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What other paths interest you?
DairyLama
Veteran Veteran
I rather like Advaita, the idea of union with the infinite ( or something ). Also paganism, the reverence for nature and possibly the mushrooms. 
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Comments
Spiny me and you should start a Buddhist Advaita Pagan group. We meditate on mushrooms to transcend duality into unity.
Practically all of them.
I think some are too specialised such as regional shamanic paths and are best born into. I do practice alchemy but it is too specialised and not even suitable for great minds like Isaac Newton the founder of Apple ... eh wait ... gone wrong again, probably taken too much of the 'elixir of immortality' ...
I do rather like Taoism but think it best suited to learning how to kill using tai chi chuan.
I feel the great tradititions augment or complement my dharmering. So for example I rely on teachings from Sufism to keep me extra humble, too kind for words and extremely virtuous on all days not ending in a y ...
I like vedenta and would like to know more about quantum mysticism, probably in another universe.
Great question for our man watching yogis, judeo-buddhist heretics, christodharmahists etc. Look forward to their insights
Long Live The Buddha
Familiar for me, not mushrooms (I've taken a small dosage and didn't like it) but paganism. In fact, I've written quite a lot about paganism...
Do we have to do naked dancing in the forest?
Do you have any experience of pagan practices?
By the way I was involved in the Quakers for several years, but unfortunately their woolly thinking led to me becoming a born-again atheist, praise the absence of Lord!
I wouldn't say real practices. More from the "academic" viewpoint: how paganism, especially shamanism interprets the reality.
Taoism is cool
Many other paths 'interest 'me. I may not be drawn to them, like them or find them fulfilling, but they're all interesting and have their own 'story to tell'.
Sometimes, rather than looking/seeking, it pays to just shut up and listen.
The other day, I noticed that the local senior center had a get-together/discussion group whose focus was on "wisdom." The only question I had for what I assumed would be a number of white-haired participants rife with "wisdom" was, "What is it that you imagine does not embrace or enfold or entail something called "wisdom"?" At a certain age, the dividing lines tend to blur.
Seriously.
So what does alchemy involve?
Secular Humanism these days.
I'm making peace with being, well, agnostic/atheist-ish whilst practicing Soto Zen. (The former bit is essentially something I've been having to come to terms with recently.)
Most of them, but I tend to put my own spin on things so they make sense to me. I was Pagan before I came to Buddhism. I need some group connection and we have no pagan groups within 100 miles of us. I found the things that attracted me about Paganism work well within Buddhism as well. I still celebrate the Sabbats in a traditional manner, and it really adds a lot to our family's celebration of those holidays. My kids are excited for Halloween/Samhain because they enjoy the stories behind the traditions of the holiday, and they like to do a little ritual for those who have passed. My 2 older kids lost their father several years ago, and my grandma died recently so it'll be a nice thing to do with them. One of our favorite traditions is making and burning a Yule log. A lot of the traditions in Paganism tie in with folk traditions in my Finnish ancestry, so it works on many levels.
But I find much wealth in all wisdom traditions, if you know how to siphon out the garbage. In my grandma's things was a tiny little book called "What Jesus taught" or something like that. Of all the stuff written in the bible, those are the things that truly matter but are the most ignored and/or forgotten. I have read the Quran and talked to Muslim friends about their traditions. I have made my own Book of Shadows, so to speak. To me it is not much different than any mantras or prayers I keep from Buddhism or elsewhere, but it would probably come across very weird to some people, lol. I have gone through A Course in Miracles. I have found value in every path I have explored, and all of them come into play today still.
Buddhism is where I am most at home. All the teachings resonate from other traditions, and are mostly quite the same. Just the way they are explained and especially that they are a practice is ideal for me. Too many other traditions rely on someone to be a go-between and I don't like that. The information is valuable, but the power structures and such I can do without.
Hopefully interior development described in peculiar, symbolic ways.
Here are my pages on alchemy:
http://tinyurl.com/p3s7th3
If they are incomprehensible then making gold and immortality potions may be available ... allegedly ...
I'm 'for' the animals and nature, hence the paganism bit draws me...I simply don't know enough about any other path to really engage - get into them. Which is fine, really. I have limited memory...or CRS to study much more than I already am.
I actually started my journey at a very young age (8 -10 year's old). I was obsessed with mysticism.
Having been born and raised in rural South Louisiana USA. The heart of the Hoodoo (Christianity, African Voodoo and Native American Spiritual concoction) culture.
So my first attempt to understand life was dabbling in Hoodoo, Witchcraft, Necromancy and Parapsychology.
