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I have a few questions...
CrystalM
USA New
Hi! I'm a Muslim. I am very interested in practicing Buddhism. Not like, fully converting but as an add on. (I can't think of any other way to word it, really)
Other than that, do have a few concerns. I'm white and while I understand race should never determine anything for anyone, I do know a lot of people absolutely hate white Buddhists. That is an obvious concern.. I don't want to offend anyone or make anyone angry by practicing. Can you tell me what your opinions are of white Buddhists?
Well, those are my main concerns: Islam and my race. Does anyone believe either of those two would cause me to be an outcast in the Buddhist community?
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Comments
First, your information suggests you live in the USA. I don't think you are general going o run into issues with someone having a fit and hating you for practicing Buddhism. Second, Buddhism is whatever you make it. No one has to know what you practice at all, you don't have to wear something in particular or announce to anyone that you practice Buddhism, even a little bit. Buddhists aren't going to be offended by your practicing Buddhism. There are, as in any community of people, some who hold odd, particular views. But my experience has been that Buddhists, whether online or in person, are far more accepting than many groups. Race has never been a discussion or issue here. We discuss racism as a societal topic, but never as some sort of requirement for being Buddhist. I'm about as white as it gets, since I live in northern MN and at this time of year I pretty much match the snow. No one cares.
As far as Islam, only you can know how to make them work together. There most certainly are Buddhist practices that will work well with any other belief set. But to study Buddhism on a more scholarly level you will start to run into issues, as there is no God figure in Buddhism and it is generally not encouraged to go down that road, in Buddhist sutras. People make it work, there are Christian Buddhists here and some Hindus who practice Buddhism. It just depends how far you take things and how you answer those questions that mat eventually come up in conflict with your Muslim faith.
Lastly, there is no real conversion in Buddhism. You don't have to renounce any part of any other beliefs you have, nor do you have to tell someone, or anyone, what you are doing if you don't wish to. Buddhism is a very personal road. While we share and discuss with others, the journey itself must be taken alone. No one is going to ask, or require any sort of proof.
@CrystalM
I have never run into any concerns about color and Buddhism other than hearing
some Sanghas wonder why their congregations were so similar in cultural or skin color,
so please do tell where you've run into this anti white sentiment about Buddhists?
The more common social censure for folks of any color trying out Buddhism usually comes from fundamentalist acquaintances of theirs who see any such explorations as a rejection of the truth of their own path.
Where do you live? Where I am a lot of the Buddhist groups are majority white with the exception of some groups of almost all immigrants from Vietnam (and for those I haven't heard anything racist but then I haven't heard much at all).
I can't really add much to what @karasti has said, and I agree with and second it. I have been a white Buddhist in the U.S. for 40 years and in all that time I can recall only two people who appeared to have any issue with it - it simply was not, and is not, a problem. My brother was Sufi Muslim, and if he ever had any problems of that kind, they were never significant enough for him to mention them to me. I say go for it, and see where it leads.
I've never heard of people hating white Buddhists. I've heard that in India, western monks in robes sometimes take flack. That's about it, though.
We've had an Islam practitioner here before, it's fine. In fact, there are Tibetan Muslims, I don't know if you're aware of that. They're from the Tibetan communities around Kashmir and points west of that. They're well-accepted in Buddhist regions of Tibetan culture (Ladakh, and Tibet proper).
You're welcome to take from this site what you find to be helpful. We're open to anyone who comes here in good faith and with positive intent.
any human can be a Buddhist regardless his/her race
Buddhism allows one to know oneself and develop one's good qualities at the beginning
but it's ultimate target is to end the suffering in this life itself
whether one will be able to reach the target depends on one's effort
even if one can not reach the target in this life itself one will be on the right track and be able to reap positive results of one's good deed
If you wish to deepen your spiritual practice then you don't have to travel far... have you looked into Sufism, the mystical side of Islam (be it somewhat on the fringes of the Islamic faith ) ...
With poets & philosophers oozing with wisdom such as as Rumi & Hafiz
"Even After All this time The Sun never says to the Earth, "You owe me." Look What happens With a love like that, It lights the whole sky.
Ever since happiness heard your name, it has been running through the streets trying to find you.
Fear is the cheapest room in the house. I would like to see you living In better conditions."
LOL.
No you don't. If you do then you have been hanging out with demonic types or trolls.
What I know is what overcomes what we 'know'. How will you overcome? What are you going to do to overcome hate? Be very interested.
Thitch Nhat Hanh always tells his students from other faiths not to forsake their religion but to go back to it with a deeper understanding enabled by the meditation practice.
...While he happily combined his teachings with Christian dogma and very often, during his talks would refer to Buddha's message being the same as that of Jesus....
Bit odd, that. I attended a talk of his in London, may years ago. The entire evening was a dual-edged homily....
@federica there are people who believe that Jesus was in India learning Buddhism during the ''missing years ''
You are in good company among Buddhists (no matter your religious alignment). There is an underlying current in buddhist circles that seek the bare truth. No ornaments and no watering down of truth. Especially in Zen practitioners, you find a complete disregard of belief and labels, and more of an emphasis on actual experience. Sit...focus...clear the mind...just what is here, no definitions and no judgement. God is here and now, just as any path must be anchored or it will fall away.
Both Jesus and the Buddha were English gentlemen, so it's not surprising there are some similarities.
Me too.
Just not very good at it. My affiliation is to Islamic Sufism.
Being a Buddhist is something you can do in a mosque, church or temple. Some Buddhist practitioners are even found in dharma centres.
As a general rule I do not bring up my race or half hearted religion that much, in fact the last time it came up was when an ex-monk (white and probably ex-Christian) mistook me for a Catholic and started deriding Catholicism. What a douche. Yep that is me being judgemental.
We do get silly people in dharma. Me for example.
However overwhelmingly, race and allegiances, cultural or spiritual are not an issue ... Except with those who have issues ...
You will be fine.
LOL
I am white and I practice Buddhism in the USofA.
In the Buddhism that I practice, being white, green, blue, yellow, purple, black brown, magenta, polka dot or any other color or shade has not been a factor.
Arrogance is, however, highly frowned upon.
Whichever form of Buddhism you have decided to "add on", welcome.
@lobster said it well.
I am another one of the silly people you will get in 'dharma' and you will certainly be just fine.
Peace to you