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Question
Hi, why do some Buddhist believe in Devas but not in God when the same logic for belief or disbelief should apply to both? Thanks, Marc
Dear Marc,
Thank you for your question and the opportunity to answer it.
You mention in your question that some Buddhist believe in Devas but not God. In Buddhism, as with all other faiths and religions, there will be people who believe in this or that. We cannot judge the religion on what some people think or believe. I cannot tell you why some Buddhist believe in Devas but not God.
What I can tell you is what the Buddha said. He never said whether God exists or not. He said that this was something that could NEVER be proven and therefore it is pointless to argue about something that cannot be proven. He told us to focus our energies on practicing ourselves, making our perceptions clear and correct and avoiding hurting others.
As for Devas and Brahma (god?), they are merely reincarnated spirits. No one spirit becomes a Deva or Brahma or even Mara and stays. It is merely a position. This is much like the government of the USA. There is a President, Secretary of Defense, Vice President and other posts. People will always rotate in and out of these posts according to their time allotted. Just so, Devas, Brahma, or Mara merely are positions. Therefore, we do not believe in them as Christians might believe in God since Devas, Ghosts, Mara, Humans and Brahma are merely positions to be temporarily filled whereas the GOD position is supposedly filled by one being forever. This is a completely different topic. Therefore the same logic does not apply.
I hope I have answered your question Marc.
Sincerely,
Phra Anandapanyo
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Answers by Expert:
Anandapanyo Bhikkhu
Expertise
I can answer questions about Buddhist practice, Buddhist understanding and how to apply Buddhism to daily life. I can help analyze Buddhist sayings and teachings. In addition, I can help with questions Buddhism stories, fables and Vinaya(rules). I have meditated for over 10 years and can help you start with meditation. In addition, I can help provide insight into what to do when you feel that you have hit a wall with your meditation. My main area of expertise is how to think in accordance with Sammaditthi (the right view - and number 1 in the Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path. If I cannot answer your question, I have many able teachers with over 20 years experience to help me, so chances are I will be able to find an answer for you.
Experience
I have been practicing Buddhism for over 13 years. I started studying under various famous Thai Theravada masters. Finally, I met and studied under Phra Acariya Thoon Khippapanyo who has recently passed away on Nov 11, 2008 and is widely accepted as a great Arahant (fully enlightened) teacher of our time. In addition, I have personally read and studied much of the Buddhist scriptures and popular literature available. I have recently undertaken the ordination vows and have become a Buddhist monk in the theravada forest monk tradition. I reside at a temple with many dedicated practitioners and great teachers. I have been practicing training my mind to be aligned with right view (sammaditthi) for over 10 years. I have also been meditating for over 10 years. In my time spent with Acariya Thoon, I learned many things and was able to incorporate them into my life. In addition to practicing Buddhism within temples and my home, I used to own two restaurants and managed commercial real estate. I had to deal with many different and problems. I learned how to use Buddhism to fix my problems, both externally (my environment) and internally (within me).
Organizations
Wat San Fran Dhammaram Temple
KPY - a non-profit religious organization
Publications
none
Education/Credentials
Electrical Engineering Degree from the University of California Santa Barbara
MBA from San Francisco State
Awards and Honors
none
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