Then later that lead to Qi Gong, Tai chi, Taoism, Kriya yoga, Advaita Vendanta and finally Buddhism.
There may be some who would say that being involved in so many systems is the cause for much confusion. I would say to them that some of us need that to help blow open that steel reinforced concrete bunker called mind. I certainly did. No doubt.
Of course that doesn't include hoodoo, witchcraft or necromancy. Those are based on harnessing the darker side of the human being.
Now I follow no system or tradition. I simply know the breath continuously.
FYI
My brand of Necromancy was trying to summon the legions of Lucifer muhahaha!
If any are curious. The Necromacer's bible I learned from was called:
The lesser key of Solomon
Direct link to ebook pdf version
http://www.hermetics.org/pdf/grimoire/goetia.pdf
It's an interesting read.
Shamanism
Sufism
Kabbalah
Gnostic Christianity
Mysticism in general
I like atheism. The thought that nothing remains after death i.e absence of rebirth. Whatever you do the result you need to face in this life only, You may succeed to avoid punishment if you can.
The theory of "Charvak sage" who denied all the sects and religions of his time. Declaring all theist and priest are making people fool through fear of god.
There is no rebirth, life ends with death. If you do good then might get good results but if you do bad and able to escape bad result then you can get along with it, you will have no rebirth to face it.
The reason Buddhism, i end up to follow is that i realize that the actions we do get stored in thoughts and it makes us happy or sorrow. And when one dies one must have cool mind (not for the purpose of good rebirth. But for the luxury of fulfillment that human being founds in good deeds and absence of any regret) so it is necessary to have good condition of mind which is possible through following Buddhism. In addition Buddhism helps us to remain apart from dogmas and God loving priest kind of things who makes us fearful.
"What other paths interest you?"
The sciences : Quantum Physics and the likes....
And the 'likes' being psychology.....In a sense we're all psycho-scientists, exploring the workings of the mind...(in a past life, I would have to say I was leaning more to the psycho side than scientist...
)
Me [not to be confused with no-me] too.
I am a great believer in atheistic Dharma, God and demon killing for fun and profit [PBUH] and am an avid follower of the recipes of the un-divine noodliness The Flying Speghetthi Monster
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parody_religion
Hail Satin! (for all your cushion needs)
... and now back to rite speech ...
The Advaita approach is what I resonate the strongest with, I really like Toa and zen in their naturalness.
I looked into Shamanism because of it's age and I love nature and animals.
There is an interesting tool they use is a certain frequency of drum beat that illicit a really radical shift in your consciousness. It's a trance that helps you communicate with the spirit world.
Never got very far with this, I saw an animal and ran away.
I looked into the pagans. They are a great bunch and I'm sure their festivals would be epic.
Lol. Necromancy into Buddhism? Awesome
@Earthninja
I know!
It was more to do with the paranormal. I was into that as a kid. So I'd read and fiddle around with anything to do with the occult. I was obsessed!.
I think it was about discovery. I was into science also. But science had too many explanations. I was interested in those things that couldn't be explained. I wanted to discover the answers on my own. The excitement of discovery!
I'm still like that. But I stay away from superstition nowadays.
@lobster
{Evil grin} I will dispatch legions of the most vicious, vile, bloodthirsty demons to annihilate your Flying Spaghetti Monster haha! Haha! HAHA!
DIE! Spaghetti Monster DIE!
I'm pretty sure if I analyzed my views right down to the nitty gritty they would fall somewhere in the Advaita, Brahmic, Taoist kind of Buddhism.
Kind of like Hinduism with no labels. Instead of Vishnu having ten avatars (more or less depending on who we ask) we would be the infinite avatars of the nameless and beginingless cycle of being.
No rebirth or reincarnation, just inter-birth with countless perspectives. Your past life, my past life... Same lives, different impacts.
Oh and Druidism. I like Druidism.
I've experienced this, the drummer was using a Native American drum. I think it depends on the frequency of the drum beat.
Interesting possibilities. If you look at consciousness as a discreet element ( like earth, wind, fire and water ) then it's possible to consider some kind of "recycling" or crossover.
I don't find the rebirth or reincarnation models that convincing, they just seem too crude.
Yes, that's cool. I would like to be called "Spiny Pendragon".
The 12 Steps; they're perfect for folk like me (someone with a messed-up past, confused, guilt and resentment ridden).
I hated a lot of folk, I had a lot of guilt about things I'd done and how things had worked out, and I was confused; the things that I thought would make me happy actually ended up with me being suicidal.
