two religions at once

[LilyPhoenix]

i was wondering if it is possible to fallow two religions at once
the two i wish to fallow are Buddhism and Hinduism
is it possible to do so ?

 

[Desert Snake]

Yes, it's possible to follow two religions at the same time as long as they don't contradict each other, and aren't exclusivist if theistic.

The second part of your question, not sure, but I wouldn't recommend it.

 

[Shuddhasattva]

Are Buddhism and Hinduism 2 religions?

but I wouldn't recommend it.

Why?

 

[Secret Chief]

Hi. Well obviously the two are related, a bit like Christianity and Judaism. No doubt one can take what one can accept from Buddhism and Hinduism. There is a somewhat fundamental issue between the two, philosophically however. For me, this would be an obstacle to a personal syncretism, but maybe not for others.

Good luck in your seeking.

 

[Shuddhasattva]

There is a somewhat fundamental issue between the two, philosophically however.

Please elaborate, I am not sure what fundamental issue you reference despite some little familiarity with the religion(s?).

That said, I've always wanted to do two religions at once. Aww yeah.

 

[Windwalker]

I think it's actually hard not to be eclectic if you weren't raised in the culture that religion is native too. There's no way I could ever "convert" to Buddhism, since it's symbols can never have the same significance to me as someone who grew up in a culture where they were part of their entire shaping of worldviews. But I certainly espouse much of Buddhism, and Hinduism as well, and Christianity as well. The only thing I can't truly have is the benefit of a full lineage to follow for the reasons I mentioned.

 

[Shuddhasattva]

Do you mean to say that converts can't have lineage? Not much a point to much of either Buddhism or Hinduism without lineage, really. Practice isn't very belief-centric.

 

[Secret Chief]

Please elaborate, I am not sure what fundamental issue you reference despite some little familiarity with the religion(s?).

That said, I've always wanted to do two religions at once. Aww yeah.

"Possibly the main philosophical difference between Hinduism and Buddhism is that the concept of atman was rejected by the Buddha."
- Wikipedia.

 

[Shuddhasattva]

If you (or Wikipedia?) says so. I haven't noticed that much myself, at least not how it's typically spun by Western buddhists.

Seals aren't seals unless they're also gestures.

Even if this were true though, both Hindu and Buddhist beliefs in regards to the atman or other self-concepts are far too broad to give out extreme views of any quarter.

 

[Windwalker]

Do you mean to say that converts can't have lineage? Not much a point to much of either Buddhism or Hinduism without lineage, really. Practice isn't very belief-centric.

I'm not saying there isn't value in adopting a lineage, but I don't see how its possible for the symbols to have the same type of effect if they were not part of your native culture growing up. I'm friends with Tibetan Buddhists, one is a nun, and though I find value in the symbols, they can never be the same for me as for them. I asked another nun I know that this one particular symbol meant in this particular aspect of it, and she said to me she couldn't really express it. She doesn't think about it like that. It just has an immediate direct effect on her.

This is the way native symbols work. They are transparent. But not to a convert. They have to think about them, and even then they have their own cultural references to similar things which will affect the meaning of them to their own. And that brings me full circle to being eclectic. We have to sort of make our own meanings from them.

 

[Shuddhasattva]

Frankly I don't believe that symbol languages can't be learned. To be honest, what you're encountering is not so much 'native knowledge' but 'native ignorance,' where the forest arrived at too easily isn't seen for the trees.

 

[Windwalker]

Frankly I don't believe that symbol languages can't be learned. To be honest, what you're encountering is not so much 'native knowledge' but 'native ignorance,' where the forest arrived at too easily isn't seen for the trees.

Do you believe the East and West can ever truly have the same entire worldviews? There is an entire invisible framework upon which the symbols ride on top of. That, is where the meaning will get lost unless you entirely root out ones entire cultural experience from early childhood onward. It's not just the symbol itself. Yes of course we can adopt them, and I have myself. But it will always be against a Western cultural ethos, and thus the underlying meanings will be lost. I am not an Eastern person, nor are they Western, even if we exchange symbols between us.

