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I need help with buddhism

willy1590

willy1590

Member
Hey
I saw the simpsons episode where lisa becomes a buddhist and made me think about it,firstly il tell you im quite liberal with religion so whichever buddhism which is considered most liberal would be perfect for this.
I want to know what buddhists do like
>rituals-e.g.chants,prayers etc
>ethics-sexual,diet
>actions-work,charity
>+any other buddhist things like meditation under the bodhi tree
Thanks
 
Twilight Hue

Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
All I got was a tee shirt.....

I'm already bald, and robes are over rated if you ask me.

Hollywood and the Simpsons. ...always embellishing stuff. *Sigh*

Chantings fun though. Feels good.
 
M

mudroots

New Member
Lots of good references online. I follow a Buddhist tradition, Mahayana, that has evolved from India, through China and then through Japan. It is no better or worse than than the original lineages which still exist from the early years - Theravada. So google those 2 terms to begin and see if anything resonates with you. Theravada is sometimes considered "conservative" but that has it's own context. Mahayana can seem very conservative at times if your measure is conservatism or liberalism in the West. All Buddhism starts out with the "Four Noble Truths" and then instantly is directed to the "Eightfold Path". At this conceptual end of Buddhism I remember the words of a treasured teacher, Master Dogen, who famously said: "To study the self is to forget the self." When this is understood and lived, then it is no longer conceptual. There are many ways of saying this and of realizing this from the Theravada through to Dogen in the Mahayana.

So are you ready to loose everything that you have ever thought you are? Few are. All the rest that you mention is externals, just like any fundamentalism. Loosing it all personally - that is what happened to the Buddha himself and is what he teaches with many skillful means which have surfaced in many traditions over 2500 years.

Very good luck to you.
 
Last edited:
Anatta

Anatta

Other
willy 1590,

Please don't "become a Buddhist" because it seems like something cool, different, and interesting to be. This will never work, and you will just waste your time.

I recommend that you search YouTube for "Ask a Monk". This is a series of question-and-answer videos posted by a Canadian-born Theravada monk for the benefit of people such as yourself. Yuttadhammo is a wise and skillful teacher who explains things in a way that people raised in the West can understand.

If you find Yuttadhammo interesting, search out some dhamma talks by Ajahn Sumedho, an elder American-born teacher in the Thai tradition with very deep insight.
 
apophenia

apophenia

Well-Known Member
BSM1 said:
My son wants to start a clothing-optional branch of Buddhism. Calls himself a Nuddhist.
Click to expand...

The Tibetans are often called Boozists. I have seen it firsthand, I've had a few serious drinking sessions with lamas. Excellent fun. Chogyam Trungpa is probably the most (in)famous Tibetan Boozist. He was sometimes carried onto the dias to give dharma talks.
 
M

mudroots

New Member
Hi Anatta, I do really agree with your advice to willy 1590. Another really good teacher is Thanissaro Bhikkhu with much online information including Youtube. Only thing I would add for anyone is that "cool, intersting or different" is very good enough to begin to look into Buddhism. How else is one going to enter the dharma except through exactly where they are. Whatever expectations they may have will sort themselves in time. When my daughter says that Buddhism is "cool" I certainly don't correct her!

With love,
 
Anatta

Anatta

Other
mudroots said:
Hi Anatta, I do really agree with your advice to willy 1590. Another really good teacher is Thanissaro Bhikkhu with much online information including Youtube. Only thing I would add for anyone is that "cool, intersting or different" is very good enough to begin to look into Buddhism. How else is one going to enter the dharma except through exactly where they are. Whatever expectations they may have will sort themselves in time. When my daughter says that Buddhism is "cool" I certainly don't correct her!

With love,
Click to expand...

Thanissaro is most excellent. A great teacher and translator.
 
DreadFish

DreadFish

Cosmic Vagabond
apophenia said:
The Tibetans are often called Boozists. I have seen it firsthand, I've had a few serious drinking sessions with lamas. Excellent fun. Chogyam Trungpa is probably the most (in)famous Tibetan Boozist. He was sometimes carried onto the dias to give dharma talks.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I don't quite get why they drink actually :shrug: . I dont have any problem with it, but how do they justify it if they are lamas? Of course, I am well aware of Drukpa Kunley and the Drukpa lineage being a bit left-handed.

Chatral Rinpoche explicitly condemned drinking and meat eating in no uncertain terms, though he is a yogi who is utterly dedicated to practice.
 
no-body

no-body

Well-Known Member
DreadFish said:
Yeah, I don't quite get why they drink actually :shrug: . I dont have any problem with it, but how do they justify it if they are lamas? Of course, I am well aware of Drukpa Kunley and the Drukpa lineage being a bit left-handed.

Chatral Rinpoche explicitly condemned drinking and meat eating in no uncertain terms, though he is a yogi who is utterly dedicated to practice.
Click to expand...

I always thought the zennist where the ones who had problems with drinking, they argue that since it is a part of their culture it is OK to indulge once in a while as well as drink in moderation regularly.

As for teachers who subscribe to "crazy wisdom" if you look at their actions as a whole there are lots of shady things going on. I have trouble believing they are committing selfish acts of pleasure to teach a lesson.
 
apophenia

apophenia

Well-Known Member
no-body said:
I always thought the zennist where the ones who had problems with drinking, they argue that since it is a part of their culture it is OK to indulge once in a while as well as drink in moderation regularly.

As for teachers who subscribe to "crazy wisdom" if you look at their actions as a whole there are lots of shady things going on. I have trouble believing they are committing selfish acts of pleasure to teach a lesson.
Click to expand...


You may be right,
they may be crazy,
and it just may be a lunatic you're looking for ....


(pardon me, I couldn't help myself , LOL)
 
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