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.
Buddhist and Christian?
Do you think that someone can be a buddhist and a christian? Believe in God and practice/believe in Buddhism? My wife is a christian and I study and want to become a buddhist. I consider myself a buddhist, but I do believe that there is a god just that he isnt for me.
0
Comments
A Model for Mutual Enrichment
http://www.monasticdialog.com/a.php?id=808
The Christian Bendictine monk Thomas Merton studied Buddhism in Vietnam (long after the war).
It's just not a real problem.
Also, the way by which we are to acheive these goals are different. Some Christians believe that conduct is the basis for which they will go to heaven or not (which is compatible with Buddhism, i.e. law of kamma). Other Christians believe that conduct is irrelevant, so long as they sincerely repent their sins and accept Jesus as the Son of God then they are destined for heaven. Buddhists believe that by practicing the Noble Eightfold Path you can make an end to suffering.
Although these religions are incompatible on an individual level it is still possible to peacefully co-exist with followers of other religions on a societal level.
Sorry for being so long-winded, I hope it makes sense.
http://newbuddhist.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6425
http://newbuddhist.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6435
What happens at a temple is different depending on each temple. As long as you are respectful it should be a positive experience. You can always ask someone about ettiquette at the actual temple you intend to visit.
i dont mean to bother everyone/you guys with all these questions but i want to learn.
No problem, ask anything.
What it is like at other temples, I don't know.
Hope that this explanation would help you explore buddhism fearlessly and also make you love your wife even more dearly
Om Mani Padme Hum
Thmoas Merton, mentioned in the article above, is also very good if you want to learn about the Christian contemplative practice or "contemplative prayer". Another Trappist monk, Thomas Keating, taught a method of learning contemplative prayer in his book _Open Mind Open Heart_.
My wife is Christian, I go to church and have lots of Christian friends. I think a lot more like a Buddhist however. There is enough overlap between Buddhism and Christianity to make our situations work. I encourage you to learn as much about Buddhism as you can, it has turned out very well for me
The long answer is here: I was a practicing Buddhist and the teachings helped me out until I moved. I met someone and they invited me to a church. I started to practice a Christian path but after about two months and looking into its teaching carefully I found that I wanted to continue on a Buddhist path.
During my time as a Christian I was told numerous times that Jesus said the only path is his path. There are many other paths and they are wide but the only path, His path, is narrow and only those how follow Him can follow this path. According to Christianity you cannot be both because you are not following God's intended path.
Read up more on Buddhism before making your decision. Do bear in mind that not all Christians (nor Buddhists, I guess) are that open-minded when it comes to religion. However, if you are sure of your decision, don't mind them that much.
With metta.
Smittydo,
I'm not sure if one can be a Buddhist and a Christian. I have argued that one can but am not so sure now.
What I am sure of is that there is a mindset and a way of life which I term both "Christian" and "Buddhist". This is what I follow in my own life.
It is not some soft option or simple 'Pick'n'Mix': it requires a lot of focus, each moment of the day. The rewards, however, have been worth it.
I agree with you, I think it depends on the person in question, for some people Buddhism and Christianity really compliment each other, for others, maybe they should only stick with one tradition, etc. It doesn't matter either way, as long as you're following what you want to do, and you can see positive results.
BTW, I'm not Christian, but, I do happen to think there is a lot of overlap between certain Christian and Buddhist beliefs, there are, of course, a lot of differences too, but, there are definitely similarities.
At their heart, both have Compassion or Love at the centre of their Paths (although, certain institutions have strayed far from that centre).
Hope this helps
David.
i am in no way saying that i think you should not aspire to be a buddhist, just giving a reality. my girlfriend is a christian and i am a buddhist, so i understand this. i am very passionate about buddhism and my studies and although it sometimes piques her interest, she is mostly uninterested and sometimes argues with me good-naturedly. i consider myself lucky but i know it would be much easier if we were just of like mind.
For me, there is a "fundamental disconnect" between dogmatic statements about what is only experienced personally and the liberation from dukkha which is all that the Buddha promised.
Some people think that Buddhism and Christianity are compatible, but my view is that one can't really be a serious Buddhist practitioner and be a practising Christian all at the same time.
One can appreciate any teachings about loving kindness and compassion though, of course.
.
Thank you... and welcome to the forum.
Cessation comes from a deep realization of no ego, just as that which Christ was advocating "blessed" which means makarious "is he that is pour of spirit". This means ego abandonment in a way like bhakti. buddhism goes another route which is jjana sp* Buddha shakamuni wasn't against braminism but was against dogmatic vedantic views. He was from indian culture says alan watts. He didn't make a new religion but a refutation of the old one. After all if the self is in fact existent then there is nothing that could be done to alter or modify its state, and if its not existent there is nothing words can do to create it.
If you are genuinely interested, you might like to look at the Christian notions of abandoning self and the kenosis.
I am neither "officially" Buddhist nor Christian, but I consider both Buddha and Jesus to be powerful teachers and my spiritual ancestors. I was raised very strictly Christian and never felt that I was truly connected with the religion as a whole. After I spent many years deeply invested in Buddhist studies, I now have a very strong connection to Buddhism and the symbolism of Buddha (and other spiritual figures, such as Chenrezig, Vajrasattva, Namgyalma, etc).
The Buddha was a real person, Siddhartha Gautama, who gave teachings and presented different methods for reaching enlightenment. Jesus of Nazareth was a real person (though some may argue differently) who gave teachings and presented the path to God through different means. Both had limitless compassion for sentient beings, and both preached a message of peace and kindness. I personally feel that during the evolution of Christianity the true message of Jesus was warped and corrupted.
Such a widely used quote for good reason.
Although liberation from dukkha requires cutting through the delusions of eternal and independent existence, and abandoning the notion of a "soul".
P
"No one saves us but ourselves, no one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path but Buddhas clearly show the way." Buddha
How to Become a Christian
1. You must believe that you are a sinner, and you cannot save yourself.
http://www.freehousechurchresources.com/becomechristian.php
But honestly I've never read anything in the bible that says 'you cannot save yourself and God or Jesus or w/e can only save you'.
It's just the way it's been being taught.
But hey I don't know much about Christianity.
From my perspective, I don't see any conflict between Buddhism and Christianity, it is like MBA and Christianity, or high school and Christianity, comparing a school of teaching with a "Religion".
sorry about my English if it is not very clear.