Thinking of Becoming a Buddhist

lobster

Many incarnations ago or it may have been yesterday, I was engaged in Buddhist practice.
Now I am not so sure. :orange:

Is it possible to be a Non-Buddhist?
What beliefs will I have to abandon?
Please be kind to me as I no longer have a dharma kitten* to protect me. . . .

* a form of non wrathful deity

Jeffrey

You don't have to do anything. Save your dharma kitten's stash of catnip for emergencies of 'it's raining cats and dogs'. The dogs of course cannot be taught new tricks thus they are non-Buddhist brethren at arms.

Vastmind

@lobster.....Gratitude for the teaching I received.

Brian

What the hell, people. @Lobster posts a question, and it turns into a huge mess of questioning OP's motivation on other sites, which turns into a meta-discussion about the kinds of discussions we can or can't have, along with generous use of passive-aggressive personal attacks?

This was some prime examples of seriously non-Buddhist behavior. Shameful, really. I cleaned up the mess, and let's keep the discussions on-topic, please.

Florian

I'm not sure I understand the question Lobster. What is a 'dharma kitten'? What beliefs do you have that you can abandon? If you can abandon a belief then clearly it is not a belief. Still, if you gained no confidence in the dharma from your practice then you have my sympathies.

Cinorjer

That's a rather poetical post, @lobster. Yes, it's possible to be a non-Buddhist. Do you mean what beliefs one would have to abandon to be a Buddhist, or stop being a Buddhist?

lobster

You gets it Cinojer :clap: Being a Buddhist is a label - as is 'not being a Buddhist'. We of course (speaking for myself) do this all the time . . .
The truth is I will never exclusively be a Buddhist, too much baggage from the non-dharma kitty . . .

Now as for the dharma kitten . . . this is a fluffy form of Buddhism practiced by most of us (usual apologies to serious practitioners) which we use to fill our time and avoid self realisation.

I think it was Rebecca who said that the dharma is about being kind. She is right. No matter how intense our realisation, no matter how tough our love, kindness is the inevitable outcome of understanding . . .
To some this may seem for pussys but in fact is the basis of all forms of spirituality. How we understand being kind depends on the sort of cat we are . . .

So in a sense as we step from the raft to the near or far shore, we can ask ourselves. What kind of Buddhism am I abandoning and what raft of new ideas will I build . . .

. . . meow . . .

taiyaki

Heh me too.

Real Buddhism starts when we throw all this non sense away and directly live life moment to moment.

This isn't buddhist.

It's human. Simple heart and mind. Just open.

Florian

---"So in a sense as we step from the raft to the near or far shore, we can ask ourselves. What kind of Buddhism am I abandoning and what raft of new ideas will I build . . ."

Nope. Still can't make sense of the topic here. There would be no you to abandon anything and no need for ideas.

lobster

This isn't buddhist.

It's human. Simple heart and mind. Just open.

:clap: I never really was a Buddhist :clap:
That was an attachment to the rafters . . .
. . . It is all becoming clear, Buddhism is about not needing to be Buddhist?

I'll play :om:

Jeffrey

:bawl:

You don't have to be a Buddhist! (but it's great to be one)!!!

:clap:

lobster

@lobster.....Gratitude for the teaching I received.

Wow, must have missed that . . . something to be grateful for . . .

All I got was a T shirt . . .
'Buddhism:
Nothing to see.
Move along.'

Vastmind

Sorry you missed it. Cod waits for no I's.

Next time.....you get a key-chain.