Welcome home! Please contact lincoln@icrontic.com if you have any difficulty logging in or using the site. New registrations must be manually approved which may take several days. Can't log in? Try clearing your browser's cookies.
Torn between Buddhism and Hinduism.
DaftChris
Spiritually conflicted. Not of this world. Veteran
A few months back, I adopted Hinduism, after practicing Buddhism for about a year. I was drawn to the history, the deities, philosophy and rituals.
I absolutely love (and will probably always love) Shiva, Ganesha, Mahadevi, Hanuman, Narasimha, puja, aartis, meditation and the stories of the Ramayana and Bhagavad Gita. However...
While I love the deities, the practices, philosophy and stories, I feel as if I'm still missing something. Not like how I was missing something when I was practicing Buddhism, but like I'm not fully devoted to my Hindu practice; and feeling as if I will never be. I have this feeling of mixing many practices to the point that I feel as if I'm making a mockery of the Sanatana Dharma.
I'm not leaving Hinduism as of yet. I still go to temple (and probably will still go even if I stop identifying as such) and will always love the deities and will perform puja for them (once I start doing home pujas). What I am going to do is re-evaluate my beliefs and see if Hinduism is really right for me.
I've also started to feel the pull back to the Buddhadharma. I did practice it by itself for a while, and still do by means of syncreticism. I suppose I could find a teacher and practice Shingon (as it mixes many Hindu elements with Buddhism), but that is near impossible in the U.S.
I could give Tibetan Buddhism another chance, but I still have many issues with it's leadership, strict orthodoxy to lineage, and controversy for a figure who shall not be named.
I'm at a crossroads of two traditions with rich histories, practices and rituals. I love the Buddha, Bodhsattvas, and Gods; but I'm not sure if I'm getting the full spiritual package. Should I just pick one and be over it? Continue to mix the two? Or just relax and let whatever happens, happen?
By the way, if it is needed, here are my core beliefs:
-There is an infinite reality we call "God". The deities from the world's many religions are faces we have given it to try to know it better. This could probably be summed up as "Henotheism".
-Transtheism is my personal concept of God. To me, God is impersonal, but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't try to get to know it.
-Knowledge is HIGHLY important. Possibly more than devotion. Although I certainly do have my devotion.
-Rituals, practices, meditation, prayer, etc., are our expressions of trying to know God.
-Living a good life and compassion are more important than obsessing over an afterlife.
-Speaking of which, I do believe in an afterlife of sorts (as well as reincarnation/rebirth), but it is not the most important part of my practice.
-I believe in Karma, but in a cause-and-effect sense; not as a cosmic judge.
-Life and the universe are just how they are, and we are simply along for the ride. There is nothing we can do to change that fact, but we can try to make the best of it.
-I'm 100% non-dualistic.
Any thoughts, anyone?
I absolutely love (and will probably always love) Shiva, Ganesha, Mahadevi, Hanuman, Narasimha, puja, aartis, meditation and the stories of the Ramayana and Bhagavad Gita. However...
While I love the deities, the practices, philosophy and stories, I feel as if I'm still missing something. Not like how I was missing something when I was practicing Buddhism, but like I'm not fully devoted to my Hindu practice; and feeling as if I will never be. I have this feeling of mixing many practices to the point that I feel as if I'm making a mockery of the Sanatana Dharma.
I'm not leaving Hinduism as of yet. I still go to temple (and probably will still go even if I stop identifying as such) and will always love the deities and will perform puja for them (once I start doing home pujas). What I am going to do is re-evaluate my beliefs and see if Hinduism is really right for me.
I've also started to feel the pull back to the Buddhadharma. I did practice it by itself for a while, and still do by means of syncreticism. I suppose I could find a teacher and practice Shingon (as it mixes many Hindu elements with Buddhism), but that is near impossible in the U.S.
I could give Tibetan Buddhism another chance, but I still have many issues with it's leadership, strict orthodoxy to lineage, and controversy for a figure who shall not be named.
I'm at a crossroads of two traditions with rich histories, practices and rituals. I love the Buddha, Bodhsattvas, and Gods; but I'm not sure if I'm getting the full spiritual package. Should I just pick one and be over it? Continue to mix the two? Or just relax and let whatever happens, happen?
By the way, if it is needed, here are my core beliefs:
-There is an infinite reality we call "God". The deities from the world's many religions are faces we have given it to try to know it better. This could probably be summed up as "Henotheism".
-Transtheism is my personal concept of God. To me, God is impersonal, but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't try to get to know it.
-Knowledge is HIGHLY important. Possibly more than devotion. Although I certainly do have my devotion.
-Rituals, practices, meditation, prayer, etc., are our expressions of trying to know God.
-Living a good life and compassion are more important than obsessing over an afterlife.
-Speaking of which, I do believe in an afterlife of sorts (as well as reincarnation/rebirth), but it is not the most important part of my practice.
-I believe in Karma, but in a cause-and-effect sense; not as a cosmic judge.
-Life and the universe are just how they are, and we are simply along for the ride. There is nothing we can do to change that fact, but we can try to make the best of it.
