students seen dressed as Arabs mocking them by carrying toy machine guns

Fine. On behalf of the Dalai Lama, I hereby excuse you from being a Tibetan Buddhist. But identifying a “mainstream” of any religion is methodologically problematic.

Ok, well a lot of Buddhists I know and Buddhist groups are wary of Tibetan Buddhism. Maybe that sits better with you.

You could say this about virtually any religion. Maybe it’s based on religious disagreements (which boil down to differences of opinion), or maybe it’s based on the scandals that have arisen from time to time (in every religion).

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Ok, sure. I think maybe you need to look a little deeper into Tibetan Buddhism . There have been many Buddhist cults.

  • Buddhism is not a religion.
  • Trotskyism is not Communism.
  • The whale is not a fish.
  • The tomato is not a fruit.
  • The peanut is not a nut.
  • The ladybug is not a bug.

You can make arguments for and against all these positions and more. If you have time… :rainbow:

Of course they’re different! :wall: But you were doing a lousy job of explaining how they’re different because you chose one of the weakest possible arguments.

Sorry, I was wishing you a pleasant day. Back to that now. :slight_smile:
:bowing: :bowing:

You can’t just decide to do something on the Dalai Lama’s behalf. Well, I suppose you can proclaim to.

Dont understand what you are saying. Who said any of that?

Sheesh. Thats just lame. If you cant even argue your point thats fine. No need for immaturity

Them’s fightin’ words

Just no need for it.

Woah, I just noticed your avatar – you came out?! Why didn’t you tell me? :smile:

Would you say Jim Jones 'Peoples Temples is considered mainstream Christianity?

Tibetan Buddhism contains lots of spirits and mysticism that to be has connections to the Buddhism I learnt. It also focuses on the tantras which doesn’t exist elsewhere and is not rooted in what the Buddha taught. For me, more importantly it has a caste of sacred Lamas who are supposed to be Buddha’s walking the earth.

For me, Buddhism isn’t mysticism. Its a simple but difficult practice based on meditation. For me Tibetan Buddhism is a cult with a Buddhist flavor.

I communicate with him telepathically.

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Ironically, that’s the kind of superpower Tibetans would claim he has

Try putting “is considered” in the active voice. Considered by who?

A “mainstream” sect would be what, a sect that I like? Or a sect that I think is important?

Didn’t we have this discussion telepathically?

In a previous life.

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We could play this game all day in lieu of proper arguments.

Would you say Jim Jones would be considered Christian by the majority of Christians to be mainstream? Would you say that what Jim Jones taught is congruent with the teachings of majority of Churches in the US?

Usually in conversation you don’t need to qualify terms like ‘mainstream’ as we are all smart people and understand how the English language works.

Considered by whom?

Obviously the various Christian denominations have a variety of opinions about one another’s bona fides, and none of them support Jim Jones.

Obviously , exactly.