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What's Buddhism All About ?
Shoshin
No one in particularNowhere Special Veteran
What's Buddhism All About ? (...in the conventional sense)
Is it about contentment?
Having peace of mind ? (I guess that the same thing)
Is it about ones own happiness ?
Or the happiness of others ?
Or both ?
What do you think it is all about ?
Do we share the same goal ?
Or is it different strokes of different folks ?
"Stop!!! Come on... hand it over...." (one's suffering that is.... 
)
2
Comments
I do believe that Buddhism is a simple thing one person can find alone in a jungle. But problem sarts when we live in humans and start to develope lust and greed and never come to realize the best way to lead life.
Really?
I sometimes think Buddhism would be a lot more effective in our lives if we talked about it less and did it more.
It would be nice if people were to occasionally think - as with the fuel-saving measures once advised with car journeys - "is my thread REALLY necessary?"
I don't know what what Buddhism is all about in the conventional sense as I haven't a clue what the conventional sense is. Good luck on that!
Buddhism, for me, is about life - every aspect of it.
It is a wonderful adventure.
Peace to all
I'm not sure what it's supposed to be, but it's actually been a little bit like this...
I have felt for a long while now, that I need to speak less and less about what Buddhism is all about, either to explain it to myself, or to put Buddhism across to others.
My sporadic presence on the site proves that only too well.
To me, it has always been about inner peace.
About making some sort of sense out of this seemingly senseless reality.
Unless it were less about reality having no sense and more it having a bittersweet sense of humour.
Whatever the case, again and again, I have tried to explain Buddhism as a psychological, self-help system, without all the trappings and verbosity of the modern Self-help coaches and gurus.
To me, Buddhism is about acceptance of reality as it is, of things as they are.
About casting all expectations and preconceived notions aside, and simply seeing things as they are.
It's about dealing now and again with our frustration at things not turning out the way we want them to be, yet choosing to remain whole every time.
We can use the word happiness, if we want to, but contentment is good enough a goal for us treading the Buddhist path.
For me, Buddhism is about being really alive, by (trying to) being in the present moment, seeing reality as it is etc...If not, life is going to pass as if it was a daydream and we will have missed its essence.
Buddhism is therefore a way of life.
The good thing is that there is always something more to learn!
Me-me-me-me-me-me-me-me-me-me-me .... and did I mention, meeeeeeeeeeee?!
@genkaku has hit the nail on the head, however I can't help but feel it is more so all about "me"
Conventional sense like in layman's terms?
Buddhism to me is about life. Its about how all of our physical and "spiritual" well being can be helpes from suffering by addressing the attachments and so forth in the mind.
Heart-religions go mainly on instinct, feelings, and gut. Sometimes we have a gut feeling and its out wrong. Sometimes our feelings mask what danger we may be facing in reality. Other times our instinct can manefest as impulses that may be made inappriopriate on others.
However, The Buddha taught how to find insight and analyze these "attachments and dellusions above" by looking at the source: our mind.
Its not metaphysical (excluding cultural traditions that may look as such). Its common sense.
Buddhism is seen as a philosophy but with actual study "and" practice we find this not so. Heart-religions ask Why and believe in what they cant explain a part of the answer. While practice-religions dont ask Why they ask How. How do we meditate? How do we apply The Buddha's teachings? How do we use X to solve this "symptom" of suffering ans Y for that symptom.
Buddhism is a religion because when the mind is clear our full wellbeing becomes clear as well. Heart-based religions focus on destination. Practice-based religions focus on journey. Everything becomes clear when we practice and live The Buddha's teachings.
As such, we dont look forward to enlightenment (full understanding of rebirth and nature of life) but our enlightenment grows in us everyday until we become like Sariputra who asked The Buddha a profound question. The Buddha said nothing. They nodded in silence for his question was answered.
That is what Buddhism is to me. I dont know what you mean by conventional but from a mind point of view, looking at the mind as the source of suffering makes aliviation of it easier than trying to find the source in the heart which no one can find one definition of.
I thought Buddhism was about helping to make the world a better place; helping ourselves and others reach some equanimity.
Buddhism for me is about taming my mind and my ego. Trying to make decisions with everyone in mind instead of just my self.
For example, I normally work from home on a Friday. This suits me as I commute a long way each day and having to do it only four days a week is much easier and less tiring than five.
However, there is a presentation to a client at 4pm on Friday afternoon and, although I don't have to go, I know the guys going along are fairly green so would appreciate me being there with my experience.
So I'll come in tomorrow and go along.
I resisted for a while. There was anger, frustration, annoyance, fear etc. However, ultimately it is in the best interest of the business and of the individuals for me to be there so I'll put my self centred ego aside and go along.
