Perhaps I'm not as much of a Buddhist as I thought...

[StarryNightshade]

For over a year I've studied Buddhism and tried my best to apply its principles in my life. I believe Buddhisms principles are valuable to any belief system and I've tried to live as a religious Buddhist, but...I feel empty when I do so.

The philosophy of Buddhism, I believe, is something that more people can use and, at their core, many of the same teachings are a part of other religions. However, the religiosity of Buddhism just feels like it is full of nothing. I was originally Tibetan, but quickly became disillusioned. Then I looked into Theravada and ultimately felt the same. If I had to pick a denomination, it would be Zen; as it is the most philosophically based of the schools.

The biggest deterrence, however, are my changing personal beliefs.

1.) As time goes by, I'm starting to think that there is a creator to the universe; in a panendeistic sense anyway. I hold the belief that buddhists can be theists, but Buddhism seems very binding in its teaching that "god" is not important/doesn't exist. Regarding this, I believe that there is possibly a God who created the universe, but the problem of evil is what is truly holding me back from saying "I believe in God".

2.) I feel a bigger draw towards Judaism and Hinduism more than I ever did Buddhism.

3.) When I have spoken with Jews and Hindus, they often have a spark and life to them that the Buddhists I have spoken to didn't. They take the whole "nothing is permanent" and "no-self" very far.


Maybe it's nothing or maybe it's time to think about switching paths. I'm quite confused about this to be honest.

I guess to make this thread have an actual point, how many of you switched paths after you have already deeply invested your time in another? How did you deal with the shift? Was it ultimately worth it to you?

 

[Vinayaka]

Have you been to Buddhist Centers, Jewish synagogues, or Hindu temples?

 

[StarryNightshade]

Have you been to Buddhist Centers, Jewish synagogues, or Hindu temples?

I have. I feel a connection to all, but the synagogues and temples feel more natural to me.

 

[Vinayaka]

I have. I feel a connection to all, but the synagogues and temples feel more natural to me.

Good. Personally, I find it helpful to go by 'feel' (intuition) sometimes. Part of the reason (heck, a very big reason really) I'm a Hindu is I've always felt so at home in the temples.

 

[ratikala]

namaste agnostic seeker ,

For over a year I've studied Buddhism and tried my best to apply its principles in my life. I believe Buddhisms principles are valuable to any belief system and I've tried to live as a religious Buddhist, but...I feel empty when I do so.

first I have to ask , empty in what way , what are you feeling is missing ?

The philosophy of Buddhism, I believe, is something that more people can use and, at their core, many of the same teachings are a part of other religions. However, the religiosity of Buddhism just feels like it is full of nothing. I was originally Tibetan, but quickly became disillusioned. Then I looked into Theravada and ultimately felt the same. If I had to pick a denomination, it would be Zen; as it is the most philosophically based of the schools.

I practiced tibetan buddhism for a long time I became dissolusioned not with buddha but the inturpretations and practices of some buddhist adherants here .

as my title now says I am practicing vaisnava , it might interest you to read up in the vaisnava veiw of buddha as an incarnation of visnu which fills in some points not dwelt upon by most buddhists and might fill the spaces you feel are lacking .

The biggest deterrence, however, are my changing personal beliefs.

to me nothing changed it is simply that more was explained

1.) As time goes by, I'm starting to think that there is a creator to the universe; in a panendeistic sense anyway. I hold the belief that buddhists can be theists, but Buddhism seems very binding in its teaching that "god" is not important/doesn't exist. Regarding this, I believe that there is possibly a God who created the universe, but the problem of evil is what is truly holding me back from saying "I believe in God".

jai jai , of course buddhists can be theists :bow:

When I have spoken with Jews and Hindus, they often have a spark and life to them that the Buddhists I have spoken to didn't. They take the whole "nothing is permanent" and "no-self" very far.

I've writen on this no self , not self missconception a bit recently I will try and cross reference tomorow .

Maybe it's nothing or maybe it's time to think about switching paths. I'm quite confused about this to be honest.

try not to think of it as a switch , think of learning to understand the same truth from a different prespective .

I guess to make this thread have an actual point, how many of you switched paths after you have already deeply invested your time in another? How did you deal with the shift? Was it ultimately worth it to you?

me
worth it ? yes

I'll come back to this in more detail tomorow , I am sleepy and it is late :sorry1:

 

[dyanaprajna2011]

To answer your question, I'll reveal a little known fact about me: About three or four years ago, when I had finally left Christianity, before I converted to Buddhism, I had spent about a year studying, and evetually practicing, Islam. I had learned to recite several chapters in the Quran in Arabic, and had learned how to perform salah, as well as actually practicing it. But, the whole idea of an allmighty creator god who judges people just didn't sit right with me. After my conversion to Buddhism, and to this day, I feel "at home" with it, and that I can't image myself being anything else.

 

[BSM1]

Check out my avatar. Why limit yourself?

 

[apophenia]

I practiced tibetan buddhism for a long time I became dissolusioned not with buddha but the inturpretations and practices of some buddhist adherants here .

Being dis-illusioned is the whole point !

