Kia Ora,

This topic is open to practitioners and non practitioners who have an interest in Buddhism...

I apologise if a similar topic has been posted in the past...

What's your take on Buddhism? What drew you to it? To you, is it a religion, something similar to Abrahamic belief systems but with no god figure=a non theistic religion/belief system ? Or perhaps it's the Buddhist philosophy with no god-centric strings attached that draws you...

For me personally I see it first and foremost as "Inner Science" studying the mind through meditation, however what originally drew me to Buddhism was its philosophy and how it views life...It's now become a way of life for me...

I'm no expert, even though I meditate everyday and attend weekly Buddhist meetings and attend Dharma talks once a month given by the Tibetan Lama who visits the island where I live, I don't consider myself a very devote practitioner , there are always things I feel I could be doing better to improve the lives of other sentient beings...

Even though I had been connected to the Buddha's teaching for many years[In the past I was fortunate enough to spend time in Buddhist countries or countries where Buddhism was the main Belief System] it was only around the time when I was part way through my transition,13 years ago [and going through a real rough patch] that I began to fully embrace the teachings...Since then Buddhism has changed my life, it reappeared when I needed it the most["When the student is ready the teacher will appear!"]...Through Buddhism I've learnt to overcome my fears, anxieties, and to let go and just go with life's flow...

Well that's my spill on what Buddhism is and has done[and will continue to do] for me...

How about you ? What has Gautama Siddhartha's teachings done[or you hope will do] for you?

Happy Mindfulness

Metta Zenda

I view it like I do a flower. When you stop listening to words that describe it (that is a red rose I am looking at) and rather absorb its beauty without thought, that is when you are truly viewing what is there, and it begins to transform into a bond with all that is.

I do not think about it, for to think is not to perceive but rather to analyse, and enlightenment is better experienced and lived than deconstructed.

Buddhism simply IS, just as life is...

Kia Ora,

  Rejennyrated, But are you not just a thought who thinks it is not thinking about what it is thinking?

  Christine, form is emptiness - emptiness is form - where  beauty is seen or felt there is attachment...

Metta Zenda

Quote from: Zenda on May 02, 2011, 05:11:39 AM

  Christine, form is emptiness - emptiness is form - where  beauty is seen or felt there is attachment...

Metta Zenda

Attachement and Identification are quite different. Though viewing something and looking at IT rather than a flower transcends all attachement to what we know, and moves your consciousness into the 5th dimension if only for a brief moment.

I am not a Buddhist but I do believe that of all the ways of life one can live, Buddhism is one of the better ways.  Most of the major religions in the world could learn a lot from Buddhism.

I've read the Tao Te Ching and I've read books about it.  Lao Tzu's philosophy is a lot like Buddah's.  Both seem to embrace finding peace and happiness from within.  Many followers of the "organized religions" try to change the world to fit their ideals.  That's a never ending battle.

The Eastern belief systems seem to say, "I am here if you want me.  I will accept you if you come."  Christianity, Islam and others like them have said, "I am here.  Now you will accept me, or else!"

Kia Ora,

Christine, it's true at times we all might get a glimpse of enlightenment 'Satori' as you described, but as soon as one attempts to attach one'self' to  it, it  fades back into Samsara...

Kia Ora Julie, it would seem that many people in the West are drawn to Buddhism because of it's philosophy on life...It's one of the fastest growing 'adopted' belief system in the West...Taoism and Buddhism tend to go hand in hand, when Buddhism reached China it 'naturally' blended in with Taoism like finding the missing piece of a puzzle...

Kia Ora Valerie, Thich Nhat Hanh's simple words of wisdom tends to fill ones mind...And it's all in the mind!

Happy Mindfulness

Metta Zenda

I have a good friend who is also my yoga teacher and he and his wife are very devout Buddhists.  He knows of my transsexual history but has never treated me any differently at all.  In fact I asked him one time what were the Buddhist views on that, and he told me the best thing to strive for was being yourself, who you truly are, so there was no conflict at all as far as he was concerned.

I find meditation a very important resource and I'm drawn to the peaceful, non-confrontational aspects of Buddhism. Personally I consider myself more Taoist, which seems to be right in line with the Faerie Faith.  Yet I certainly have one hand clapping for Buddhism.

Watching the practices in Malaysia, by the Chinese, it reminded me a LOT of Catholicism. Such a lot appears like hum-bug to an outsider.

