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| What discipline are you? |
| Theravada |
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15% |
[ 8 ] |
| Mahayana |
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30% |
[ 16 ] |
| Vajrayana |
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1% |
[ 1 ] |
| Zen (Ch'an) |
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33% |
[ 18 ] |
| Pure-Land |
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3% |
[ 2 ] |
| Nichiren |
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1% |
[ 1 ] |
| I'm Judeo-Christian |
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13% |
[ 7 ] |
| I'm Muslim |
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0% |
[ 0 ] |
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| Total Votes : 53 |
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 Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2006 4:12 pm
Born and raised Theravada. domokun heart
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Posted: Wed Sep 06, 2006 6:54 pm
Let a man avoid evil deeds as a man who loves life avoids poison.I'm pagan as of now but studying the Ch'an discipline. It seems the most interesting and the majority of books I've seen have spoken more about Ch'an than any other. Om Mani Padme Hum
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Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2007 5:19 am
I am a Tibetan, which makes me a Tibetan Buddhist. I find it interesting that people pick and choose the things they like and leave what they don't like and completely rip apart the foundation of each sect of buddhism. I am not trying to start something here, just commenting on what ive observed.
Isn't it true that when you take something out of context, the meanings change. Well thats exactly whats happening here, People take the things they like and only that part, which will ofcourse change the meaning of it based on how the reader interprets it.
I truly believe that being a buddhist will not help you become a better person, being a better person will help you become a better buddhist. I think that if you want to become a better person then do so, you don't need a religion to tell you that.
I hope i haven't bored anyone with my speech. If anyone disagrees with me, please post it in here. I would really like to read your arguement because im a really opened minded person. If you can prove to me that my beliefs are fault then i shall think differently, thats how confident i am about myself.
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Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 9:54 am
Hello Hitokiri_Tsering,
first of all thank you for posting this, while reading this thread I made nearly the same observations.
That some people are picking only the things they like and try to neglect the things they don't like might just happen because these people are not born into a buddhist family like you.
My personal situation is like that: I've been born into a christian family, but always asked "strange" questions and not really "fit" in. I also believed all the time to have lived before (reincarnation is not possible for christians, it is totally is against their belief).
When I read the first buddhist texts about the Buddha Shakyamuni's life and the Four Noble Truths it felt like coming home to something. So I read everything the local library could provide on buddhism and found myself exactly in that situation that I wanted to take "the best" out of every sect...
A good friend then lent me a book (sorry don't know the titel in English) by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. While reading it I realized that taking "the best" out of everything is just spiritual materialism and making it for yourself comfortable...
I'll move in a few weeks to a new place and really hope to find a Sangha there, I do like to take refuge and don't want to go shopping around anymore.
Best wishes to you!
P.S.: When I find the titel of the book in English I'll post it here, it helped me a lot, might help other people too.
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Posted: Mon Jan 08, 2007 1:01 am
oboleia Hello Hitokiri_Tsering, first of all thank you for posting this, while reading this thread I made nearly the same observations. That some people are picking only the things they like and try to neglect the things they don't like might just happen because these people are not born into a buddhist family like you. My personal situation is like that: I've been born into a christian family, but always asked "strange" questions and not really "fit" in. I also believed all the time to have lived before (reincarnation is not possible for christians, it is totally is against their belief). When I read the first buddhist texts about the Buddha Shakyamuni's life and the Four Noble Truths it felt like coming home to something. So I read everything the local library could provide on buddhism and found myself exactly in that situation that I wanted to take "the best" out of every sect... A good friend then lent me a book (sorry don't know the titel in English) by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. While reading it I realized that taking "the best" out of everything is just spiritual materialism and making it for yourself comfortable... I'll move in a few weeks to a new place and really hope to find a Sangha there, I do like to take refuge and don't want to go shopping around anymore. Best wishes to you! P.S.: When I find the titel of the book in English I'll post it here, it helped me a lot, might help other people too. I think for many people, they start taking interests in buddhism after reading on the life of Buddha Shakyamuni. Although i was born in a buddhist family and was forced to recite prayers since i was little, I really started to take interest in my own religion when i read the book "Samsara", it was written through a different view than the one i was used to. Im not saying that i wasn't interested in my religion before but just that looking at it from a different view was refreshing and interesting. The book talked about how he was just another man trying to help someone out and how he was on the path to discover the truth. This was different than what i was used to, I was used to alot of mysticism involved in the story and this book explained in a way that could sound a little more possible (used "possible" in lack of a better word, really need to expand my voc. lol). I would also like to include that im happy for you that you have found something that you can relate to, "fit in" in other words. Chogyam Rinpoche has published many books and sadly to say i haven't read any of them. I think you are talking about "Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism", i have taken glimpse of this book but never really read the whole book. Thanks for listening to me
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Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 10:53 am
I don't know what it's called exactly, (I think it's Theravada) but I follow very basic Buddhism. I live very lightly on the earth (I walk/bus to work, have very few material possessions)and am tolerant of other people and beliefs...provided they don't bother me about mine. I'm not sure what that would be called, if it's even Buddhism at all. Maybe one of you nice people could help me out here?
-Yevgenia
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Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 9:03 pm
Mahayana for me but i practice some hindi practices
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Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 2:21 pm
I follow Zazen; even though, I have a short attention span and find it very difficult to meditate.
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Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 5:25 pm
I'm a non-religious atheist, however, I suppose that's irrelevant in a sense since the poll seems to be closed now. And since that wasn't listed in the options, anyway.
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Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 3:15 pm
I am loosely a Theravada follower. More of that than anything else really. o.o
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Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2007 7:04 pm
Mahayana... but there are just too many schools within Mahayana itself, and I have yet to find one that I completely believe in
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Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 2:01 pm
Not entirely sure yet. Lately, alot of reading into Zen, but basically, I tend towards Theravada.
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Posted: Fri May 04, 2007 9:51 pm
I've studied Zen and a form of Theravada which I haven't exactly been able to pinpoint or find a duplicate of, but I am a student of Tendai (Mahayana). I still incorporate some Zen philosophies and practices into my life, but Tendai had a much more profound influence on me.
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Posted: Wed May 09, 2007 7:03 pm
Currently I wouldnt associate myself with any particular sect. Ive been doing a lot of independent studying, and have thus begun making my own deductions regarding what I have read and observed. Im not personally a big fan of some of the more mystical aspects of Buddhism, but as for those concepts that can (and do) help me with everyday life and my dealings with the world, they are the ideas to which I prescribe. I know it may seem like I'm picking and choosing, but and perhaps I am, but it is my full belief that people must discover their own path, and make their own deductions about what they will follow. Plus, Im just a big skeptic, so I like dealing with those concepts which I can see and feel and fully experience. ^^
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Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2007 11:36 am
I am currently an Agnostic. I'm just highly interested in learning more about Buddhism. I have no clue if it is a religion for me, as I know next to nothing about it.
I've read through a lot of the information in this guild and from Buddhanet, and I find it all very interesting. (I almost put "Enlightening")
However I feel like even though I've read it, I don't really understand it. On the surface it seems pretty straight forward. Put I feel like theres so much I don't understand. And yet, I have no direct questions to ask.
It is frustrating.
I'm wondering, if I might make a personal journal in the main forum, to detail my experiences and understanding. I think it would be very helpful if I could write it down as I learn it. And even more helpful if it is in an open forum so that I can have actual Buddhists talk to me ,and explain things I've gotten wrong as I explore.
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