 

[Shuddhasattva]

Do you believe the East and West can ever truly have the same entire worldviews?

To me this isn't any more significant than saying something like "do you believe that Kashmir & Nepal can ever truly have the same entire worldviews?"

What am I to make of that? :help:

There is an entire invisible framework upon which the symbols ride on top of.

Need we be children to drink from this silent well?

That, is where the meaning will get lost unless you entirely root out ones entire cultural experience from early childhood onward.

Apparently yes, but this, ipso facto, is just not true - I can say this from both my own experience and those of many others.

It's not just the symbol itself. Yes of course we can adopt them, and I have myself. But it will always be against a Western cultural ethos, and thus the underlying meanings will be lost.

This is still a non-sequitur. It doesn't follow that symbol languages are against any cultural ethos by some constructed "east/west" false dichotomy or any other imagined barrier, much less that these barriers can't be crossed merely because of where one was born.

I still don't know from your posts why I can't learn symbol languages I've learnt. Perhaps I should go inform the bees and other cross-pollenators that they can't actually dance in the sky?

I am not an Eastern person, nor are they Western, even if we exchange symbols between us.

Is the goal to become an Eastern person by way of Eastern symbols?

 

[Windwalker]

To me this isn't any more significant than saying something like "do you believe that Kashmir & Nepal can ever truly have the same entire worldviews?"

Isn't this like comparing Tennessee with California? They're both in the West, right? Yes or course there are differences, but the underlying philosophies of both are still Western.

Need we be children to drink from this silent well?

That the sort of programming that occurs happens early in our development. I can be learned later in life, like a second language, but it doesn't function like those which are learned at that earliest of stages in development. It's the difference between saying "I get it. I understand", versus, "That's just how things are. It's the natural way of things." Do you see the difference?

Apparently yes, but this, ipso facto, is just not true - I can say this from both my own experience and those of many others.

Actually, how can you? You didn't grow up in another culture, so how can you know how you think would be the same unless you actually were that other you? I'm simply drawing off what happens psychologically in childhood development and how language (symbol systems) affects this directly. Your argument here seems anecdotal.

This is still a non-sequitur. It doesn't follow that symbol languages are against any cultural ethos by some constructed "east/west" false dichotomy or any other imagined barrier, much less that these barriers can't be crossed merely because of where one was born.

I've never said they cannot be crossed. I believe they can through finding commonalities. And that goes to the heart of my argument. It's translated, not native. There will always be a difference between something native, and learned later in life. It cannot be the same because it's not integrated in the same processes at the same stage of development.

I still don't know from your posts why I can't learn symbol languages I've learnt. Perhaps I should go inform the bees and other cross-pollenators that they can't actually dance in the sky?

You can learn these. I have myself. But they are not my native language. And as such, they can't carry that same meaning as if I lived within that culture and became so saturated with that, somehow evacuating all vestiges of my early childhood development that for all intents and purpose I was a Hindu or Buddhist from birth. Of course we can adapt! Absolutely. This is describing being eclectic. But.... as such the symbols in my own experience are modified, by my native culture. The symbols becomes added to.

Is the goal to become an Eastern person by way of Eastern symbols?

No. But it's to recognize that Eastern symbols in a Western context become a blended symbol, or a new symbol. This of course is NOT to say they aren't valid. I very much believe they are, and frankly are useful and needed! But make no mistakes, they mean something to my friends from Tibet in ways I can never fully understand, nor they me. But the common ground is where we meet and share and enjoy. Right?

 

[Madhuri]

i was wondering if it is possible to fallow two religions at once
the two i wish to fallow are Buddhism and Hinduism
is it possible to do so ?

We have one Buddhist/Hindu syncretic on this forum.

