Answerer

You missed out determination. Self-awareness alone is not enough.

Vajradhara

Namaste answerer,

thanks for the post.

i'm not sure what you mean by the word "best" in this instance.. however, in my opinion, the most profound difference would be found in two areas, namely the lack of belief in a creator deity and the lack of belief in a permanently existing soul.

interestingly enough.. Buddhist iconography didn't exist until the arrival of the Bactarian Greeks on the Subcontinent.

premjan

Does Buddhism absolutely abandon the notion of a creator? In all branches of Buddhism?

Harumi

Wait, I'm confused about the Adam's Peak thing.

How in the world does it look like a footprint? I looked at the pictures and although it is a mountain that suddenly juts out of a bunch of flat tops, how does that make it a footprint?

premjan

Waning Moon Conrad

Yes it does.

Would this mean that the buddha was not a proponent of Monism?

premjan

buddha was not a monist, he was a "zeroist" if there is such a word.

Answerer

You can call him in whatever names you like but Buddha is simply just a man who is awakened.

premjan

who were the human beings through history who have been 'awakened'?? have there been many? are most philosophers awakened? was nietzsche awakened? how about martin luther king? was buddha only one of the first to make detailed notes on the process of awakening in order to pass it on to the world?

Answerer

The arahats. I don't know the exact numbering but there are quite a lot(from the past til now). If you ever been to Thailand or Sri Lanka, you will likely get to see some. They might be hard to find, I don't know.