I know very little about Buddhism but everyone who does seems keen to tell me that it involves no gods, no dogma, no rites and no obligations.

So how is it different from ordinary rational behaviour? If it's merely a matter of behaving reasonably, then surely we don't need Buddha to help us there; and if it's not, then why bother with it?

Runner's perspective is unfortunately limited to his narrow Christian parameters. A more open minded Christian might see it's possible even Jesus believed in reincarnation.

Karma isn't an easy concept to fathom and much harder if you don't understand that Life is infinite; the body dies but we are more than a lump of flesh, bones, organs and fluids.

Our deeds in this life sow the seeds (Samskara) of our condition in the next; the seeds wait for the perfect time to generate; when the conditions are right they manifest as the particular unique code we inherit in our genes. From there much of the life we are born into is set.

We are all interconnected in a very grandiose web of illusion.

Jon J - "I know very little about Buddhism but everyone who does seems keen to tell me that it involves no gods, no dogma, no rites and no obligations. "

Buddhism provides a path to follow. There is definitely a teaching and philosophy associated with Buddhism. There are techniques such as meditation for calming the mind, achieving inner peace, acting patiently and appropriate to each situation. The Buddha never claimed his was the only path to follow nor that you need him. There are some however that choose to follow the path and the teachings of Buddha.

As they say in Buddhism, all roads lead to Nirvana. Being aware there is more to this life than the superficial conditions most believe is all there is, is the first step. Some roads are longer. Accepting advice and/or directions can be useful and perhaps shorten the journey but its not essential.

'Runner's perspective is unfortunately limited to his narrow Christian parameters. '

true Conservative Hippie especially when the alternatives are self contradictory and totally illogical. Christ certainly spoke of a narrow way of which you seem to of rejected. The bottom line is that He is who He said He was all He wasn't. Misrepresenting Christ is as bad as denying Him.

A man is appointed to live once and then comes judgement. Thank God that Christ took my judgement and anyone elses judgement )who chooses Him) on the cross.

ConservativeHippie -- yes, I understand all that. But my point is that if the techniques associated with Buddhism are therapeutic in their own right, we should be doing them because they're therapeutic, not because they happen to be associated with a long-dead mystic. If Jesus had invented the wheelbarrow, we would be profoundly grateful to Jesus, but that wouldn't provide any reason to believe any of his mystical claims about God.

At what point does Buddhism leave behind mere rational concern for one's well-being and become a belief system?

Hi Jon J

I'm really not sure what you are driving at or what your concern is; I'm also not sure if practicing Buddhism can be described as therapeutic.

The art/practice of meditation pre-dates Buddha. The philosophy underlying Buddhism comes from ancient Hindu texts known as the Vedas. The ultimate goal of the ancient teachings is a guide to reaching Enlightenment (Nirvana in Buddhism) - freedom from the cycle of birth & death; freedom from the illusion this is all real.

Buddha achieved Enlightenment. He is an example that it can be achieved and through his teachings others followed, some have also been successful. It is not an easy process and requires serious dedication. There are other great Beings in history as well as plenty of unknowns and yogi masters who have also achieved Enlightenment. The Eastern philosophies happen to be more focussed on discovering the True Self and provide techniques for those who are interested. Belonging to a religion is not a requirement.

"At what point does Buddhism leave behind mere rational concern for one's well-being and become a belief system?" This is a question that doesn't actually make sense to me. Who is saying Buddhism has a mere rational concern for well being; and how does abandoning such a concern automatically equate to becoming a belief system?

"Buddhism" is a religion created by the followers of The Buddha as Christianity is the religion of the followers of Christ. The religions and the followers are not creations of those great Beings, they are entities in themselves with, at times, the same flaws as the rest of humanity. Your question is word play; what are you really asking; is this some form of playing Devil's advocate?

All teachings are there for the taking but not all are suitable for everyone. Each has to pick and choose what makes the most sense to them and then find their own Path.