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Where did Buddha define Buddhism? Even in time of Buddha, there were thousands of Buddhists who were practising Buddhist while remaining in a family. Buddha,
by rg111 4y ago
Where did Buddha define Buddhism?
Even in time of Buddha, there were thousands of Buddhists who were practising Buddhist while remaining in a family.
Buddha, once addressing Ananda, told him that there were hundreds of disciples who attained Nirvana while remaining in a family and with a profession.
I find this kind of opposition to Western Buddhist practices absolitely repulsive and baseless.
Yes, I studied Buddhist scriptures extensively, with guides, and really, you don't need to burn insence sticks and bow k times before a statue to be a Buddhist.
- coldtea 4y ago>Even in time of Buddha, there were thousands of Buddhists who were practising Buddhist while remaining in a family. Which is neither here, nor there. My distinction is not about following Buddhist as "true to the spirit of Buddha" or not. It's not about "studying" or not, either. It's about Buddhist as a historical phenomenon, a tradition, emergent and adopted by specific cultures in specific ways of life, and being passed on, versus Buddhism as a consumer lifestyle choice, from some people millions of miles away, in a totally different culture and mindset, who adopted it as one of the "free to chose" religious or lifestyle fads available on their spirituality (or worse, wellness) market.
- rg111 4y agoI fully agree with your comment. But what you and pigsty keep repeating is that: "if it is free to choose, and lifestyle based approach adopted by anyone in West", it is wrong. I don't agree with this.
- javier123454321 4y agoSo do you say that it is impossible to be a buddhist in the west? Maybe, but as a person that has been practicing a single tradition for a decade, made many life decisions based on that as the fundamental center of my life, helped run centers and actually see my work and family life completely integrated with my spiritual practice (and I chose to do so freely), your comment is comical. Anyway, I never strove to be a "buddhist".
- denton-scratch 4y ago> you don't need to burn insence sticks and bow k times before a statue to be a Buddhist. That's what would be called "devotional practices". I didn't care for all that - pujas, foundation practices, 100,000 prostrations and so on. I wanted to do the insight practices, and gain insight. What I later learned is that you have to do devotional practices as well as insight practices. A bird can't fly with just one wing. Devotional practices supposedly give you the confidence to deal with awakening insight. /me no longer a practitioner or a Buddhist.
- sinuhe69 4y agoNot only give you confidence, it also guides you to deal with the issues arisen from your insight practices.