-I'm 100% non-dualistic.
Any thoughts, anyone?
0
Comments
I think it's ok to walk your own path - it works for me and many others.
Some like the strict orthodoxy and require a lineage, I thought at one point that was what I needed, but in the end it wasn't right for me.
Who's to say which one is the "right path."
My form of the middle way is to respect all the paths and follw the ones that speak to my heart. Sometimes the path changes and readjusts a bit, but I am always moving forward. I jusr don't worry about it so much anymore.
Like you said, my main priority is living a good and compassionate life. Doesn't realy matter which practice helps me to achieve that.
For many years i skirted the edges of various spiritual groups, ideologies.
Sooner or later you are called to jump, to commit and its very difficult because in a way we don't want to lose ourselves, our comfortable ground. We are comfortable where we are and we enjoy this comfortabme distance.
I avoided teachers, sanghas, even sitting. Because i liked where i was.
And then bam. I had to make the move. I had to leap into the unknown chasm.
I had to toss buddhism, all relgions, philosophy, culture, class, race, sex, everything.
To reach the core of what i am.
We all have to do it,
My advice is to jump full hearted without any fear into anything. Whatever it is just die into it, give it everything you have.
And forget about results just do it for the sake of doing it.
Nothing else will be satisfying and you will forever be haunted by the what ifs. So do it.
I am a Buddhist.
Sorry, just being playful.
You are just playing? Dabbling? What exactly is the point of your diversity of expression and beliefs? It does not seem to be working for you?
i may sound like a complete hypocrite by saying the above things and by not able to do the above things - but the above things on thinking seem meaningful to me, so thought of suggesting to you, so that you may try it and also relax.
metta to you and all sentient beings.
I am a Buddhist.
Sorry, just being playful.
You are just playing? Dabbling? What exactly is the point of your diversity of expression and beliefs? It does not seem to be working for you?
You could call it "dabbling". I call it trying to find my spiritual home and me being called by two wonderful traditions. I'm not orthodox in anyway shape or form, but I don't want to make a mockery of any practice.
If you doubt this try entering many of the major temples in South Indian.
Hope that helps.
I am saying that the use of the metaphor itself usually concentrates on the subjective..the ' finger ' but what gives 'the finger ' meaning is the moon. The moon that the finger isn't.
This is not a question of mere racism or bias or snobbery. It is because you and I and I assume DaftChris, if he is white or Afro-Caribean .....are Untouchables.
My beliefs are similar. @DaftChris, you know this very well, as you know me from elsewhere, and you know the renegade I am, much to the chagrin of people who do not pay my bills.
I hybridize/syncretize/meld Hinduism, Buddhism and Taoism in my own way that I do not find incompatibilities. OK, call it cherry-picking. I think most religions are cherry-picked from earlier forms and syncretizations anyway. Hinduism certainly is. I do not believe in śūnyatā as is popularly conceived. To me it simply means empty of inherent existence; that's not incompatible with almost any school of Vedanta.
I don't have a problem with ātman, because there has to be something that survives physical death to experience re-birth and eventual liberation. Otherwise nirvana is annihilation and śūnyatā is nihilism. Someone told me my beliefs are in line with Zhentong.
There's a healthy dose of cross-pollination of deities within Hinduism, Buddhism and Taoism. The Nīlakaṇṭha Dhāranī aka Mahā Karuṇā Dhāranī refers to Shiva and Vishnu as much as it does to Avalokiteśvara.
The Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, the Six Perfections, the Five Precepts, and even the Triple Gem are not incompatible with Hinduism. The Triple Gem, especially if one views the Buddha as Vishnu, as one's iṣṭa-devatā, is not mutually exclusive with Hinduism. I have read passages in which the Buddha does not deny the validity or authenticity of the Vedas, but rather, what was done with them, to hold them over the heads of the common people. This is not unlike Jesus and his attempt to reform the (mis)use of the Torah by the Pharisees, the brahmins of his day, who held the Torah over the heads of the common people. Even Krishna had some disparaging remarks about the misuse of the Vedas. Sounds to me like he was paving the way for Buddha's reforms.
So in the end, I find them not incompatible. As @Daiva said "I think it's ok to walk your own path - it works for me and many others. Some like the strict orthodoxy and require a lineage... Who's to say which one is the "right path." My form of the middle way is to respect all the paths and follw the ones that speak to my heart. Sometimes the path changes and readjusts a bit, but I am always moving forward. I jusr don't worry about it so much anymore. Like you said, my main priority is living a good and compassionate life. Doesn't realy matter which practice helps me to achieve that."
"In this world all actions, unless they are done as an offering to God, become causes of bondage. Therefore, work for the sake of God without personal attachments." 3.9 (there's much of the Eightfold Path and Six Perfections in that, even for a non-theist).
"Whosoever worship Me through whatsoever path, I verily accept and bless them in that way. Men everywhere follow My path." 4.11 (Krishna's path is one of righteousness and compassion).