I'm sure it is possible, although I tend to think that Buddhism is just another branch in the tree that is Hinduism.

 

[Shuddhasattva]

Isn't this like comparing Tennessee with California? They're both in the West, right? Yes or course there are differences, but the underlying philosophies of both are still Western

What I'm saying is that your "Western" is itself a "Western" construct. It has no substantive existence. "West" and "East" do not exist as such categories except for colonial convenience, dividing and conquering states of mind.

That the sort of programming that occurs happens early in our development. I can be learned later in life, like a second language, but it doesn't function like those which are learned at that earliest of stages in development. It's the difference between saying "I get it. I understand", versus, "That's just how things are. It's the natural way of things." Do you see the difference?

Yes, but again here we have a false dichotomy between understanding and 'natural way.' Most people raised in a tradition fail to understand its symbol language because it's come by too easily - it lacks appliance. Very few native Hindus or Buddhists will be able to explain the symbols to you precisely for this reason, they have an impressed memory of them but little content.


I've seen nothing to suggest that natives can't acquire a deeper understanding of the symbols in currency nor that converts can't steep themselves in the 'natural way.'

Actually, how can you? You didn't grow up in another culture, so how can you know how you think would be the same unless you actually were that other you?

Of course it's not the same, does it need to be? What matters is appliance. The symbol languages serve my purposes effectively, and my understanding is both fluid and articulated. As it is in the authentic lineages where the symbol languages have to be taught anew to be appreciated anyway.

Else there would be no Buddhism or Hinduism to crossover cultures to begin with and these traditions would never have gone beyond the very narrow geographical areas they originated from.

Your argument here seems anecdotal.

It's not just anecdotal if I'm living proof that your statement is false - and I'm hardly a unique 'anecdote' in that.

I've never said they cannot be crossed. I believe they can through finding commonalities. And that goes to the heart of my argument. It's translated, not native. There will always be a difference between something native, and learned later in life. It cannot be the same because it's not integrated in the same processes at the same stage of development.

The differences are trivial with respect to the original context: lineage and practice. Symbol languages can and are fully learned and applied by those who didn't grow into them. Mostly, symbol languages even in the cultures hosted them are not learned until later in life in intensive study that one doesn't receive in childhood since the demise of the gurukul system.

You can learn these. I have myself. But they are not my native language. And as such, they can't carry that same meaning as if I lived within that culture and became so saturated with that, somehow evacuating all vestiges of my early childhood development that for all intents and purpose I was a Hindu or Buddhist from birth. Of course we can adapt! Absolutely. This is describing being eclectic. But.... as such the symbols in my own experience are modified, by my native culture. The symbols becomes added to.

These symbol-langauges aren't about culture at all, if you're clinging to a Western cultural outlook as a lens, it's no wonder that you can't see the Eastern perspectives clearly.

No. But it's to recognize that Eastern symbols in a Western context become a blended symbol, or a new symbol.

...What?

 

[Shuddhasattva]

Buddhism is another branch in the tree that is Hinduism.

This, more or less.

I was trying to point at this with my first post in the thread:

Are Buddhism and Hinduism 2 religions?

We're not looking at two religions here but one meta-religion containing within it many, many religions with tremendous diversity in their views and practices, such that many schools of Buddhism share far more with particular schools of Hinduism than they do with traditions that are nominally co-religionist.

 

[Windwalker]

Shuddhasattva, I'm going to have to process what you've added here. Interesting thoughts. I appreciate them.

 

[Secret Chief]

The two common comments that I've typically heard from Hindus regarding Buddhism are that it is a part of Hinduism, or to dismiss it as heretical.

 

[Breathe]

i was wondering if it is possible to fallow two religions at once
the two i wish to fallow are Buddhism and Hinduism
is it possible to do so ?

Yeah, it is possible. Some people will be a little more wary of it, though, and some may think you're going to be a bit 'flowery'.

I'm one of the syncretics of RF.