But seriously ... you gave up buddhism because a few buddhists on this forum don't object to psychedelics ?

But you are a vaisnava even though so many ISKCON swamis sexually abused children ?

Does that mean that you find using psychedelics more objectionable than child sexual abuse ?

Do you think I am worse than a pedophile because I have used mind-altering substances ?

Apart from that, why would you renounce something because you think someone else failed to practice it properly ? What will you do if you discover that some vaisnavas are smoking ganja ? Become an atheist ? Obviously you can't be a christian, because of the pedophilia, and the massacres in the Balkans etc . And you can't be a muslim, because of Al Qaeda. :no:

Perhaps you have no remaining option other than just to be yourself ? :yes:

Have you tried that option ? It is so often overlooked ....

 

[ratikala]

dear apophenia ,

Being dis-illusioned is the whole point !

not that sort of dissilusioned

dont worry I don't see a lot in this worldly existance worth attatching to

But seriously ... you gave up buddhism because a few buddhists on this forum don't object to psychedelics ?

no , no prabhu , ...you were over fifteen years too late to have much influence in that descission , and any way taking psychadelics is your perogative you are not suggesting that I take them .

But you are a vaisnava even though so many ISKCON swamis sexually abused children ?

and if I was anywhere near to any one who behaved in such a manner I would not rest untill they were exposed and removed .

not only would I "not keep the company of fools" , but I am old enough and bold enough , to make sure that any injustice does not go un noticed .

Does that mean that you find using psychedelics more objectionable than child sexual abuse ?

how could I ? ..... I've done drugs in my youth and hopefully harmed no one but my self , .......but I've never felt the inclination to harm a single living being , and dont see why any one else should .

Do you think I am worse than a pedophile because I have used mind-altering substances ?

bless you , you are a teddy bear by comparison , you can do what you like within the realms of your own practice as long as it harms no other .

Apart from that, why would you renounce something because you think someone else failed to practice it properly ?

I havent renounced buddhism , I just dont practice with a bunch of mind police that like to call them selves buddhist .

What will you do if you discover that some vaisnavas are smoking ganja ? Become an atheist ? Obviously you can't be a christian, because of the pedophilia, and the massacres in the Balkans etc . And you can't be a muslim, because of Al Qaeda. :no:

just ask them not to put any in my prasad

Perhaps you have no remaining option other than just to be yourself ? :yes:

I am , I do , constantly :yes:

Have you tried that option ? It is so often overlooked ....

Yey, .... that is the part of buddhism that I've happily retained

to be honest I have done with organisations , I dont feel the need to belong to any group , I am just continuing my practice where ever I am , but I remain loyal to any teaching that has opened my eyes

 

[Wolke]

1.) As time goes by, I'm starting to think that there is a creator to the universe; in a panendeistic sense anyway. I hold the belief that buddhists can be theists, but Buddhism seems very binding in its teaching that "god" is not important/doesn't exist. Regarding this, I believe that there is possibly a God who created the universe, but the problem of evil is what is truly holding me back from saying "I believe in God".

If you understand Buddhism only on a verbal or philosophical level, you would think it has nothing to do with the God of Christianity; but if you understood it on an experiential and profound level, you will know that it has everything to do with God. The 'emptiness' of Buddhism is the 'God' of the Christian mystic, the Brahman of Vedanta, etc. "God" is merely a symbol for that Reality; so is "void" or "emptiness", even though a negative symbol. That these two concepts interpreted literally are quite different doesn't matter. One mustn't get caught up in mere symbols.

According to Professor D. T. Suzuki, sunyata, the Buddhist Void or emptiness, means:

Absolute Emptiness transcending all forms of mutual relationship. . . . In Buddhist Emptiness there is no time, no space, no becoming, no thingness. Pure experience is the mind seeing itself as reflected in itself. . . . This is possible only when the mind is sunyata itself, that is, when the mind is devoid af all its possible contents except itself.​

And in the same way, Christian mystics speak of God as "undifferentiated and without distinction," and in experiences of mystical illumination, they claim to perceive "a nothing" which is also "a unity" (Ruysbroeck).

The Void of Buddhism is merely a different name for the same absolute, undifferentiated, distinctionless unity which Christian mystics call God.

 

[Twilight Hue]

That was a slow April.

 

[BurnPhoenix]

Maybe it's nothing or maybe it's time to think about switching paths. I'm quite confused about this to be honest.

I guess to make this thread have an actual point, how many of you switched paths after you have already deeply invested your time in another? How did you deal with the shift? Was it ultimately worth it to you?

Although I have not technically switched paths, I have spent the last 5 years or so trying to find a path that suits me.

My essential belief now is that there is a life force or energy that is present in all living things, and by design binds us all together. The main difference between my Energy and others God(s) is that there is no sentience with mine. It just is.

From Buddhists I've spoken to they seem to be similar to the Gnostics (maybe wrong 'branch', apologies if it is) where the path to God/Heaven/Nirvana is actually within focusing on the 'self' and personal development. Rather than Nirvana etc. being a literal heavenly place it's used as a metaphor for a state of enlightenment.

