In Need of Advice

[TheSkaEffect]

I was raised christian, and currently attend a catholic church. But the last 2 months I have been disagreeing with catholisiscm and considering buddhism. Ive researched it on the internet (buddahnet mostly) but theres so much information. I dont know if I'd make a very good buddhist seeing as I eat meat and hunt (hunting for me is more spiritual then recreational, its hard to explain, kind of becoming one with nature) I was wondering if anyone could kind of tell me the concepts of buddhism. Thank you

[TrippinBTM]

I was raised christian, and currently attend a catholic church. But the last 2 months I have been disagreeing with catholisiscm and considering buddhism. Ive researched it on the internet (buddahnet mostly) but theres so much information. I dont know if I'd make a very good buddhist seeing as I eat meat and hunt (hunting for me is more spiritual then recreational, its hard to explain, kind of becoming one with nature) I was wondering if anyone could kind of tell me the concepts of buddhism. Thank you
Haha, you become one with nature by killing it :)

Anyways, there's many schools of buddhism to choose from, but I don't go in for all that, I do my own, partially buddhistic thing. It has a lot to do with living mindfully. It doesn't matter what you do, be it going to work, talking with friends, or killing a deer, as long as you do it mindfully; Buddhism isn't about morals, although it will probably lead to a moral ethical life. As far as eating meat, I say, plants are as alive as animals, so who cares? Going into a meal with the right attitude, realizing and being thankful that a life, be it carrot or cow, has been given so that you can live, is important (and probably the origination of the urge to say grace before meals...).

As far as info on buddhism, the buddhanet is a good site, definitely, possibly more than enough for a good understanding of the philosophy. Here is a site I like: http://www.beliefnet.com/index/index_10001.html and I hear www.tricycle.com (http://www.tricycle.com/) is a good one

[brokenwingz425]

who says you have to be in a certain religion? you should learn to form your own beliefs

[TheSkaEffect]

Thanks trippin ill be sure to check out those sites.

[Rubble]

Hey people I was raised as Christian but for about 4 years I havnt paid much attention to christianity. I was thinking about Buddhism or maybe setting up my own reformed type of Buddhism. I havnt looked into that much, but buddhism seems very peaceful, and I would like to get in touch with nature and stuff more too.

[Spacer]

I don't follow any particular school of Buddhism, but would consider myself a buddhist of sorts, I suppose my beliefs are a mixture of a Buddhism, Taoism and other philosophies I have read up on. Just read as much as you can and as brokenwingz said just form your own beliefs.

[Strawberry_Fields_Fo]

Michael, those are just the fundamentals of Buddhism. There are thousands of sects and actually alot disagree with the original concepts.


I am an SGI Buddhist, and for me it is a more practical, everyday form of Buddhism, i.e., you don't go isolate yourself on a mountain to attain enlightment, you can eat meat, and suffering is not considered a bad thing. It's all about taking negatives and turning them into positives. Suffering is embraced rather than shunned. I would argue, however, that Buddhism does have a moral system--that's where karma comes in.

[thumontico]

First religion is not necessary, there is no reason for it.

I find that killing animals to become one with nature amusing. I don't eat meat because it is not necessary. Plants are not sentient, they do not have a nervous system, they are not conscious; they survive through and for the generations not the self. Animals such as us humans are sentient, have a nervous system, are conscious and act in ways to promote the continuation of our life not the species, necessarily, as a whole. (thoughts of salmon make me realize thats actually not true.)
I kill plants and consume them fully realizing I am destroying life, in a selfish attempt to continue living, I accept this.

I don't have a lot of problems with Buddhism. I like Buddhism in that it promotes self deductions. Buddha said, don't accept what I say necessarily, explore issues yourself and come to conclusions on your own.

However, reincarnation is just as absurd and childish as an afterlife and a god so it is flawed there.

[BlackGuardXIII]

First religion is not necessary, there is no reason for it.

I find that killing animals to become one with nature amusing. I don't eat meat because it is not necessary. Plants are not sentient, they do not have a nervous system, they are not conscious; they survive through and for the generations not the self. Animals such as us humans are sentient, have a nervous system, are conscious and act in ways to promote the continuation of our life not the species, necessarily, as a whole. (thoughts of salmon make me realize thats actually not true.)
I kill plants and consume them fully realizing I am destroying life, in a selfish attempt to continue living, I accept this.

I don't have a lot of problems with Buddhism. I like Buddhism in that it promotes self deductions. Buddha said, don't accept what I say necessarily, explore issues yourself and come to conclusions on your own.

However, reincarnation is just as absurd and childish as an afterlife and a god so it is flawed there.

