Buddha didn’t invent Buddhism and none of the scriptures or discourses were written down until almost 400 years after he died. As Alan Watts used to say, Buddhism is essentially Hinduism “stripped for export”, given you really can’t be a Hindu if you don’t live in place where others are Hinduing.
Much of what we know about his words and lessons were memorized by his followers, some of which had perfect audio recall. Buddha himself was purported to be capable of projecting imagery into the minds of others.
Buddha likely indicated asceticism should be avoided and most would find some ease in the work they must do to be satisfied with life by following a middle way, or measured and balanced approach to living life as a householder. His followers were the exception to this guidance, as they sought a higher understanding and ability to teach others the dharma.
This middle way is mostly derived from the logic of ethical behavior, and these truths may be discovered without assistance if one considers and puts attention on them. The Four Noble Truths are just a means to remember the pickle we find ourselves in with our thoughts and conditions and give way to the Noble Eightfold Path which indicates where we tend to wander from the path of understanding and peace with ourselves and others.
Past that, the only way to see the truth of things is to sit and note breath until you see the truth for yourself. Then, suffering is reduced and you continue on, as if having seen the solution to a puzzle you didn’t know the answer to a moment ago. This is the more advanced route and not suggested for householders, nor should householders attempt to teach the dharma to others.
In short, being a householder following the path means you be present with your thoughts. Here. Now. Avoid negative emotions. Speak your truths. Avoid dissonance. Break it where it helps the most people. And, above all, die well.
> As Alan Watts used to say, Buddhism is essentially Hinduism “stripped for export”
Except a fundamental pronouncement of Buddhism is "anatta" or "anatman", which is aggravatingly translated as "no-self". There are many layers to this "no-self" but one of them is that it is direct stated opposition to the Hindu Atman, the highest Self, which can be experienced as a kind of unitive state. The Buddha was effectively saying "Hinduism practice, yes, and Atman is along the path, but don't stop there, beyond this Big Self is No-Self".
I'd say no-self directly captures the experience of that mark of existence to those who have experienced it. There's very much a sense of viewing an aggregation of sensations without ownership and no owner to be found. Whatever is being viewed is jumped to and there's a sense of witness being behind the eyes but that's it. The witness can't be located in any reified sense and the witness has no ownership over what it observes.
I think this seeming contradiction is easy to resolve. An average man identifies with his mind, that selfish ego. Buddhism tells how to raise consciousnesses one level above: and from there, mind looks like a tool lacking any self or identity. Hindu tells that there is only one I in the universe that projects itself thru many such minds, and once it stops identifying with them, it learns that those many selves are false, that many is one and only that one is real.
Krishna in the Bhagivad-Gita is incredibly violent. He slaughters the armies of friend and foe alike (Arjuna and his brothers) and reveals himself to Arjuna as a fanged eater of worlds.
Gotama Buddha tried to defend himself from Mara before the Bhodi tree, until he stopped in realization that the earth himself would protect him. I believe that is the most violent act of Gotama Buddha, but I am not certain.
It would be if it wasn't for Jesus Christ, but then being a Christian wouldn't make any sense at all.
From a Christian point of view – see Romans 11:11-31 – the Jews/Israel is seen as the cultivated olive tree, and all Christian Gentiles – i.e. all Christians that are not Jewish – are seen as "a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree" i.e. the Jewish/Israeli tree (Romans 11:24). So as a Christian Gentile you therefore take part in God's words and promises to the Jews/Israel as a grafted olive tree.
But Jesus Christ brought something completely new to the table. He say about Himself that He came to fullfil the Law and the Prophets of the Old Testament (Matthew 5:17-20). He also said: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).
In this way Christianity is not Judaism stripped for export, Jesus Christ is the culmination of all that was said in the Law and by the Prophets.
Much of what we know about his words and lessons were memorized by his followers, some of which had perfect audio recall. Buddha himself was purported to be capable of projecting imagery into the minds of others.
Buddha likely indicated asceticism should be avoided and most would find some ease in the work they must do to be satisfied with life by following a middle way, or measured and balanced approach to living life as a householder. His followers were the exception to this guidance, as they sought a higher understanding and ability to teach others the dharma.
This middle way is mostly derived from the logic of ethical behavior, and these truths may be discovered without assistance if one considers and puts attention on them. The Four Noble Truths are just a means to remember the pickle we find ourselves in with our thoughts and conditions and give way to the Noble Eightfold Path which indicates where we tend to wander from the path of understanding and peace with ourselves and others.
Past that, the only way to see the truth of things is to sit and note breath until you see the truth for yourself. Then, suffering is reduced and you continue on, as if having seen the solution to a puzzle you didn’t know the answer to a moment ago. This is the more advanced route and not suggested for householders, nor should householders attempt to teach the dharma to others.
In short, being a householder following the path means you be present with your thoughts. Here. Now. Avoid negative emotions. Speak your truths. Avoid dissonance. Break it where it helps the most people. And, above all, die well.