Sand Dancer
Currently catless
I love Buddhism as a philosophy, but I don't quite understand it as a religion. How does the "average" Buddhist live out his or her faith?
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How do you live out your Buddhism?
- Thread starter Sand Dancer
- Start date
Desert Snake
Veteran Member
whats an average Buddhist?
Secret Chief
Vetted Member
Probably quite dull.
Secret Chief
Vetted Member
How does the average Christian live out their faith?
Sand Dancer
Currently catless
:help:
Sand Dancer
Currently catless
Prayer, church attendance, helping the poor.
Secret Chief
Vetted Member
Really? I live in an ostensibly Christian country, populated by many self-identified Christians. I would bet most don't pray, only attend church for hatches, matches and dispatches, and give money (perhaps) to begging people the same as non-Christians.
As Sees wisely shared, the Eightfold Noble Path is how you live out your practice of Buddhism. It encompasses morality, wisdom, and concentration.
The Noble Eightfold Path: The Way to the End of Suffering
Also related to the subject of what it looks like to live out the teachings of Buddhism can be found in the brahma-viharas. These are the divine abidings and represent the states of consciousness that are the norm in the realm of the Brahma-kings. The four brahma-viharas are: loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. Meditating on these states of consciousness and perfecting them will lead to rebirth in the Brahma-realms.
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nyanaponika/wheel006.html
The Noble Eightfold Path: The Way to the End of Suffering
Also related to the subject of what it looks like to live out the teachings of Buddhism can be found in the brahma-viharas. These are the divine abidings and represent the states of consciousness that are the norm in the realm of the Brahma-kings. The four brahma-viharas are: loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. Meditating on these states of consciousness and perfecting them will lead to rebirth in the Brahma-realms.
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nyanaponika/wheel006.html
Sand Dancer
Currently catless
What do they do then? I'll try anything.
Sand Dancer
Currently catless
That's what I thought. If I do that, does it make me a Christian Buddhist?
Sand Dancer
Currently catless
Lots of commentaries and guides our Buddhist folks can explain and suggest.
I like that.
I find the term Christian Buddhist to be confusing. While the Buddha and Jesus may have overlapping thoughts on some aspects of morality, they construct divergent world-views. Jesus say to love the Lord thy God with all your heart. The Buddha says it is not possible for the being Jesus describes to even exist. There are gods, yes. But, they too are born, grow old, and die. Then they will take rebirth somewhere else within samsara based on their karma. The Buddha makes it clear that there is no Overlord to the universe who is responsible for all that happens. Dependent origination is how the Buddha describes the cycle of experience without any recourse to a Creator god. There is no-self in an individual just as there is no-self in the universe. When you break all experiences down you don't find god, you find impersonal elements, all unsatisfactory, impermanent, and lacking self.
If you wish to reconcile Christianity and Buddhism, you can only do so by jettisoning vital teachings of one or both traditions.
Twilight Hue
Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
Bout 5' 9"
Sweetvoice
Member
I pretty much live how most other people live.
I attempt to avoid doing bad deeds relying on the 5 precepts as guide.
I meditate to at least achieve some level of calmness and un-stress after a long day.
I study on the Buddhist teachings.
I go to nearby temple as often as possible (usually on weekends) to pay respect to the Buddhas (statutes) in there, and listen to talks given if any.
Yep, that's about it.
I attempt to avoid doing bad deeds relying on the 5 precepts as guide.
I meditate to at least achieve some level of calmness and un-stress after a long day.
I study on the Buddhist teachings.
I go to nearby temple as often as possible (usually on weekends) to pay respect to the Buddhas (statutes) in there, and listen to talks given if any.
Yep, that's about it.
Secret Chief
Vetted Member
Thirza,
If you are sufficiently interested I'd recommend a little book called What Makes You Not A Buddhist by Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse.
http://khyentsefoundation.org/pdf/WMYNAB-shambhala.pdf
I don't know how you "spot" a Buddhist. Unless you catch me sitting zazen I look and sound almost normal.
If you are sufficiently interested I'd recommend a little book called What Makes You Not A Buddhist by Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse.
http://khyentsefoundation.org/pdf/WMYNAB-shambhala.pdf
I don't know how you "spot" a Buddhist. Unless you catch me sitting zazen I look and sound almost normal.
Last edited by a moderator:
Ablaze
Buddham Saranam Gacchami
The average Buddhist minimally takes refuge in the Buddha, Dha[r/m]ma, and Sangha. Or, to paraphrase some of the Buddha's final words upon his deathbed, taking refuge in oneself, with no other refuge, taking refuge in the Teaching, with no other refuge. This precludes taking refuge in God, Allah, Jehovah, Brahmā, Īśvara, or other gods/devas.