Science has established that only those things that are necessary will exist for any time. That which is not does not survive. If religion was not needed, it would not still be here.
I feel it possible that sentience can be within far more than we know. We understand so little of its nature. Maybe it is not, I dont know.
Bhuddism is not technically considered a religion anyway, but a spiritual philosophy.
there are thousands of documents of peoples experiences of reincarnation, that i believe are not lies. Do you feel all these folks are just lying? How do they learn the details of the deceased ones life?
Criticizing by name calling is not constructive, and saying something is absurd is hardly proof it is flawed.
The Dalai Lama believes in reincarnation, and he is clearly not childish.

[Meagain]

Catholicism is crazy, get away from it, be a christian instead.


What am I missing here?
Scine when aren't Catholics Christains?

[thumontico]

Science has established that only those things that are necessary will exist for any time. That which is not does not survive. If religion was not needed, it would not still be here.
I feel it possible that sentience can be within far more than we know. We understand so little of its nature. Maybe it is not, I dont know.
Bhuddism is not technically considered a religion anyway, but a spiritual philosophy.
there are thousands of documents of peoples experiences of reincarnation, that i believe are not lies. Do you feel all these folks are just lying? How do they learn the details of the deceased ones life?
Criticizing by name calling is not constructive, and saying something is absurd is hardly proof it is flawed.
The Dalai Lama believes in reincarnation, and he is clearly not childish.
What you say about science isn't necessarily true. Religion exists necessarily for those who cannot except reality.

I would guess that those who you speak of that experienced reincarnation are not lying to there knowledge. They have made up a story in their mind subconsciously. They follow the mold because they have been exposed to it. So you can automatically discredit them. However there have been studies on children with similar experiences. They are less likely to lie, but I would say they possess the same if not a more creative imagination that result similarly in a fantasy.

I did not label it as absurd out of spite or even as a completely backed up claim, merely as an accurate and suitable adjective.

[BlackGuardXIII]

What you say about science isn't necessarily true. Religion exists necessarily for those who cannot except reality.

I would guess that those who you speak of that experienced reincarnation are not lying to there knowledge. They have made up a story in their mind subconsciously. They follow the mold because they have been exposed to it. So you can automatically discredit them. However there have been studies on children with similar experiences. They are less likely to lie, but I would say they possess the same if not a more creative imagination that result similarly in a fantasy.

I did not label it as absurd out of spite or even as a completely backed up claim, merely as an accurate and suitable adjective.
I will not repeat myself, but only say that I feel religion is part of reality, reincarnation is not made up stories that just happen to be dead accurate, and that I do not find spiritual things absurd at all. In fact, atheism, for me, after what I have seen, is absurd. For me, no one else.
I have experienced things I know you would not believe, but they are real, true, and not fantasy.

[Cloudminerva]

I have always felt that the "scientific reality" is a piece of the "spiritual reality". I agree with Blackguard. I feel that spiritual experiences are not made up by the unconscious whether science states so or not. I say this because if these things are made up then the scientific reality is false too, because we are illuded by everything and all scientific calculations are unreal and unacurate as well and simply a figment of a "reality" you want to believe is real because of yor imagination, etc. So if one thing is wrong then, the latter would be wrong as well. I just do not believe in duality as such... the truth is in both because these things are two parts to one reality whether we see it or not. We all come from the same place but in this especially, there are two forms of thought, scientific and spiritual. Pick whichever you please, but I stick with spiritual. We deal with unseen and mysterious things everyday, anyway.


I love Buddhism and Hinduism. I really haven't stuck to one, though. I am a combination of so many things. Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Taoist and even Toltec and Aboriginal wisdom...I love them all!

Ben.

[Super_Grrl]

Buddhism seems so awesome... I would love to have that inner peace going on. Frankly, Christianity blows. And yes, I was raised Christian, I was even a "soldier for the lord" until I woke up.

[erowid]

Sorry if this seems slightly unrelated, yet if you consider the philosophical backbones of the religouns it's really not, but I was in the same spot, and still rather sort of am. I have conservative christian parents and am a taoist. I began following the path of the tao about a year and a half ago, I've always acknowledged the fact that the revealing of my true religous drive to them would be of little productive good, yet at the same time I have the luxury of the fact that my family doesn't go to church. It is still somewhat a period of silent suffering to have to in a way pretend I have drives and aspirations I do not, yet for the time being I know it would be much worse for both me and my parents if I made clear to them before I was 18 the direction of my drives. It is great to hear you are headed away from the path of blind righteousness and twards that of enlightenment, best of luck to you on the way!
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They know how to think. From the Arabs I have learned one thing:
if you are led by Authority, that means you are led by a halter.
-- Adelard, circa 1100 A.D

[forest_pixie84]

why choose one religion at all?
welcome to the new age ;) (a little off topic too, my bad, but they have some of what your looking for here..
http://www.uou.to)