I think the key thing you should contemplate (and I know it isn't easy) is what your wanting from your religion and determine what you actually believe. If you do believe there is a sentient God who, from your perspective, deserves worship then perhaps you should change your path. If you're just looking for guidance through life then perhaps you will be fine where you are.

All religions have good, solid guidance and life lessons in their teachings. People get what they want from religion; the difficult bit, as always, is deciding what you want.

And ultimately, whatever you decide, if it makes you a better person, helps you deal with things in your life (both good and bad) and makes you happier then follow it through.

Plus, there's no reason why you can't mix and match teachings from various religions. It is something I have tried to do myself, as sometimes the truth can be difficult to find or even lost over the years.

 

[Jainarayan]

Check out my avatar. Why limit yourself?

Check out my religion. Why limit yourself indeed? My position is that many religions have tenets that supplement and broaden each other. I find that's the case, for me, with Hinduism ("Kashmir Vaishnavism" which probably doesn't exist anymore except for me), Mahāyāna Buddhism and Jesuism.

 

[Jupimartian]

the problem of evil is what is truly holding me back from saying "I believe in God".

God can't be sadistic? Or neutral? What about multiple gods or divine forces, some sadistic and others not?

 

[YmirGF]

I guess to make this thread have an actual point, how many of you switched paths after you have already deeply invested your time in another? How did you deal with the shift? Was it ultimately worth it to you?

I have never really "switched paths", so to speak. In reality, I've jumped back onto my path after making little side trips. That, I've done more than a few times. At each junction in that road, there was always a bit of lag time where new attitudes and ideas took hold and old thoughts and ideas were fondly laid aside. There is always that transitional time and that can be troubling. The main thing is to focus on what lay ahead instead of the focusing on the "lies" that are now behind you. And for the record, even the side trips are worth every moment. Embrace doubt and uncertainty, for they will take you far farther than the certainty of conviction.

 

[ratikala]

namaste :namaste

I have never really "switched paths", so to speak. In reality, I've jumped back onto my path after making little side trips. That, I've done more than a few times. At each junction in that road, there was always a bit of lag time where new attitudes and ideas took hold and old thoughts and ideas were fondly laid aside. There is always that transitional time and that can be troubling. The main thing is to focus on what lay ahead instead of the focusing on the "lies" that are now behind you. And for the record, even the side trips are worth every moment. Embrace doubt and uncertainty, for they will take you far farther than the certainty of conviction.

I like what you say about uncertanty , I think if we didnt have occasional doubts we would not question therefore we would not deepen our understanding , sometimes we need to look at things from another perspective .

Originally Posted by AgnosticSeeker
I guess to make this thread have an actual point, how many of you switched paths after you have already deeply invested your time in another? How did you deal with the shift? Was it ultimately worth it to you?

that shift then becomes a part of your path , the question is where are you wanting to go ? ir is it that there is something in mankind that needs to be on some kind of path , do we do this with an idea of an end goal , or do we do it to see where the path leads us ?
of course we all have different reasons , even different reasons at different stages in our lives.
sometimes we just feel more secure belonging to something , feeling at one with a set of beleifs , then when we are in it we begin to question , to me this is a good thing , this way we we become certain of our beleifs through such questioning .

And for the record, even the side trips are worth every moment. Embrace doubt and uncertainty, for they will take you far farther than the certainty of conviction.

this I can agree with entirely

 

[SageTree]

No doubt.... Life is a process of becoming.... 'switching' is more akin to evolution.

 

[Musty]

You don't have to follow the Buddhism as practiced by the various groups/cultures. I follow a very stripped down version of Buddhism generally referred to as secular Buddhism which I don't believe would conflict with theist views and beliefs.

 

[Ablaze]

Buddhism is highly adaptable, coming in a variety of flavors - some that will be to your liking and others that won't.

 

[ratikala]

namaste :namaste

a second thought on the subject of switching paths ,.....
I think it is true to say that as a lay practitioner one is not entirely commited to any one particular path , in which case the idea of switching is simply that of exploring all avenues of faith and beleif , which is perfectly valid .

however there comes a point in some peoples lives when a full commitment needs to be made , this is prehaps done out of gratitude to the tradition that has played the most influenceial part in ones development , and a wish to give something back to that tradition in way of loyalty . that commitment then ensures the continuation of that tradition , and ensures that that particular set of teachings remains accessable for future gennerations in the form of a living religion rather than it remaining only in an interlectualised writen form .

in this age where everything is so accessable we are in a very dificult place , on one hand there is great benifit in having the chance to explore and compare different traditions and systems , but on the other there is great danger that we may spend our lives like a bee going from flower to flower and finding that they all contain nectar , and that each is sweet but in a different way .

personaly I donot think that it is wrong to explore any and every faith especialy whilst one is young , but I do feel from experience that we would be beter to choose to commit (when we are ready) to one tradition and to explore that one fully as there is a great danger in this eclectic tendancy that we may not progress as far as we might if we follow one path .

this does not mean however that by choosing one path or tradition that it excludes one from exploring and appreciateing the traditions of others .