Personally, in addition to the refuges, I also take the five precepts daily (eight on Uposatha observance days - roughly once a week with every first-quarter, full, last-quarter, and new moon), maintain a daily meditation practice, meet with the sangha as frequently as possible, attend retreats on a regular basis, visit temples and monasteries, study the sutras/suttas (discourses/scriptures) as well as other Buddhist texts, and try to live according to the eightfold path while working on cultivating the pāramitās/pāramīs ("perfections"), including generosity, ethical conduct, patient forbearance, meditative absorption, diligent effort, wisdom, etc.
However, one might not call me the average Buddhist.
Personally, in addition to the refuges, I also take the five precepts daily (eight on Uposatha observance days - roughly once a week with every first-quarter, full, last-quarter, and new moon), maintain a daily meditation practice, meet with the sangha as frequently as possible, attend retreats on a regular basis, visit temples and monasteries, study the sutras/suttas (discourses/scriptures) as well as other Buddhist texts, and try to live according to the eightfold path while working on cultivating the pāramitās/pāramīs ("perfections"), including generosity, ethical conduct, patient forbearance, meditative absorption, diligent effort, wisdom, etc.
However, one might not call me the average Buddhist.
ratikala
Istha gosthi
namaskaram
first by deveoping ....the below mentioned Right understanding , right thought and right concentration , ....then practicing the remainder ....
to me Buddhism is more than a philosophy it is a practice , to some it is not even an escape route from samsara , to Mahayana Buddhists it is a commitment to attain enlightenment for the benifit of all , therefore one foregoes personal liberation from the cycle of birth and death , but instead attains a blissfull state whereupon there is no personal suffering even whilst embodied , ...
in Bodhichitta one forgets atttaining Brahma's realm or ataining higher rebirth , but one lives to act out ones compassion with generosity and loving kindness , to share sympathetic joy and abide in equanimity in ones every dealings .
one who atains such qualities has no desire for the higher realms as he sees them in the actions of the realised therefore lives in a constant state of bliss .
in truth there is no such need to find an average Buddhist as Buddhists we are all aspiring , above that when we reach atainment we become ourselves Buddhas :namaste
http://www.religiousforums.com//uk.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/
first by deveoping ....the below mentioned Right understanding , right thought and right concentration , ....then practicing the remainder ....
to me Buddhism is more than a philosophy it is a practice , to some it is not even an escape route from samsara , to Mahayana Buddhists it is a commitment to attain enlightenment for the benifit of all , therefore one foregoes personal liberation from the cycle of birth and death , but instead attains a blissfull state whereupon there is no personal suffering even whilst embodied , ...
in Bodhichitta one forgets atttaining Brahma's realm or ataining higher rebirth , but one lives to act out ones compassion with generosity and loving kindness , to share sympathetic joy and abide in equanimity in ones every dealings .
one who atains such qualities has no desire for the higher realms as he sees them in the actions of the realised therefore lives in a constant state of bliss .
in truth there is no such need to find an average Buddhist as Buddhists we are all aspiring , above that when we reach atainment we become ourselves Buddhas :namaste
http://www.religiousforums.com//uk.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/
ratikala
Istha gosthi
namaskaram Thirza
one could say that the way many Buddhists live is much the same , we pray we attend temple and we should , ...if we are not to attatched and bad tempered , ..share what we have and help the poor and any who are in need of support of any kind .
and if you ask about the compatibility of christianity and Buddhism , ..although there are many Theological differences there are many characteristics that are perfectly compatable it is not just on points of morality that Jesus and the Buddha confer but prehaps more importantly compassion ..as both were embodiments of selfless compassion and sacrifice .
I have heard the tearm Christian Buddhist used many times by those that see the thread of comonality to be love , and one here (on RF)that called him self a Ju Bu ....although this may be confusing to some it is also heart warming to others , ...I for one am delighted that the Buddhas teachings touch others and enrich their lives ...prehaps in truth that is all that realy matters .
one could say that the way many Buddhists live is much the same , we pray we attend temple and we should , ...if we are not to attatched and bad tempered , ..share what we have and help the poor and any who are in need of support of any kind .
and if you ask about the compatibility of christianity and Buddhism , ..although there are many Theological differences there are many characteristics that are perfectly compatable it is not just on points of morality that Jesus and the Buddha confer but prehaps more importantly compassion ..as both were embodiments of selfless compassion and sacrifice .
I have heard the tearm Christian Buddhist used many times by those that see the thread of comonality to be love , and one here (on RF)that called him self a Ju Bu ....although this may be confusing to some it is also heart warming to others , ...I for one am delighted that the Buddhas teachings touch others and enrich their lives ...prehaps in truth that is all that realy matters .