And then I tell myself that it doesn't matter whether people appreciate me doing it or not. Whether that's true or not I don't know. It would depend on where my mind was at at the moment you asked me. But perhaps if I keep telling myself I don't mind then eventually I won't.
I agree with @Dakini. It's about waking up from our self-destructive nature.
Or rather destruction of self?
The Buddha said that there is a supreme security.
Leave the safe open.
From my view it is more about how to deal with certain truths than the realizations themselves.
Sometimes we wake up to certain things that go against the grain of what we have been told to accept. This can lead to both confusion and a sort of liberation.
Buddhism can be a process of dealing with certain truths as well as a way to perceive these truths in more depth.
I think this is what H.H. The Dalai Lama meant when he said not to use Buddhism to become a Buddhist but to use it to be a better whatever-you-already-are.
For me, it's a perfect cup of tea.
My goal when I "chose" Buddhism was peace and joy in my life, in my turmoiled mind. But in reality to get to that you have to go through some pretty crappy stuff, first. Buddhism isn't all mantras and lotus petals to me. Anyone else ever read " Words of My Perfect Teacher?" That represents what Buddhism is about more than the love and peace. Is that what we are after? I suppose most of us are. But as this article says, Buddhism is about true transformation and honesty, about getting into the deep, dark, nitty gritty of who we are and what we are attached to and learning how to let go of it.
I think everyone gets different things out of religion. Comfort is a big one. I personally am not looking to be comforted. That is part of why I left Christianity. I am looking to understand myself, and all the insanity that that entails in Buddhism. Buddhism, for me, is to be completely open and vulnerable and exposed and raw, not just to those closest to me, but to myself and the whole world. That is what I am working towards. This article has excerpts from a book that I have that is excellent. Some may find it too dark. I don't. I find it incredibly enlightening (lol) and freeing. This is where true freedom lies. Not in warm fuzzies and validation. I want to be rattled and shaken. It's what I need. Buddhism has given it to me, and continues to over and over again. It's like having your crusty dried out leaves shaken off in an autumn storm, leaving you bare and exposed, but knowing something will bud out of it. Over and over.
http://www.lionsroar.com/not-for-happiness-january-2013/
The books (Words of My Perfect Teacher, and the one the excerpt is taken from) are written about ngondro, so it is Tibetan Vajrayana specific. It is a series of practice meant to pare us down and build us up at the same time. Kind of a Buddhist bootcamp except there is no one there to direct you with what to fill yourself with after you start to remove the layers.
Oustanding posting @karasti
You have described, entry point, bit of introspection (the Muggle ... oops Middle Way) and the maturing beyond trite, beyond mantra lotus power, beyond cushion fetishists
[I iz innocent], beyond beyond even etc
Far shore here we come (allegedly) ...
Paying attention
....on and off the cushion.....
Very much so. For some like much churchianity Buddhism is a safe social club.
Personally I use as @karasti said:
In other words it is pragmatic. It is initially all about 'me' as @genkaku says. The real inevitable open hearted Boddhistva idea is very different to the 'being kind of kind' practices.
As Buddhist practitioners, if we are, change comes. Maybe slowly ... or with focus and dedication AND preparation, perhaps increasingly ...
I think I might become a Buddhist.
Nothing...... special...
@lobster
'Think' no more
Here's a nice quotation:
"The principle of nowness is very important to any effort to establish an enlightened society. You may wonder what the best approach is to helping society and how you can know that what you are doing is authentic and good. The only answer is nowness. The way to relax, or rest the mind in nowness, is through the practice of meditation. In meditation you take an unbiased approach. You let things be as they are, without judgement, and in that way you yourself learn to be."
~ Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche
Here is another nice one:
Sanity lies somewhere between the inhibitions of conventional morality and the looseness of the extreme impulse
~ Chogyam Trungpa
and here is a context for those of us not insane ... or terminally 'Buddhist' ... or [insert label of choice] ...
http://www.strippingthegurus.com/stgsamplechapters/trungpa.html
and now a message from my sponsor, the very mysterious sphinx
Buddhism is basically a continuous teaching on the 4 noble truths.
1. The nature of suffering
2. The origin of suffering
3. The Successions of Suffering
4. The True paths to Successions.
Most teachings within Buddhism are all elaborations on these 4 key points.
Emptiness....
I like how Nichiren Shonin puts it "You must never think that any of the eighty thousand sacred teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha's lifetime or any of theBuddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions and three existences are outside yourself. Your practice of the Buddhist teachings will not relieve you of the sufferings of birth and death in the least -unless you perceive the true nature of your life.-" Whats Buddhism all about? Being comfortable with causality through understanding the nature of life and practicing it.
Peace
I don't know.
So far, so good!
Still haven't a clue. But it's fun anyway.
Back to the hot cocoa.
Crib notes....
^^^ awesome
We Buddhists really, really duz haz plan! Hooray!