"Whoever makes an offering to Me with devotion, be it of leaf, flower, fruit or water - that devout offering by a pure-hearted man, I accept with joy." 9.26
"Abandoning after sincere trial, dependence on all human efforts at moral and spiritual upliftment, come to Me as the only Refuge. Grieve not; I will deliver you from all sins." 18.66 (don't overthink things, just surrender to the path of righteousness and compassion; that could be the Buddha or Jesus speaking).
In Rebirth no entity passes on to eventually become Enlightened. Thats a residue of your Vaisnavism.
Had I known that it was actually ' New A Little Bit Of Anything You Fancy Because Its All Nonsense Anyway ' I would have looked elsewhere.
Thread = Torn between Buddhism and Hinduism.
Gun Held to Head to Read v. Not Read = None.
Problem = None.
Just as I have no intention of joining New Catholic forum and creating dissonance for myself by telling them why I dont accept the idea of Papal Infallibility.
Also, there are many Buddhists who so believe in souls and rebirth which very closely resembles reincarnation. Are they practicing a system that they "do not yet have a handle on"? Do they "reject" it, because some of theirs might be unorthodox?
I think if I was looking for a coping mechanism, I would choose to smoke weed.
I miss it sometimes.
Good luck.
What exactly are you trying to do, achieve, be or attune with? To be frank you are like someone going everywhere at the same and consequently getting nowhere. Bit harsh? Ah well, this is a Buddhist forum, sometimes we tell the truth as we see it . . . :orange:
Good luck.
What exactly are you trying to do, achieve, be or attune with? To be frank you are like someone going everywhere at the same and consequently getting nowhere. Bit harsh? Ah well, this is a Buddhist forum, sometimes we tell the truth as we see it . . . :orange:
Being a seeker does not mean doing what ever one wants or not wanting to be "taken seriously". It simply means I'm trying to find my way in the world. You think that makes me a dabbler or going nowhere? Okay. :coffee:
What are you seeking? Really need to know in order to perhaps, just perhaps, suggest something helpful.
What are you seeking? Really need to know in order to perhaps, just perhaps, suggest something helpful.
Knowledge.
A path to self-realization.
Perhaps inner-peace.
Isn't the Internet amazing. Where young people can boldly challenge their elders, people with vastly more experience and knowledge than they have, on an equal footing.
In my world, which is where people work physically, skills are learned from older men. To challenge them is to stick your neck out and hope for the best.
There is no equality between the apprentice and the journeyman.
I suppose with ideas it's different. I never went to university.
What Harada Roshi is refering to is not an individual entity that passes from one form to another.He is referring to Tathagata-Gharba, often translated as Buddha-Nature. The union of Wisdom and Shunyata .
You need to do more study Jainanarayan. Preferably without your Vaisnav specs on.
_/\_
Not an untrue observation, from my p.o.v. There's nothing wrong with seeing the world through my Vaishnava lens. Even things written in stone can be chiseled away, and many times have been.
And I am glad you did.
What is your fixation with Vaishnavism and determining what is fit to discuss on this site? I think that would be up to the admin and mod, yes? Especially in General Banter.
Just as I have the right to point out the differences between Gauidiya Vaisnavism and Buddhadharma...
And they are many.
It was after all the teacher that bought Vaisnavism to the west that said
" These Buddhists are rascals. They are even worse rascals than the scientists. They have a rascal philosophy "...wasn't it @Jainarayan ?
the rest is all a big freakin' glob of icing on the cake. Just enjoy the cake already.
Are you saying that there are Vaisnav teachers who do not think that Buddhists are 'rascals?'
I would be curious to contact them..
You're, more or less, doing the latter.
I don't need to know that answer, but rather you can ask that question to yourself to help you answer your own unique spiritual concerns.
I have a very "spiritually promiscuous" past, exploring various religious and philosophical traditions and I didn't settle into Buddhism until age 40, and very tentatively at first. I don't think you have to provide an absolute final choice just yet.
Other religious traditions express (with greater or lesser degrees of nuance) an experience of life, shaped by ritual and discipline. Differences exist, to be sure, but a particular approach leads toward something universal-- call it whatever you wish. Exploring a variety of traditions has its benefits, but there comes a time where settling into one tradition has an even greater benefit, because, if approached wholeheartedly, it can help you give birth to your own insight-- which no religious tradition can GIVE you. It can only provide the framework to help you, but you do all the work in the end.
I have found though that remaining rooted in one tradition helps me to understand others. They LOOK quite different, but they all can help to cultivate something universal, something bigger than "me." I understand Christianity better IN LIGHT OF my Buddhist practice, and, while I do not believe in any gods at all, I can nevertheless recognize the insight that "God is love." And by recognizing this in Christianity, I can also understand my own Buddhist practice better.
You have a home, and you have places you visit. You relate to all of them. They all CAN shed light on one another, but you can still have your home to which you may always return.
I don't have an answer to your question as to the "right" home, but I do want to say this to encourage you in whatever you decide: You will never find the "full spiritual package" in Hinduism, Buddhism, in Christianity, or any religion or philosophy. YOU are the full spiritual package-- all that matters is wholehearted devotion to the discipline-- to cultivate a little wisdom, a little compassion, and a little awareness-- which you can grow under the guidance of the discipline.
With much metta!