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A question about Multiple Religions
I consider myself to be Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, and am considering Hinduism. Whenever I tell people this, they always look at me as if there is something wrong with me, or I am stupid. Most people either say, "You're doing it for attention." or "You can't believe in all of these things at once because you'll go to hell." I try to tell my Christian and Muslim brothers and sisters that I truly believe (to a degree) what these religions are saying, and I enjoying practicing them. They don't seem to get it.
My question is, what do my Buddhist brothers and sisters think of this? Is this wrong? Will this make it harder for me to attain enlightenment? Nirvana? Or, is it perfectly fine, and everyong around me is just over-reacting? I genuinely want to know your opinions.
My question is, what do my Buddhist brothers and sisters think of this? Is this wrong? Will this make it harder for me to attain enlightenment? Nirvana? Or, is it perfectly fine, and everyong around me is just over-reacting? I genuinely want to know your opinions.
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Comments
I think we need to define religion as well as the path the Buddha laid out for us.
You say you are able to practice multiple religions and you 'believe' in them to some extent. Religion involves having beliefs. Awakening doesn't require beliefs, it requires action. If your desire is to adopt some beliefs common to Buddhists while rejecting others so you can stitch together your own religious tapestry you can certainly do that. If you are one of those rare folks who can hold mutually exclusive beliefs at the same time you are free to do that as well.
If you wish to awaken then you need to take action. Nobody awakens by subscribing intellectually to a set of beliefs, Buddhist or otherwise.
Nobody knows how you should grow. You have to find that out yourself. Thats my advice.
@ username_5: To your point about beliefs, what I meant is that I do not believe everything that my religions preach. I am quite sure there are parts of Buddhism you don't agree with completely. I think most people disagree with some part of their religion. That's how a lot of religions (Buddhism, for example) and sects came to be. I am not a wishy-washy person who is just dabbling in these beliefs for fun or because they're "cool". I choose to follow them because I feel a connection to them, and I like them. I'm not like this, but for example, I know a few people who don't really believe in God or Jesus. They are still Jews and Christians because they just love the religion and ethics that are taught. This is similar to my religions.
Now the big things (God, Enlightenment, Reincarnation) I believe in. It's just the little parts (ethics, specific laws or rules) that I might disagree with.
Whatever floats your boat, friend.
It's your mind and your beliefs.
I can understand why some view it as odd or assign unflattering motives toward you, your believing in the unverifiable claims of multiple religions is very uncommon. More common is for a person to choose or just adopt some unverifiable claims from one faith in order to quiet their restlessness and fear about how nothing other than death is certain. Then when someone challenges their belief it becomes an us versus them thing where distracting passions can further cloud the mind into a false sense of security and the superiority that comes from 'knowing' one is right and the other wrong.
It's just not common what you are doing and people don't understand the uncommon so out of fear they experience some vague frustration or perhaps even anger as your seeming ability to be comfortable with something they couldn't be unsettles them and they project their uncomfortable feelings onto you as though you made them feel what they are feeling.
My own thought is do as you please. Do what seems right to you.
None of this though has anything at all to do with awakening. Beliefs often just get in the way as they give us something to cling to for security and pat answers where there are none. To the extent we derive a sense of security from a belief that is, at best, a hypothesis that belief is going to have to be let go of on the way to liberation. It doesn't have to be disbelieved, but to the extent one's security comes from a firm belief in the unverifiable that belief represents ground where there is none. Seeking ground where there is none is clinging. The cause of suffering is clinging. One can't become liberated from suffering while still clinging to certainty where there is none.
You may like to check out Three Syntheses: A Confession of Faith, of Sorts
It's 'how' I see things of this sort. (Using only 3 examples). Ultimately it sounds like you're a pluralist (maybe a confused one).
Many People would love to be devoted Christians, but they're just waiting for the Ten Commandments to be changed to the Ten Suggestions."
You're picking and choosing the bits that appeal to you, without committing yourself to the fact that all religions require a bit of sacrifice, dedication and discomfort.
I used to be a Catholic, but gave up my Christian practice completely, because of one fundamental problem.
I didn't believe in God.
Still don't.
