Father indicted:-Moments after his 2 sons were killed by the driver, the drunk was fatally shot

[Ghost in the Machine]

275. "You do realize that no one worships Buddha, right?" To which Buddha do you refer?

*Why* do people buy little ceramic Hotei, the "laughing buddha" (sometimes also referred to as "the fat buddha&quot , the "god of prosperity", figurines and rub his belly while praying for riches to be bestowed upon them?

Hotei, the same one often mistaken for the lord buddha, and

"One tale of the Thai folklore relates that he was so handsome that once even a man wanted him for a wife. To avoid a similar situation, Phra Sangkadchai decided to transform himself into a fat monk. Another tale says he was so attractive that angels and men often compared him with the Buddha. He considered this inappropriate, so disguised himself in an unpleasantly fat body."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budai#Phra_Sangkajai_.2F_Phra_Sangkachai

Or is it "Gautama Buddha", whose time of birth and death are widely disputed, much like our Jesus:

"The time of Gautama's birth and death is uncertain: most historians in the early 20th century dated his lifetime as circa 563 BCE to 483 BCE,[10] but more recent opinion dates his death to between 486 and 483 BCE or, according to some, between 411 and 400 BCE.[11] [note 3] However, at a specialist symposium on this question held in 1988 in Göttingen,[10] the majority of those scholars who presented definite opinions gave dates within 20 years either side of 400 BCE for the Buddha's death, with others supporting earlier or later dates. These alternative chronologies, however, have not yet been accepted by all other historians.[12][13]

Gautama is the primary figure in Buddhism, and accounts of his life, discourses, and monastic rules are believed by Buddhists to have been summarized after his death and memorized by his followers. Various collections of teachings attributed to him were passed down by oral tradition, and first committed to writing about 400 years later.

(again, much like our Jesus)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha

How about his conception??

Legend has it that, on the night Siddhartha was conceived, Queen Maya dreamt that a white elephant with six white tusks entered her right side,[web 5] and ten months later Siddhartha was born. As was the Shakya tradition, when his mother Queen Maya became pregnant, she left Kapilvastu for her father's kingdom to give birth. However, her son is said to have been born on the way, at Lumbini, in a garden beneath a sal tree."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha#Conception_and_birth

Oh yeah, and also the one who married his own cousin at age 16! Maybe he was "Redneck Buddha" (which could have been a spelling for "Bubba" back then, huh?



So *which* "Buddha" do you speak of, white_wolf? One of these?:

Buddha, meaning "Awakened one" or "Enlightened One", may refer to:

[edit] BuddhismGautama Buddha, founder of Buddhism, clan name Gautama (Sanskrit; Pali: Gotama), personal name said to be Siddhārtha (Sanskrit; Pali: Siddhattha), epithet Śākyamuni (Sanskrit; Pali: Sakyamuni or Shakyamuni), commonly known as "The Buddha"
The Buddhist concept of Buddhahood
The Buddhist concept of Buddha-nature
Buddharupa, a statue or other representation of a Buddha
Other Buddhas
Main article: List of Buddhas
Other figures considered to be Buddhas by various Buddhist groups include:

Budai, the Laughing Buddha, a figure in traditional Chinese culture

Adi-Buddha, the primordial Buddha

Akshobhya, one of the Five Wisdom Buddhas of the Vajrayana
tradition of Buddhism; lord of the Eastern Pure Land Abhirati

Amitābha, one of the Five Wisdom Buddhas of the Vajrayana tradition of Buddhism; principal Buddha of the Pure Land sect

Amoghasiddhi, one of the Five Wisdom Buddhas of the Vajrayana tradition of Buddhism

Dipankara, First Buddha of the current world age

Tonpa Shenrab, Buddha of the Bön religion

Ratnasambhava, one of the Five Wisdom Buddhas of the Vajrayana tradition of Buddhism

Vairocana, one of the Five Wisdom Buddhas of the Vajrayana tradition of Buddhism; embodiment of Dharmakaya"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddha_(disambiguation)

Don't you EVER speak to me about religion and ignorance, without first looking in a mirror, my friend. I studied many religions, before deciding I'm an atheist, who happens to follow *some* Buddhist and *some* Pagan/Wiccan paths, but primarily blaze my own paths. I invite you to read The Worlds Sixteen Crucified Saviours: http://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/cv/wscs/index.htm and get back to me, ok?

By the way, white_wolf, your user name has Native American connections. It pains me to see you use it, as it is the same name given to me during a Blackfeet Naming Ceremony. How did you come to use it?

Peace,

Ghost