Japan Launches 'Buddha Phone' 212
CNETNate writes "The Japanese Odin 99 handset isn't a regular video-enabled phone. It's geared, perhaps somewhat ironically, towards the Buddhist geek. Aside from regular cell phone features, a dedicated button loads a private, customizable, animated altar on the phone's screen. The idea is to allow Buddhists to perform their dedications conveniently on-the-go. You can simulate incense burning, purification rites and play music to help you meditate wherever you happen to be. The question is, does such a device somewhat negate the values a Buddhist would stand for?"
Umm... (Score:4, Insightful)
The question is, does such a device somewhat negate the values a Buddhist would stand for?"
Yes.
C&E (Score:4, Insightful)
I suppose this represents a form of religion no more watered down than that practiced by your average "christmas and easter christian" over here in the states.
The world is full of people who don't take their professed religions seriously.
Re:Not quite (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:C&E (Score:3, Insightful)
The world is full of people who don't take their professed religions seriously.
Which seems preferable to a world full of religious extremists to me, but then I am an atheist.
Re:Chrisitian equivalent (Score:2, Insightful)
So would a phone geared towards Christians(surprised this hasn't happened yet...) have a bloody Christ figure on a crucifix?
Just add a paypal donation button every religion will be onboard in 5.4.3.....
Re:C&E (Score:5, Insightful)
"And why can't one take religious seriously and not be a violent extremist, or even a bigot?"
I don't know. Why?
Re:Umm... (Score:5, Insightful)
+1.
My experience with Buddhism (Chan / Zen) has been that the intention behind the practices involves becoming mindful and living in the moment. One of the key aspects of the training involves sitting in meditation and just "being". It isn't that a person lights incense for the sake of lighting incense. They might incense so that they can focus on the incense and meditate on it as it burns.
I personally meditate on the train quite often. My Blackberry doesn't meditate for me. I do the meditating.
Buddhism is like any other religion. There are a lot of people who get so caught up in the rituals of the religion that they don't fully understand the underlying reason for doing the ritual in the first place. It's not like once you've lit your 10,000th stick of incense, some guy named Buddha appears before you, smacks you on the forehead to open up your third eye and then you're suddenly enlightened.
Re:Something odd... (Score:3, Insightful)
Where do you get the idea that Buddhism can only be enjoyed by "those sheltering themselves away from others through their wealth"? That's almost as abhorrent a teaching as the belief that sitting in peaceful meditation is akin to completely extinguishing the mind so that thoughts are completely absent.
Re:Not quite (Score:4, Insightful)
it seems easier to me to sell snake oil and useless consumer junk to spiritual people than to more secular individuals but that's just a hunch
Considering that most geeks think of themselves as secular, and have (or aspire to have) iPhones, iPods, Androids, Crackberries, multitools and just about the whole ThinkGeek inventory, I'd say that it's an invalid hunch.
Re:Umm... (Score:2, Insightful)
Buddhism isn't technically a religion. There really isn't a "god" to believe in, and some of the Western interpretations play down a lot of the actual parts which make it a religion and emphasize the personal growth aspect of it. You can believe in literal reincarnation and nirvana, or treat it as more of a metaphor and a way to teach a more meaningful life. There's nothing inherent to it which requires you to take it all on faith, and it's always up for debate if it proves to be wrong -- it's just held up to close examination. Many people consider themselves as Buddhists without considering it their religion. In fact, Buddhism can co-exist with a religion -- you can be Catholic and practice Buddhism.
Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. :-P
Cheers
Re:Not quite (Score:5, Insightful)
The funny part about this is that Buddhism IS SECULAR. There is no debate here either. Buddha specifically said he knew nothing about god, the afterlife, or anything spiritual. All he figured out was why humans suffer on earth and how to eliminate suffering. Life is suffering, wanting things makes you suffer, to end suffering end desire, and don't be a dick. Where's god? Nowhere. Just because the Tibetans hybridized his teachings with tantric yoga or because Asians like to burn incense and build gold Buddhas has no impact on his teachings and philosophy.
Re:Not quite (Score:3, Insightful)
Buddhism is not purely defined by what Buddha said. You cannot discount thousands of years of teaching and tradition as having "no impact".
The plain and simple fact is that the vast majority of Buddhists in the world today believe in spiritual things. Good luck convincing them that the religion they have followed all their lives is really a secular philosophy.
Re:Not quite (Score:5, Insightful)
Buddhism is not purely defined by what Buddha said. You cannot discount thousands of years of teaching and tradition as having "no impact".
The plain and simple fact is that the vast majority of Buddhists in the world today believe in spiritual things. Good luck convincing them that the religion they have followed all their lives is really a secular philosophy.
Well said. If Christians actually followed the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, the world would be a much better place. If Muslims actually followed the ethical code written down by Mohammed, the same applies. Every one of our great religious traditions (with the possible exception of Judaism) was founded by a great moral teacher with real and humane insights, and then corrupted into something almost diametrically opposite usually within the first couple of hundred years.
Re:Not quite (Score:3, Insightful)
I just listened to a Art Bell Coast to Coast with Graham Hancock http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzKp2PeXeWI [youtube.com] where he argues that major religions are based on direct contact with the supernatural by the prophet but then the followers become rapidly divorced from that union through human power structures.
I live in the Gulf and I love to tell people that I think that the companions of the prophet and the apostles were for sure influenced by the devil to create the shitstorm that is modern region. I don't believe in the devil per se but I love getting people hackles up. I mean how could Islam go from men and women praying next to each other in Medina to the most misogynistic of behaviors in one caliphate. Same with the church, Peter was for sure Satan's bitch.
Anyone can become directly linked with god but most people are terrified of that for an infinite number of reasons; fear of insanity, loss of control, loos of ego centrism, cognitive dissonance, and a host of others. Basically most people are big blubbering vaginas who are terrified of everything except getting drunk and making an ass out of themselves.