Dharma, you read a lot of blogs I've noticed so I'm hoping you'll read this one. That thread (Jill's) was getting way to hairy for me to stay in it. I couldn't keep up with it with so many subjects at one time! I'm very curious about the particular idea of "enlightenment" as it's applied in Buddhism. I don't think it's right to not know what a term means and then argue or state an ill-informed opinion on it. I don't ever want to do that. I knew Buddha's name (at least his first) but I'm more interested in the idea of enlightenment and whether he's the only one to achieve it or not. Who decides whom is enlightened for instance?
"The word 'buddha' means 'enlightened one' or 'awakened one'. It comes from sanskrit word 'budh', to awaken. The Buddha wasn't called The Buddha from birth, his name was Siddartha Gautama. If you want to learn more, let me know and I'll give you some good sites to go to."
I'd love to look at some good sites. Often one cannot tell the "good" sites from the "bad." It's the same with Christianity. I'm also curious about who originally came up with the tenets of Buddhism if it wasn't Buddha. Where did they come from? Who created them? What was their catalyst? (History of, perhaps?) Also, something I can't seem to wrap my brain around alone (without yours or someone's help) is the idea of reincarnation without a diving Being at the wheel, so to speak. Who decides what you'll become in the next life? I saw a tv documentary where a man who changed his sex to female in India said he believed he was being punnished because of sins in a past life. Who is the Punnisher? What is sin in Buddhism? I don't pretend our vocabulary for enlightenment or sin is the same thing unless you tell me it is. That would just be ignorant, I think. I always like to understand the topicality of it all.
Thank you Dharma, and whomever else weighs in on this discussion. I appreciate your investment in educating me! I hope I make a grateful and quickly-learning pupil. Also, I think I'll post a paper my brother wrote on the Early church history if anyone is curious. Sans the introduction. He didn't write that before I helped him edit it. So I'll give you what I got with his permission of course.