Some of what The New Testament teaches is wise, and extremely educational, and I like it. But it's also found in Buddhism. Buddhism precedes Jesus by around 500 years, so Buddhism seems more logical to me, to follow.
I'm fascinated by this comment:
So you're prepared to 'believe' the major things most people have long debates and discussions on, (there are many long, heated and animated discussions on this forum about all three) but the minor standard living 'rules and reg's', ("ethics, specific laws or rules") you take issue with?
With Buddhism specifically in mind - like what, for example?
I am labeless and happy.
In metta,
Raven
I concur, Buddhism does "seem", as you put it, more logical, and I also think more fair- instead of infinite punishments/rewards for finite deeds we have billions of years to be reborn and in some way redeem ourselves. However isn't what you did there- choosing the religion that agrees most with your views, similar to what the original poster did - choosing bits of pieces of those religions? Both of you simply chose religions/parts of religions that you agree with - like choosing the most pleasant story.
No, because I stuck with the one that makes more sense to me, including the sacrifice, dedication and discomfort.
in spite of the fact that some things taught in Buddhism made me feel decidedly uneasy, uncomfortable and fidgety, I persevered. Because in spite of how they made me feel, I saw their sense and logic, and realised the discomfort stemmed from my own perception and prejudice, not from any flaw in the teaching.
The reason I am not a catholic Christian is because there is a fundamental flaw in my ability to be a Christian; I don't believe in God. I think that's a pretty determining factor.
So while many of the teachings in the New Testament are extremely sound, well-grounded, logical and pertinent, when it comes to dedicating them to a God I don't believe in, it's a no-brainer.
And I have found that many of the teachings in the New Testament, in fact resoundedly echo the teachings of the Buddha - with no strings or provisos attached.
Hopefully, that makes it clearer.
Also, to add, I use the word 'seems' for the benefit of the OP. Buddhism makes absolute, total, complete sense to me, but that is a definitive assertion, and one others may not agree with, so I don't wish to come across as dogmatic, insistent and self-righteous, because one of the major points of Buddhism is that we see for ourselves.
Okay I respect that, though I can't help but imagine there is a muslin somewhere thinking the exact same thing - then again so would scientists/atheists. We all adopt the beliefs that make sense to us- the question lies in how much critical thinking we have and how we examine the validity of the claims of different religions/beliefs.
I think by raising this we may veer off to murky waters. A lot of the time belief is based on an innate "knowing" that something is right. Most of the time there is some form of a tangible reason, but when you speak of religion, a lot of it is not. Faith is called faith because you believe something without proof. Personally I think this is why the Buddha did not discuss the existence of God/s.
In metta,
Raven
Personally, in evaluating everything put before me, I followed the recommendation "Ehi Passika!"
Here is what I said, "Now the big things (God, Enlightenment, Reincarnation) I believe in. It's just the little parts (ethics, specific laws or rules) that I might disagree with."
I never said that I take issue with the "rules and regs". I said I might disagree with them. The disagreement depends on the religion. Like, for example, I don't believe that people who don't believe in God go to hell, nor do I believe that worshipping multiple gods sends you to hell. And the same with suicide and being homo or bisexual. I don't disagree with this because it may be an uncomfortable thought for most people, or because I am gay (I'm not), or worshipping multiple gods (I'm not), or because I'm an athiest (I'm not). I just don't believe that this is the case when it comes the afterlife.
And the first part of your posts makes it sound like I only believe in the big parts of both religions because they are the big parts of the religion.
That's not true in the least. I believed in reincarnation when I was a child who knew nothing of religions outside of Christianity (And I don't even think I was that aware of Christianity back then). I thought once, "What happens when we die?" My mother had only told me vaguely of heaven, but not enough to understand what it meant, so I didn't think about that. My own answer to that question was, "We come back." However, I thought that we would come back in the same body. I don't now, but I did then. Heaven was fully explained to me after this idea came into my mind, so I thought that those who get it right go to heaven and those who get it wrong go to hell. Everyone else gets to try it again.
But then again, I could very well be wrong. I'm not God/The Supreme Being. I have no clue what happens after someone dies. I can only make an educated guess.