The 12 Steps showed me a clear path in how to deal with my past and with those people I resented, and they showed me a better way to find happiness. I mean left to my own devices I thought women, money and booze would make me happy, but surprisingly enough they actually made me miserable.
I'm not always the smartest!
Oh, I wouldn't say that, Tosh....
The only moral path that really interests me is to follow the basic simple rules like not to kill and not to eat killed animals. Not really
interested in all those pompous male teachers and their schools.
Like @federica, many paths interest me, though I may not be drawn enough to them to practice them. For instance, Contemplative Christianity; Sufi Islam; Vajrayana to name the ones that hold my interest more than others.
A notable thing in so called paganism is that the spiritual "leaders" of societies are often women. That's the main reason why huge amounts of women have been burned, drowned and executed as witches and lovers of Satan.
"What other paths interest you?"
Personally I found the deeper I went into the Eightfold Path the more I found it incorporates the best qualities of all the other spiritual paths I have had a passing interest in, by providing the necessary tools to set things in motion, so to speak...Personally I found the other paths Spiritually lacking, they did nothing for me...(Well apart from motivating me to look beyond the mundane )
I've been lead down the garden path on more than one occasion ...So I would have to also say the "Garden Path" that leads one nowhere (or is that now here)
My new Spiritual Motto to live by..... "If it ain't broke don't try to fix it ! "
There is only one path that actually leads to disenchantment, to dispassion, and to cessation, and that is the eightfold one discovered by the Buddha.
Nobody is necessarily denying that. The question is, what other paths interest you?
If you're not 'interested' in other paths, then that's fine. Some of us follow Buddhism, but are interested enough - and consequently, open-minded enough - to hear what others have to say.
What they have to say is informative, educational, and gives insight into how other people lead their lives.
Hope that helps.
Very interesting guys
I will have to look into Druidism, which I may be confusing with being a Dread or dudeism
http://dudeism.com
Secular humanism (or inhumanism for those of us of an animal nature) strikes me as dharmically very compatible.
@Pöljä very salienly reminds us of the 'Wise Women' traditions. Gal power.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_feminism
One of the most trite BUT surprisingly rich potentials is the 'New Age' movement. They borrow a lot from Buddhism. However treat with caution and cushion otherwise you may end up ultra spiritual ... lest you forget ...
It's been said that Christianity is just a form of "New age" Judaism...I guess back in the day the same could be said of Buddhism when it comes to Hinduism
@rohit I'm curious why you think it's necessary to have a good/cool mind at death if you believe nothing happens afterwards? You will die no matter whether you mind is calm, cool, collected or you are filled with anger and regret. Of course, it is better to live with a cool, calm mind than to die with one, so practicing Buddhism for every day (it seems) is better than solely practicing for death.
Mmm, Hinduism is the only major religion that still has a hearty connection to the ancient world-wide animism. Christianity is a hippie version of Judaism, for sure. Both Jesus Christ and Krishna are usually described as very feminine men. My sweet Lord...
Catholic contemplativism (e.g., Merton. Keating, Rohr, etc.), Sufism, Vendata, and Platonism. Pretty much anything that leans towards mysticism with a dash of rationalism thrown in for good measure.
I am surprised to see so many folks reference Vedanta. I very much enjoyed a little book called, 'The Sermon on the Mount According to Vedanta'. Some of you might enjoy it too. My daughter asked me once what twenty books I thought she should bring with her if she was to be marooned on a desert island after a three hour tour. This book was on the list.
It's easy to be at least a bit animistic pagan if you want to protect Mother Earth. Off-topic: the film Avatar is interesting in many ways. The religion of Pandora and the blue skin colour of the Na'vi.
For a just happy ending.
Yeah, it's pretty good. I read it during my last stay at Our Lady of Guadalupe, a Trappist monastery just outside of Portland. I think Swani Prabhavananda does a good job of elucidating the deeper and more esoteric meaning of this set of Jesus' teachings.
Me too. +1 LoL / and +1 awesome.
I guess I'd like to say that I'm interested in the people's stories - the common men and women and children...iykwim
That seems a healthy approach @silver. Stories are the traditional wisdom transfer in many cultures. Buddhism was an oral transmission for centuries before being written down.
However the stories are all around us as you suggest. Sometimes we hear them and then they disappear. Careful listening and observing, amazing what one can learn ...
Iz plan!
Yes, and it was satisfying that the ignorant humans got their arses kicked.
Oh no, people are not stupid and ignorant! But power games and fckng big guns give them the most satisfying joy.
For me the Nyingma tradition I find fascinating and outside of Buddhism Catholism has also always been of interest my partner is a lapsed Catholic and ive always enjoyed attending