Much of what you describe here sounds like FG is a derivative of Buddhist beliefs. I might be wrong since my understanding of both of these is limited, but this is my perspective. In particular the "Fatal Error" sounds like the second Truth of Buddha.
I'd like to get your thoughts on this, in particular how there two differ.
This is the text of the four noble truths as listed on Wikipedia:
My comment:
Suffering is the having of experience that you don't want to have. Birth is not inherently suffering if you want to be born. The same goes for all else. When aligned desires are manifested there is no suffering.
By defining birth is inevitable suffering, the falsehood has been created immediately that life as a human is itself inevitably suffering and that to end suffering means to end being human as we know human to be. Buddha's version of suffering is lacking the depth needed to understand the origins of why birth CAN be suffering and why some are being born when they don't want to be.
By defining the cause of birth as sensual desire and birth and life themselves as being suffering, no space is left for change which could teach how to live on Earth with desire and without suffering. The door has been closed on all evolutionary possibility here - a line has been drawn which simply says "You cannot change things for the better and also have desires".
The reality is that when the mind/spirit is aligned correctly with the feelings/will in the heart - there is balance in all of self and we are capable of manifesting what we need in a way that feels good, without suffering.
There is no way to end death and end suffering while denying real feelings and our own will.
I guess the question I had was, if Falun Gong's fatal flaw is its definition of life as suffering, or desire for self as suffering, does Buddhism share the same fault?
Anyone who judges that life is suffering and that desire is suffering or is a cause of suffering is going to be causing suffering.
I thought that the quote from buddha was that 'unenlightened life is suffering', not that 'life is suffering'.. However, the issue is how to achieve total enlightenment, to end suffering - my point is that total enlightenment cannot be achieved through denial of desire. Mechanically, this is the case since - for one - we contain will/emotions which themselves need to be accelerated into light/understanding - for us to be totally enlightened. Attempting to drop off the physical and emotional bodies is not total enlightenment, rather - it is death.
So if I understand right, Buddhism teaches that desire is suffering, but that we cannot simply eliminate suffering by denying desire. There is instead a path of right living that allows the ending of suffering.
In your assessment, the big difference between Buddhism is different from Falun Gong and others in as much as it doesn't deny desire, but it has some other set of paths.
(I don't understand Buddhism well enough to know if the eight paths do or do not deny desire.)
Thank you for taking the time to visit with me.