It seems mankind is in need of all these 'structured rituals' above anything else... kind of difficult to take on board if you were not raised like that.

Axélle

As a non-practitioner, I see it as a philosophy. I think it has some very useful aspects, i.e., mindfulness, but to be honest, it really isn't for me.

Kia Ora,

Thanks for the comments [how you personally view Buddhism]...

It's interesting to see that some see it as a theistic religion where Buddhists 'worship and pray to the Buddha, like he is some kind of god figure...

I guess one has to take into account as Buddhism spread into other countries, local cultural practices were incorporated into the teachings[the Dharma] like ancestral worship for example, which greatly diluted the essences of his teachings...

Plus there's no question that much of modern day Buddhism as taken on a Western like 'congregation' feel to it, as both Axelle and  Andre  pointed out...Some Buddhist scholars  believe that this has come about in the last two to three hundreds years when Christian missionaries in great numbers arrived in Buddhist countries to 'save the Pagan's souls'...This congregation-like atmosphere brought by the Christian missionaries had greatly influenced/changed the way the local lay people[and some monks/teachers who taught the Dharma * Their version of the Dharma*] approached the teachings...   

Nowadays it would seem some followers are not 'putting into practice' what the Buddha taught,[ he went on to say "Don't just take my word for it, experience it, see for your self !"]  instead they are [like believers of other god-centric belief systems] hoping for a miracle to change their lives...They are focusing upon the 'finger' that points and not the 'object' to which it is pointing to...

It's interesting to note that when Buddhism met Taoism, Chan[Zen] was born out of this wedlock...Some believe Zen is the bullet train to enlightenment whilst the more conventional Buddhism is the slow boat...However the Buddha taught eighty four thousand ways for one to reach enlightenment...[I've looked at a couple so far, only 83998 and untold rebirths to go  ] 

To sum up what the Buddha taught [in a nutshell-one of many]


This is all in my humble opinion of course....

Happy Sati [Mindfulness]

Metta Zenda

I view Buddhism the way I view Canada.

Quote from: Felix on December 28, 2011, 03:08:31 PM
I view Buddhism the way I view Canada.

Favourably I hope.

Quote from: Caseyyy on December 28, 2011, 04:26:55 PM
Favourably I hope.

Sure.

Kia Ora,

It's understandable that many people get the wrong end of the stick and see/view Buddhism as a somewhat pessimistic belief system, especially when they misinterpret what is meant by the Buddha's famous words "Life 'is' Dukkha"... Some interpret it to mean 'suffering', and  also believe what he meant was life 'mean' suffering and that  Buddhists have to bite the bullet and grin and bear it...

But Dukkha goes much deeper than that, and once one begins to explore the contents of Dukkha, when entering into the eight fold path, ones will gradually become more content with life...That is, go with the flow, by not taking life too seriously...One gradually begins see things as they really are [I'm still at the gradual stage of the journey] and not as ones mind has been conditioned to see to things/situations, one starts to go with the grain and not against it !

It's a belief system that puts the ball entirely in your court, one is fully responsible for ones happiness and ones sadness...With no reliance upon an 'outside' source...

But all this is for the individual to find out for themselves..."Seek and you shall find !"

http://www.chakrasambara.org/article.php

Happy Mindfulness

Metta Zenda

* It's a belief system that puts the ball entirely in your court, one is fully responsible for ones happiness and ones sadness...With no reliance upon an 'outside' source... *

Interesting to note that some other 'systems' e.g. LGAT (Large Group Awareness Trainings) such as EST (Erhardt Seminars Trainings), and I AM and Joyspring (SA parallels) take most decidedly the same route.

We are responsible for our actions alone, e.g. if you are sad it is YOUR sadness and not someone or something 'done' you in, or such. It thus negates the 'being a victim' position.

Of course you may be cry - cleanse your soul - or what ever you want to call it, but DO NOT POINT A FINGER at like: this one made me do this or do that.

It's called as you say: taking responsibility for ALL your actions. Happiness, AND Unhappiness, etc.

Happiness BTW is a by-product of doing the 'right things'.
In Christian (more enlightened) thinking = 'not missing the mark' or not committing "sins" (NOT a dogma issue in this sense!)

