points" so that they can be substracted after doing something evil, then no matter how much good you built up, sad to say its hell.
Character > Any point system
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Originally posted by 2009novice:
oh... no... it mattersRead this:
When, Kalamas, this noble disciple has thus made his mind free
of enmity, free of ill will, uncorrupted and pure,
he has won four assurances in this very life.“The first assurance he has won is this:
‘If there is another world,
and if good and bad deeds bear fruit and yield results,
it is possible that with the breakup of this body, after death,
I shall arise in a good destination, in a heavenly world.’“The second assurance he has won is this:
‘If there is no other world,
and if good and bad deeds do not bear fruit and yield results,
still right here, in this very life,
I live happily, free of enmity and ill will.’“The third assurance he has won is this:
‘Suppose evil befalls the evil-doer.
Then, as I do not intend evil for anyone,
how can suffering afflict me, one who does no evil deed?’“The fourth assurance he has won is this:
‘Suppose evil does not befall the evil-doer.
Then, right here I see myself purified in both respects.’
what you said are self assurances...........which.....does not hold at alli rather be what you are
if you keep doing evil, then keep doing it--it does not even matter if u had a horrible death in the end...
who knows, u might end up with a good life
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I never believe in salvation by works.
Why?
We do things motives got right meh?
Like maybe I donate money want ppl to notice me.
I help my mum do housework do that maybe she can buy me a new hp.
I help that gal so that gal will notice me and maybe like me.
I got a friend mom who do grassroots work, she always brag she see which MP,which Ministers for example.
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I do things, donate things, without intentions for others to take notice. So it is not right to say that everyone does things for the wrong motives.
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In Christianity, salvation is by faith, not works. In Buddhism, we do not believe in such thing as salvation and we do not aim for rebirth in heaven so there is no link. Therefore you should not discuss christian concepts here as there is no link. We aim for liberation and nirvana by realization and wisdom, achieved by many in the here and now even today, instead of in some unseen future or afterlife.