Buddha questions........?

Question

Is Budda a God?

Does Buddha judhe people?

Do buddhists actually believe in Buddha or use him as a metaphor for how life should be lived?

Do you have to decide what Buddha's teaching mean to you, and not just follow others?

Thanks

Sim

Answer 1

Buddha is not God, he found the truth about life and teaches people how to live life as a human being.

Answer 2

no

no

yes

yes

Answer 3

Greetings,

The Buddha specifically said he is not a God/god, but an awakened being.  He taught that there is no external judge, but that your actions will lead to certain outcomes - NOT predestination!

I'm not sure what you mean by "believe in Buddha," but if you mean do we believe he actually existed?  I think generally speaking yes, we think he was an actual historical figure.  Does it matter if he didn't exist?  Nope - his teachings are what matters most.

Of course, one must train in the teachings of the Buddha and know how they relate to your own life, but at the same time one should be grounded by experienced practitioners.  It's a delicate balance of the two.

Take care.

Answer 4

He was an Indian prince and, unlike jesus, there is mountains of documentary evidence that he did in fact exist.  Siddartha Guatama (sp?) was his name and buddha is not really his name, it is a description of the state of enlightment that he achieved.  All things have buddha nature, his teachings were intended to lead all people to the same state he achieved.

He most certainly was not a god and one of his last teachings to his students was that they should not worship him as a god and that no images should be raised in his likeness.  

And incidentally, the images you normally see of a fat buddha are not likeness of Siddartha.  It is a historical fact that he was in fact of standard build and was not obese at all.

Edit to add  - Isn't it amusing that because people make factual comments about a factual person and what he actually said some fundie thumbs them down.

Answer 5

Buddha is a Sufi. Teaches you to live in Jungle and not to perform your due duties of your family and community.

Answer 6

Actually, Buddha is not a God, in fact, he discourages the belief of a God. He promotes peace, spirituality, and enlightenment.

He existed, according to valid historical texts, and apparently, he did not create the universe.