Just to mention it,
Axélle

Quote from: Axélle-Michélle on December 29, 2011, 09:29:04 AM
* It's a belief system that puts the ball entirely in your court, one is fully responsible for ones happiness and ones sadness...With no reliance upon an 'outside' source... *

Interesting to note that some other 'systems' e.g. LGAT (Large Group Awareness Trainings) such as EST (Erhardt Seminars Trainings), and I AM and Joyspring (SA parallels) take most decidedly the same route.

We are responsible for our actions alone, e.g. if you are sad it is YOUR sadness and not someone or something 'done' you in, or such. It thus negates the 'being a victim' position.

Of course you may cry - cleanse your soul - or what ever you want to call it, but DO NOT POINT A FINGER at like: this one made me do this or do that.

It's called as you say: taking responsibility for ALL your actions. Happiness, AND Unhappiness, etc.

Happiness BTW is a by-product of doing the 'right things'.


Just to mention it,
Axélle

Kia Ora Axelle,

You will find that much of the modern Western new age beliefs[and pop psychology] are based upon ancient Eastern philosophical thought[Such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism]...And have been adapted to suit the Western mind set[The Western way of thinking]...

A good example of this is in the essay "Buddhism Meets Western Science", where Gay Watson explains:

" Buddhism has always been concerned with feelings, emotions, sensations, and cognition. The Buddha points both to cognitive and emotional causes of suffering. The emotional cause is desire and its negative opposite, aversion. The cognitive cause is ignorance of the way things truly occur, or of three marks of existence: that all things are unsatisfactory, impermanent, and without essential self.

The noble eightfold path is, from this psychological viewpoint, an attempt to change patterns of thought and behavior. It is for this reason that the first element of the path is right understanding (sammā-diṭṭhi), which is how one's mind views the world. Under the wisdom (paññā) subdivision of the noble eightfold path, this worldview is intimately connected with the second element, right thought (sammā-saṅkappa), which concerns the patterns of thought and intention that controls one's actions. These elements can be seen at work, for example, in the opening verses of the Dhammapada: The noble eightfold path is also the fourth noble truth.

"All experience is preceded by mind/perception,
Led by mind,
Made by mind.
Speak or act with a corrupted mind,
And suffering follows
As the wagon wheel follows the hoof of the ox!
All experience is preceded by mind/perception,
Led by mind,
Made by mind.
Speak or act with a peaceful mind,
And happiness follows
Like a never-departing shadow!"

Thus, by altering one's distorted worldview, bringing out "tranquil perception" in the place of "perception polluted", one is able to ease suffering. Watson points this out from a psychological standpoint:

Research has shown that repeated action, learning, and memory can actually change the nervous system physically, altering both synaptic strength and connections. Such changes may be brought about by cultivated change in emotion and action; they will, in turn, change subsequent experience !"

Happiness is just a state of mind!

Happy Mindfulness [which just means "Be mindful of ones thoughts, words and deeds!"]

Metta Zenda

Hello Everyone

My favorite subject,Tibetan Buddhism saved me from ten years of drug abuse, I don't
want to go into how it would take to long.
Where other people need to go into rehab or methadone program I defeated it with Buddhism.
I never left my house for three years ,not even to the letterbox, I would only get the mail after the
sun had gone down.
My favorite mantra is the Green Tara Mantra. (108 Repetitions)
OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SOHA.
Your mind,body,and speech are transformed into Tara's  holy mind ,holy body,
holy speech .
I repeat this Mantra every day, and every time my mind is Idle.
Buddhism taught me the right way to live.
I think I have about 30 books on Buddhism , I especially like the writing of the great Buddhist
sages, Nagarjuna and Shantideva but I admire them all.
I still live a solitary life to this day.
I could go on but enough said for now.

OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SOHA

Namaste'

Atomic Kitten

I chose Way of Life in the poll.

I was first drawn to Buddhism through Thich Nh'at Hahn's book Living Buddha, Living Christ. A friend at my Christian church invited me to his Soto Zen sangha in 2005 and I've been practicing irregularly since then.

To me Buddhism is a way of life. But, I see religion as a way of live. My own personal practice is an amalgamation of various religions.

I hope that Siddhartha's teachings will help me to become a more peaceful person. They seem to be very much compatible with what I've been taught were the teaching of Jesus of Nazareth, even if the latter seem more religious than the former.

I view it as a philosophy; Siddhartha was nothing if not a philosopher, after all.