From what I can tell and using the ordinary definition of the supernatural, Siddhartha Gautama certainly believed that a supernatural world existed. In fact in the Lotus Sutra and elsewhere the supernatural world is said to contain ten directions with a head Buddha associated with each direction. These Buddhas are certainly supernatural beings, even according to Siddhartha Gautama.

So who needs a god in the Judeo-Christian sense when we have all these Buddhas that are the equivalent of gods in the Judeo-Christian sense.

Moreover..."the Buddha’s explanation of the origin of the universe corresponds very closely to the scientific view. In the Aganna Sutra, the Buddha described the universe being destroyed and then re-evolving into its present form over a period of countless millions of years"

This is the old 1950s scientific view of the world, that it collapses and re-emerges in another and another big bang. Now we know that the world is flat and its expansion is accelerating so it is most likely to exist forever and expand forever rather than collapse. There is just not enough mass in the universe to make it collapse even including dark matter.

So based on modern astronomy, the subject of this forum, Siddhartha Gautama was just plain wrong.

My guess is that he may be right after all based on the earlier Hindu scripture that Siddhartha Gautama knew about (the Hindus said it first) and based on the cyclic cosmology of Sternhardt(Sp?), but that is not the current view of science.

Astronomical data says the world will exist forever. So even if Siddhartha Gautama is ultimately right, you are presently wrong to say that his prophecy agrees with science. It does not.

That is not an excuse for rejecting Siddhartha Gautama.

But you are wrong as well to make it an excuse for believing in Siddhartha Gautama.

It's a mistake to base dogma on science as science is apt to change on you. Apparently the translation you are reading was written in the 1950s. I cannot believe that you read it in Sanskrit.

Richard

• I think you are quite mistake of your personal feeling - bodhi - July 3, 2003 - 03:26 UTC
  • So you admit that there are supernatural beings - yanniru - July 3, 2003 - 03:49 UTC
    • My bishop can beat up your bishop. - lysithea - July 3, 2003 - 15:45 UTC
      • Is Lyslitherea a Mormon? - carefuluniverse - July 4, 2003 - 06:02 UTC
        • Lysithea might be. She might also be Hindu. - lysithea - July 4, 2003 - 20:58 UTC
          • Of course, it also stated it is "really" from Andromeda - carefuluniverse - July 5, 2003 - 02:10 UTC
            • Who would that be? - lysithea - July 5, 2003 - 20:53 UTC
              • What is the religion of Ly who is really from Andromeda - carefuluniverse - July 6, 2003 - 18:31 UTC
                • Dude, it was sarcasm. - lysithea - July 6, 2003 - 20:39 UTC
                  • I was born in a suburb of Salt Lake City, raised Episcopalian - carefuluniverse - July 6, 2003 - 23:37 UTC
                    • Really, you need Hubble. - lysithea - July 7, 2003 - 01:01 UTC
                    • That was a sillly reply, but not very informative or fun - carefuluniverse - July 7, 2003 - 01:20 UTC
                      • Stop using my name - yanniru - July 7, 2003 - 13:10 UTC
                      • Dear perpetrator of a long stream of lies: Repent ! - carefuluniverse - July 7, 2003 - 13:30 UTC
                        • I back up my claims with your posts - yanniru - July 7, 2003 - 14:59 UTC
                          • Dear psycho friend - carefuluniverse - July 7, 2003 - 15:18 UTC
                            • That post breaks the forum rules - yanniru - July 7, 2003 - 20:01 UTC
                              • please explain; I will - carefuluniverse - July 8, 2003 - 18:20 UTC
    • Can U tell me what 's the source?The Impermanence of all things. - bodhi - July 4, 2003 - 05:10 UTC
      • And after you can answer those biggest question - carefuluniverse - July 4, 2003 - 19:40 UTC