Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Examples: Monday, today, last week, Mar 26, 3/26/04
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.

Can a person be a Christian and a Buddhist at the same time?

htuason622154nbhtuason622154nb Tagaytay City Cavite Philippines. New
Good day to anyone reading this.

I was baptized a Roman Catholic, but recently I have been attending dharma and practiced chanting and meditation with various Buddhist groups. Albeit I still practice in taking refuge in the Buddha, the dharma and the sangha, still, I still wish to remain Christian, thus, my foregoing discussion title.

If my question may be answered in the affirmative, may I please know if there are any groups that are practicing Buddhism and Christianity at the same time, thank you for your consideration.

EarthninjayagrmmomockeymindYoshua

Comments

  • EarthninjaEarthninja Wanderer West Australia Veteran

    If say it depends on your beliefs of the dhamma and of God. :)

    If you cling tightly to one and embrace it fully I think you may find a clash. But if you don't cling too rightly to your beliefs as fact ver batim I don't see why they can't gel.

    Many Buddhists don't believe in a heaven or hell in a Christian sense but believe in different areas of hell and states of heaven.
    Some believe these are metaphors for psychological states.

    Many Buddhists also believe in Karma and rebirth.

    I think all religions can have a meeting ground but we need to put the books down and talk from experience rather than what XYZ say. :)

    Good luck! We have Jewish Buddhists here don't we?! XD

    ZenshinCinorjer
  • vinlynvinlyn Colorado...for now Veteran
    edited July 2015

    In my view, it depends on whether you want others to put you in a box, or whether you can think for yourself. Too many people in this world think everything has to be "either or". Either you are a Buddhist OR you are a Christian... In reality, an open-minded Buddhist could read the New Testament and admire and practice some principles found there. An open-minded Christian could read some Buddhist scriptures and admire and practice some principles found there. And then, of course, there are dullards who can't comprehend more than one viewpoint.

    I suggest you read the book "Living Buddha, Living Christ".

    CinorjeryagrEarthninjaBuddhadragon
  • lobsterlobster Veteran
    edited July 2015

    Can a person be a Christian and a Buddhist at the same time?

    Hello and welcome to this forum. One of our moderators is a practicing Christian, so that is an example ...

    As you know it is possible to be Christian but not very Christian. So the important thing is will being slightly Buddhist make you a better Catholic and vice versa ...
    http://livingdharma.org/Real.World.Buddhism/DharmaInChristianity-Brenion.html

    Love seeks one thing only: the good of the one loved. It leaves all the other secondary effects to take care of themselves. Love, therefore, is its own reward.
    Thomas Merton (a Catholic Trappist Contemplative - or was he?)
    http://www.catholic.com/magazine/articles/can-you-trust-thomas-merton

    nakazcidCinorjeryagr
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator

    I would suggest you put both Buddhism and Christianity into fervent, dedicated, serious and constant practice. Devote your attention to both, in equal measures, and research, study and embrace every good, moral, positive ideal in each calling.
    Devote yourself wholeheartedly to following each teaching, providing it sits comfortably in your heart and mind.

    Rather like putting equal parts of oil and vinegar into a bottle, shake vigorously to combine the two.
    In time, one will rise and sit on top of the other.....

    lobsteryagrEarthninja
  • lobsterlobster Veteran
    edited July 2015

    ^^^ Well said.

    To celebrate here is my Christian page. I would post something on Islam too but when mixing ones salad ... first the dressing. Too much heresy for one day could get one excommunicated unrobed dancing down the Middle Way ... B)
    http://web.archive.org/web/20031021103148/http://pages.britishlibrary.net/edjason/christian/

    Dharma, Christianity, Humanism, common sense? [shrug]

    yagrWalkersilverajhayes
  • KundoKundo Sydney, Australia Veteran

    @Earthninja said:
    Good luck! We have Jewish Buddhists here don't we?! XD

    Indeed :)

    Welcome @htuason622154nb . I think @federica summed it up best - Devote yourself wholeheartedly to following each teaching, providing it sits comfortably in your heart and mind.

    I identify as both Jewish and Buddhist. There are plenty of us that do, so much so we even have our own "label" - JuBu I have found that at times, my Buddhist path has made me a better Jew. At other times, not so much :chuffed:

    But @vinlyn makes another good suggestion - Living Buddha, Living Christ by Thich Nhat Hanh is an excellent book. I second his recommendation to read it.

    Personally, I believe that by following both paths, you will find where you need to be. Most Buddhists don't care what you may or may not believe about God/dess/Creator - they'll debate it with you, if you so desire. But I don't know how many Christians would be ok with the dual path.

    Hope you enjoy your time here.

    _ /\ _

    yagrEarthninja
  • @htuason622154nb - I believe that it depends on how you put it in your practice- but in my experience buddhism will make you a better christian. You can do an exploration to see which one can lead you to LET GO. Good luck to your practice.

    yagrKundo
  • ShoshinShoshin No one in particular Nowhere Special Veteran

    @htuason622154nb
    Thus I have heard that the Buddha said ::

    "I have taught one thing and one thing only, dukkha and the cessation of dukkha!"

