How to expalin Dharma to a humanist friend of mine.

DaftChris

I have a friend who is an Agnostic Darwinian Humanist. He is a very logical person and doesn't really understand why people are religious. He thinks that most people who are religious just use it as an emotional crutch.

When he and I get into religious discussions (not debates, just discussions) he often asks me why I'm not simply an Atheist? His reasoning is that I don't believe in God and I view Karma as more of a natural/deterministic occurrence. So why refer myself to a religion?

How can I explain Buddhism, Dharma, Rebirth, etc. to him without making it sound to "new agey"? Especially since I sort of do believe in literal rebirth.

taiyaki

There is this thing called suffering, stress, dissatisfaction.

Regardless of what you believe or don't believe, it's there.

And Buddhism gives practical methods and guidance on what you explore and try to alleviate even completely irradiate suffering.

Jeffrey

Explain the benefit of meditation and say that there is a social and wing also.

Meditation: effort, mindfulness, concentration

Social: speach, action, livelyhood

And finally when you are wrong about something there are signals you are getting back. Eventually we learn to get these signals and not have suffering because there is no us/them split. But right now we have: craving, ill-will, sluggish, regret, and doubt. All of those five hurt us. Thus view and intention are important to avoid the pain of 'being wrong'.

zenff

Just tell him what Buddhist practice means to you and how it affects your life on a daily basis.
Don’t try to convert him.
Don’t talk Pali or Sanskrit.

fivebells

How to explain it depends a lot on what you want to get out of the conversation.

karasti

A lot of people make assumptions that Atheists don't believe anything at all, but they have some profound beliefs, oftentimes, and are really interesting people to talk to. I'm not saying your friend suggested otherwise, just sayin'.

Explain what you are comfortable explaining. When people ask me I usually give a very brief explanation of the 4 Noble Truths and see what happens from there. A lot of the time they'll ask if I believe in reincarnation, and usually I'll say something like "Yes, but probably not in the way you are envisioning, and it's not a main part of my practice." And if they ask questions I can't answer, I'm just honest and say I haven't gotten there yet, lol. Just be honest, and heart felt and you won't come across as New Agey. I find it really interesting when people ask me about Buddhism, because that is when you really get the chance to face what you know and understand about it. A lot of things make sense when we think them and read them and hear from from teachers. But being able to put those ideas into words that both we, and the other person, can understand, can be a challenge, and it usually leaves me having learned a lot about my own beliefs and where I need to study more, etc.

person

The metaphysics of Buddhism are naturalistic but not materialistic, meaning that everything has a cause and an explanation but everything isn't material, namely mind.

The practicality of Buddhism is such that the metaphysics don't really matter that much in regards to the benefit of following the methodology in making ones life happier.

Dakini

DaftChris said:

I have a friend who is an Agnostic Darwinian Humanist. He is a very logical person and doesn't really understand why people are religious. He thinks that most people who are religious just use it as an emotional crutch.

When he and I get into religious discussions (not debates, just discussions) he often asks me why I'm not simply an Atheist? His reasoning is that I don't believe in God and I view Karma as more of a natural/deterministic occurrence. So why refer myself to a religion?

How can I explain Buddhism, Dharma, Rebirth, etc. to him without making it sound to "new agey"? Especially since I sort of do believe in literal rebirth.

Your friend is right. Many don't view Buddhism as a religion. When people ask me if I'm "religious", I say "no". Can a philosophical system be non-theistic and religious at the same time? How do we define "religious" or "religiosity"? Just asking.

Tosh

person said:

The practicality of Buddhism is such that the metaphysics don't really matter that much in regards to the benefit of following the methodology in making ones life happier.

I really like this. We have the 'God word' in A.A.'s 12 Step program, but it is a practical program of action - not beliefs - and you succinctly put that very nicely.

Thank you.

Nicked for future use, btw.

lobster

Now that I am a Non-buddhist™ and certainly a humanist it is easy to understand which practices and teachings I will retain:

1. All the weird (once known as wyrd) stuff. Being smart is all very good but I am trying to evolve and change. Just changing to a humane and humanistic stance might enable that for some. I need stronger medicine.
2. Company. I like Buddhists. Prefer my Buddhists to atheists and humanists. They seem more focussed.
3. I need religion, like some people need art or chocolate. Which brings us neatly to non attachment, which I may be giving up for Christmas . . .

Hope this helps. If not, you will probably let it go, something the rational non-buddhist is unlikely to contemplate . . . but would certainly dismiss . . .

Yours out of Dharma
Crusty S Lobster

Om mani peme hum

Jeffrey

The best way to be non-attached to christmas cookies is to bake them and give them to others.

:mullet:

FoibleFull

Demystify Buddhism for him. I adore this quote:
The Buddhist “learns to watch changes occurring in all physical experiences, in feelings and in perceptions. He learns to study his own mental activities and the fluctuations in the character of consciousness itself. All of these changes are occurring perpetually and are present in every moment of our experiences. Meditation is a living activity, an inherently experiential activity. It cannot be taught as a purely scholastic subject.” (“Mindfulness in Plain English” by Venerable H. Gunaratana Mahayhera, a Theravadan Buddhist teacher)

Dakini

Jeffrey said:

The best way to

:mullet: be non-attached to christmas cookies is to bake them and give them to others.

These are the scariest cookies I've ever seen! Go away!
:hair:

Daozen

Just tell him that, actually, (most) Buddhists are atheists too.

Buddha is not a God we worship, just a man who became enlightened.

Also, as he sounds like a man of science, tell him there's lots of scientific evidence for the benefits of meditation - which there is.

Apart from that, the best way to 'convert' someone to anything is by good example.

DairyLama

Daozen said:

Apart from that, the best way to 'convert' someone to anything is by good example.

The humanists I've known have been very ethical people, so maybe that's a way in, discussing the precepts?

genkaku

Anyone who believes -- including atheists -- is simply expressing his or her doubt. Belief is OK as a starting point since it can inspire effort. But to the extent that belief continues to rule or inform the roost, doubt remains unresolved. What resolves doubt is experience and Buddhism provides a format within which to dissolve doubt through experience. It's not a big deal and it certainly doesn't need a 'holy' overlay ... it's just that the resolution of doubt makes for a more peaceful life.

misecmisc1

My theoretical understanding of Buddha's teachings says: Dharma is nature. Ask him to observe nature carefully and he will see Dharma revealing itself. Dharma does not have a shape, so it can only be understood by analogies. Whatever arises, that ceases. Whatever arises, it arises due to the arising of its conditions and it ceases due to the ceasing of its conditions.