When it comes to Buddhism, I probably disagree with the belief that meditation is the only way to attain Enlightenment. I think that it is the most effective method, but I just get a feeling that it is not the only way.
I love following these religions because I feel at peace with them. Also, my religious philosophy matches up to Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity (Hinduism works as well, but I am still learning about that religion, and I do not want to commit to it until I learn more about it) the best.
Although if I was forced to choose one religion, I would probably stick with Buddhism, because I feel the biggest connection to it.
I'm not suggesting trying to follow a 'whole bunch' of religions.
Personally, I believe all (well, at least most) religions carry some pieces of truth in them. I don't believe <i><b>any</i></b> religion and/or belief-system contains complete or total truth within it.
I'm not the kind of Pluralist who believes they're all right, but rather that they're all wrong.
Personally I think its best to choose just one religion which appeals, and then try to study and practice it properly.
To try to take on several and maybe not really understand any of them that well, might be less productive for personal development.
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Perhaps if you define yourself as either a Christian, Muslim or Buddhist and then say that you only visit the other places of worship to better understand them, people will understand you better. We had a Christian visit our temple. He continued to define himself as a Christian and continued to visit, although he never prayed to the Buddha. The temple would be ok with that, the church would soon have a problem with that.
As religion is about a distinct group of beliefs and practices which in a sense controls and guides behaviour ( often with fear of retribution !! ) it is designed be a one off thing/one only per individual !! As HHDL encourages people of other faiths and what he see Buddhism has to offer all human beings "Don't try to use what you learn from Buddhism to be a Buddhist; use it to be a better whatever-you-already-are."
I have also heard HHDL say the same thing and I believe this is good advice.You don't have to change your religion to be a good person.
If you are a christian,just be the best christian that you can etc.
He's no fool that man.:)
Humbly agree with you on this point also
I have been fortunate to attend public teachings from HHDL here in Australia and on each occasion he has been sure to mention he is foremostly a simple Buddhist monk and then preceeds to blow away his audience with his ability to communicate !!
Another thought he shared on different religions at his last visit I have on a card here in my study -
" I believe that the very purpose of our life is to seek happiness. That is clear. Whether one believes in religion or not, whether one believes in this religion or that religion, we all are seeking something better in life. So, I think, the very motion of our life is towards happiness "
Thank you for that timely quote.
Belief is to be seen as belief, not as fact. When we see our beliefs as facts, then we are deluding ourselves. When we see our beliefs as beliefs, then we are not. Seeing things in their true light is the most important thing. Deluding ourselves is the cause of much suffering. I try to see beliefs as beliefs. I try not to worry about whether these beliefs are true or not, or try to prove that which I know cannot be proved.
The moment we attempt to transform what I believe into fact is the moment human suffering begins.
Or insanity.
Fact, Christ wasn't a Christian; Buddha wasn't a buddhist and Mohammed wasn't a Muslim. Don't worry yourself chap, being open to digest all religion may be an important part of your journey in this life to discover what you need to. As long as you are getting a direct experience of what these faiths talk about through using tools that actually work ... and you're living the principles that are ... well pretty much identical in every religion (the important ones anyway like loving and working to benefit all beings); then who can say you are right or wrong. Is it working is all you really need to ask.
I always loved Religious education class in secondary school for this reason. It's good to be able to be in the place where all religions could get along, even if no-one else wants to join you there right away.
Keep up the good work itty bitty : ))
I love that!
Exactly Seph. To observe and actually prove what is or not directly is the only way to truth. This can only be achieved by first going beyond intellect to pure knowing. Beliefs are really only there because they are part of a collection of the soup of society's thought, weighed up by the thought structure of the individual looking on. But to learn is to go beyond thought and take nothing for granted. To be a "Buddha", be awake, not a scholar or intellectual.
Not even the scientists views can be totally trusted. Any scientist admits they can explain 99% of how things happen, but nothing of why it happens. This isn't to say we presume they are wrong either ... just to test it out and see.
Great point there Seph.
All Best Wishes
Matt : )
And let's not forget a point in that quote "what you learn from Buddhism"
You can still study and learn from other religions. You don't have to give up your traditions and practices to be able to do that.