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Will my life be suitable to learning buddhism?
I have been interested in becoming buddhist for a long time, and would like to learn about buddhism.
There is a buddhist temple in my city, so will have appropriate guidance.
But before I approach them, I have a few questions.
I am studying medicine at university. Will this in any way be a problem?
I also enjoy drawing. Will I have to give it up?
I am also considering writing a novel, and have a few ideas. Will this be viewed as egotistical or pointless, or clutching on to wanting to do that hinder enlightenment?
I would also like to learn martial arts, namely ju-jitsu. Will this be a problem?
There is a buddhist temple in my city, so will have appropriate guidance.
But before I approach them, I have a few questions.
I am studying medicine at university. Will this in any way be a problem?
I also enjoy drawing. Will I have to give it up?
I am also considering writing a novel, and have a few ideas. Will this be viewed as egotistical or pointless, or clutching on to wanting to do that hinder enlightenment?
I would also like to learn martial arts, namely ju-jitsu. Will this be a problem?
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Comments
I don't know what the others will say, but I think you should be fine;)
Many Zen Masters paint, draw and specialise in calligraphy. they make it part of their practice. To use understandable parlance, whilst you are fully focussed on your work, then your mind cannot be wandering. So, in a way, you are Mindful and completely thought-free, for much of the time.... this is a good way to practice single-pointedness.... Mmmm...let me think...how many books have been written by Buddhist masters, teachers and lamas? Countless....Admittedly, they have all been about Buddhism... but its still a way of accumulating funds and self-expressing...I think if you are able to detach from the glory of it, and put it down when you need to, then I think you'll be fine. Heck, we've all gotta make a living!
Shaolin monks seem to do ok.....
Find a school that teaches mindfully. The objective of the true defensive Martial Arts practitioner is to become so expert in his art, that he never has to use it in Anger. My Martial Arts instructor in France, always stated that the best practitioners were those who were fully aware of their own abilities, and who could easily inflict a fatal blow, but who knew how to diffuse a situation to everybody's advantage, and for the well-being of all, without resprting to violence, aggression and fighting.
Buddhism's main edict is to understand the cause of Dukkha, and the elimination of Dukkha. The Buddha taught this through the Four Noble Truths, and The eightfold Path.
Live your life according to these principles, and you can't really go too far wrong....
....Can you?
We are allowed to choose towards the end wether or not we would personally allow abortions as a doctor, and I have already decided I wouldn't.
I don't know personally about vets, but I do feel sorry for anyone who wants to become a vet to help animals and realises how many they'd have to put down.
I haven't decided which sphere of medicine I'll go into yet, thankfully we get to decide later on during the course.
Renunciation is a mental practice.
If everyone were to convert to Buddhism, and it meant stripping away all personal identity and pursuits and seeing Nibbana as a goal outside of everyday life, then I would advise you to run... but I don't think you'll find that to be the case. If a religion isn't valuable within the real world, then in my opinion it's worthless.
Buddhism is a very personal religion, and doesn't have a rigid list of what is and isn't acceptable. I have to disagree with Federica that "this" or "that" would be problematic. That's for you to decide. As Buddhists, we try our best to harm nothing. But we soon learn that things aren't always black-and-white and that pain, harm, death, are all part of life and sometimes inevitable. And through Buddhism, you can start to look at the choices you make and the way you're living your life from a basis of wisdom and clarity, with mindfulness. And if you find that certain things are harmful, unhelpful, unskillful... then you can change and adjust.
It's about learning to live your life in peace and equanimity. To see your "self" for what it truly is, rather than give up everything that conventionally defines you.
i think the arts as well as medicine (though medicine might be a bit trickier) are well in accord with the way, they can both lead to attachment as anything else but if you're aware enough in your practice, there should be no problem
buddhism is a selfless religion, that is, whether mahayana or theravada (the two main branches of buddhism) we aim to not do anything simply for ourselves, but for the benefit of others. this is extremely emphasized in mahayana schools, where we aim to unite all of our actions with a thing called bodhicitta, which is basically the desire to become enlightened for "all sentient beings" above anything else, even your own enlightenment. (that may sound contradictory but the point is that we commit ourselves wholly to love and benefiting others and sacrificing our own interests if it is helpful). i would say that art, writing, and medicine are very much aligned with these sort of sentiments, and though in art and literature it is a form of entertainment, and not wholly enlightening, you can make them that way very easily, for entertainment and enlightenment i'd say have a very fine line between them sometimes. anyways good luck
Haha, I'm actually not doing too well with my university studies. I guess this is part of the reason. Trying to do too many things at once.
Have you figured out how to cram 39 hours into every day? When are you going to have time to do anything besides #2??
Best of luck, and please post something on how you managed to do all those things at one time
Mtns (who had enough trouble getting through nursing school without writing a novel or learning to cook)
A genuine Buddhist centre is based in universal love.
Instead of asking us your various questions, please share with us soon your experience of visiting the temple.
The Buddha said: "May beings be at ease".
Kind regards
I have phoned them, and I'll be going for a chat next week