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Non-buddhist family resistance
Dear sangha,
I can say I'm the only buddhist in my family as far as I know, and all of them are at most God believers (but not at all praticioners) on the common Western way.
My father is a man who grew in a rural region, and to some extent he is a little "rude". I'm using this adjective just for easing your picturing of him; I certainly know that the way he is in this life is not "permanent" or inherent of himself.
My mom is a kind and lovely person, somehow linked to Spiritualism, but not a follower of it. Again, all these adjectives describe states of beings interpreted from a simple point of view, and as a buddhist we should not label the beings by them.
I'm facing the problem that it is very hard to be a buddhist praticioner when your family has resistance against it. And I am, to some extent, disciplined; I try to live in a way that approximates a little to the monastic way, but without forcing beyond the common sense, as I live in the West...
So there is this conflict between my disciplined way of life and buddhism, and their opposition to this religion/philosophy. Sometimes I feel like running away, going to some place where I could live as a Buddhist. It is hard, sometimes I feel alone in the middle of the mess that me and my family generate.
I try to be lucid in front of this situation, but it is hard. Does someone have some advice about it?
I'm very grateful for the benefits given,
Vinícius
I can say I'm the only buddhist in my family as far as I know, and all of them are at most God believers (but not at all praticioners) on the common Western way.
My father is a man who grew in a rural region, and to some extent he is a little "rude". I'm using this adjective just for easing your picturing of him; I certainly know that the way he is in this life is not "permanent" or inherent of himself.
My mom is a kind and lovely person, somehow linked to Spiritualism, but not a follower of it. Again, all these adjectives describe states of beings interpreted from a simple point of view, and as a buddhist we should not label the beings by them.
I'm facing the problem that it is very hard to be a buddhist praticioner when your family has resistance against it. And I am, to some extent, disciplined; I try to live in a way that approximates a little to the monastic way, but without forcing beyond the common sense, as I live in the West...
So there is this conflict between my disciplined way of life and buddhism, and their opposition to this religion/philosophy. Sometimes I feel like running away, going to some place where I could live as a Buddhist. It is hard, sometimes I feel alone in the middle of the mess that me and my family generate.
I try to be lucid in front of this situation, but it is hard. Does someone have some advice about it?
I'm very grateful for the benefits given,
Vinícius
0
Comments
Even today, if you fly across the world, to say Japan (I'm assuming you're American, forgive me if you're not), what is and isn't socially acceptable are two totally different things. And that's in the same time period! well, in Buddha's time, there were no airplanes. cultures were very different. it's not a far leap to say that Jesus and Buddha were actually trying to get the same point across, just in different cultures, in different points in time.
There are many koans in the bible; tower of babel, "a fox has a cave, a bird has a nest, but I have no place to go! (to another person) Follow me!"
what Jesus says as the kingdom of heaven is not different from the natural state of mind. what Jesus says as "God" is not different from the natural state of mind.
Hence, I am the father, the son, and the holy spirit.
One lesson I learnt many years ago, was to simplify.
Shed the unnecessary, shed the superfluous, and live, simply.
Study the Four Noble Truths, The Eighfold Path and take on the Five precepts.
These, in their deep wisdom, exhort us to get rid of what we cling to uselessly (which includes the pain of past experiences) and to accept the moment and how perfect it is, and how wonderful we are, Now. In the Now. Right Now.
Live your life in as Wise and Compassionate a way as you can.
It isn't ever necessary to broadcast Buddhism, but it's simply a means of living well, doing no harm to anyone, and being Kind.
What could be better?