    It other words the Buddha was not interested in belief in gods, his focus was on ending suffering and a god or gods played no part in this...

    You should read up on the Four Noble Truths & Eight Fold Path...( also look at the different Buddhist schools/traditions take on the 4NTs & 8FP)

    Enjoy the journey :)

    WalkerKundosilverBuddhadragon
  • genkakugenkaku Northampton, Mass. U.S.A. Veteran
    edited July 2015

    Welcome @htuason622154nb -- hope you find something useful here.

    To answer your specific question, yes, there are groups that practice some combination of Buddhism and Christianity. Using the Great God Google, I'm sure you can find them.

    If I were to add a single caveat to the socially-acceptable mind set called "ecumenism," it is this: Buddhism is not about something else. Really, it's not.

    Good luck in your travels.

    Kundo
  • ToshTosh Veteran

    I think you'll find that in Christianity you may find what you're looking for in Buddhism. I mean what is the 8fold path? It breaks down into living an ethical life, and the practise of compassion and the development of wisdom. Christians have all that.

    I'm pretty sure HH Dalia Lama advises folk who seek to 'convert' to Buddhism to investigate their own cultural religion first.

    Personally, I think a 'looking for the similarities rather than the differences' to be a spiritual practise too.

    I'm neither a Christian or a Buddhist btw, for some very Buddhist reasons I think.

    Pöljä
  • DairyLamaDairyLama Veteran Veteran

    @htuason622154nb said: Albeit I still practice in taking refuge in the Buddha, the dharma and the sangha, still, I still wish to remain Christian, thus, my foregoing discussion title.

    Which aspects of Christianity do you want to hang on to, and which aspects of Buddhism do you find appealing?

    Invincible_summerWalkerKundo
  • Will_BakerWill_Baker Vermont Veteran
    edited July 2015

    @htuason622154nb said:
    Good day to anyone reading this.

    I was baptized a Roman Catholic, but recently I have been attending dharma and practiced chanting and meditation with various Buddhist groups. Albeit I still practice in taking refuge in the Buddha, the dharma and the sangha, still, I still wish to remain Christian, thus, my foregoing discussion title.

    If my question may be answered in the affirmative, may I please know if there are any groups that are practicing Buddhism and Christianity at the same time, thank you for your consideration.

    -Kennedy Roshi is a jesuit priest and Zen teacher of the White Plum Asanga lineage...

    yagrKundo
  • ajhayesajhayes Pema Jinpa Dorje Northern Michigan Veteran

    I think that the two support each other well. Fundamentalists will be fundamentalists, and you'll likely catch flak from them.. But, "peace comes from within, do not seek without."

    If you have something that makes you a better you, stick with it.

    yagrsilverKundo
  • Invincible_summerInvincible_summer Heavy Metal Dhamma We(s)t coast, Canada Veteran

    @htuason622154nb said:
    still, I still wish to remain Christian.

    May I ask why?

    The Buddha did say to evaluate teachers and their teachings for oneself and not to go by hearsay or tradition alone. If you have evaluated Christianity and Buddhism and find that you accept both and require both for spiritual growth, then find a way to split your spiritual practice between both.

    But take a good look at your reasons for Buddhist practice and your reasons for wishing to maintain Christian practice.

    WalkeryagrBuddhadragon
  • JasonJason God Emperor Arrakis Moderator

    Personally, I think you can. If I had the time, I could go into more detail about how and my own experience as a practitioner in both traditions; but I highly recommend checking out the book Without Buddha I Could not be a Christian. I think it does a good job of showing what each can offer the other as well as highlighting some of the commonalities that are often overlooked.

    vinlynlobsteryagr
  • yagryagr Veteran

    @lobster - clicking awesome was insufficient for the joyous cry I just had watching that video. Thank you.

    silverfederica
  • yagryagr Veteran

    I just began the process of writing a moment ago and was scanning my notes I left for myself - random thoughts, partial scenes and the like, looking for something that is asking to be expanded upon when I came upon a random thought I thought germane to the topic...

    When we play intellectual games with our religion, whatever that may be – Christian, Buddhist, science, agnosticism, etc., we are not seeing our religion – our pathway. We are getting caught up in the history of our religion, the wordplay... we forget the goal, liberation, happiness.

    Invincible_summerfedericaBuddhadragon
  • lobsterlobster Veteran

    ^^^ Glad <3

    yagr
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator

    @yagr said:
    lobster - clicking awesome was insufficient for the joyous cry I just had watching that video. Thank you.

    Me too.
    <3<3<3

    yagr
  • genkakugenkaku Northampton, Mass. U.S.A. Veteran

    Of possible interest to @htuason622154nb

  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator

    As @htuason622154nb has not returned to make further comment or respond to any members' posts, I shall close this thread until such a time as he returns and might wish it reopened, in which case, OP, you are welcome to send me a private message to seek re-opening. I will be very glad to help.

    Thanks to all who contributed.

    :)

This discussion has been closed.