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Confused
I have been studying Buddhism alot lately and I agree with it but yesterday I got a call from my great Uncle who is a pastor and knows alot about God and Chrsitianity. I told him I was having a hard time adjusting to my enviroment(s) after I left the hospital. He told me to seek Jesus and we prayed and stuff like that. Eversince then I cant diecide is I should practice Buddhism or Chrisitanity. Anyone have any advice?
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Relax. Give yourself the space to breathe, and don't impose anything on yourself out of duty or obligation. Take the time to explore different avenues, but stay True to what you know deep within is Right for you. And only you, in time, will come to know what that is.
Gentle golden peace and healing to you --
EM
I second what Brian said:
"Just practice whatever makes you feel at peace, but don't get attached to either path. Don't get attached to anything. Just live life with Christian or Buddhist principles, and you can't go wrong."
Jason
It is a blessing in that it enables the practitioner to move forward with certainty, sure of where they are and where they are going. Many people need this security. It is the nature of their present journey. This certainty also comforts them in the chaos and uncertainty of living. Challenging the prevailing or group orthodoxy can be met with scorn, disrespect or real hostility.
It is a curse because it entraps the orthodox within the aspect of truth that they have inflated to be the whole of the Truth. The map of their orthodoxy is confused with the territory of the Mystery.
To many of us, some of us with great reluctance and pain, the Truth appears in human awareness in many disguises. Some years ago, the Dalai Lama told my son that all religions have two aspects: the aspect of loving-kindness and the the method to achieve loving-kindness, and that it is only the methods that differ.
For myself, I have come to understand that I have to use many maps, by many great humans, be they Christs, Tathagatas or Prophets. I find so many points of similarity that I cannot simply say "Great Soul A is right so Great Soul B must be wrong." I have to accept that, although I am well-versed in a number of orthodoxies (and have an enormous amount left to learn) and can refer to them, my refusal to identify with any particular system attracts a fair amount of criticism.
I experienced much the same when I trained, back in the '70s, as a psychotherapist. Fortunately, eclecticism was not as abhorrent to the profession as it is to religious professionals. It was possible for me to learn from some of the greatest therapists of the time and to remain a student rather than a disciple.
Today, I find only what St Ignatius calls "consolation" in joining practitioners of different spiritual disciplines in their practice or worship. Because I normally join in silently, I can, inwardly, make whatever adjustments to the language that I may find necessary!
Of course, I am an archetypal "New Ager" (except I'm not: they don't want me either 'cos I giggle too much at the more obvious nonsense!) and practise "Pick'n'Mix" religion. But I made a lot of money working as a consultant for trebor who sold Pick'n'Mix, I can't take that as derogatory: wtf's wrong with Pick'n'Mix? Nothing, unless you have convinced yourself that the only way to confectionery heaven is the Mars bar!
I may be reading this wrong but it sounds very cold-blooded, Genryu: if you can't cope with the notion of a spherical Earth, go back to flat Earth beliefs?
You do tend, I notice, to take a 'hard' line and that may be OK for you and your community. You have, however, been around the boards long enough to know that there are many who are struggling with their practice. To tell them to return to a structure which has let them down in the past is just nasty!
Also, I think that you need to acknowledge that, as I'm sure Palzang will confirm, within Tibetan Buddhism, as within many another Buddhist tradition, there is ongoing revelation of the Dharma. The Tibetan exploration of the bardos may not be your experience or to your taste but Tibetan teachers declare them to be real, as real as your own statements about what is or is not 'Buddhism'.
As Charlotte Joko Beck says, "don't take up this practice unless there's really nothing else you can do." Trungpa Rinpoche, from the Vajrayana tradition said the same thing - Don't even begin practice unless you're prepared for what will follow and that is the giving up of everything that you held as yourself.
Unfortunately, particularly in the West, people have this fantasy image of Buddhist teachers usually involving flowing robes and soft spoken platitudes. As anyone who's practiced long term under a living Buddhist teacher, rather than just reading some of their books, will soon tell you - that just ain't so. It's perfectly possible to practice Buddhist meditation for example and gain some benefit, so if a person is really that unhappy about becoming a Buddhist - they shouldn't do it.
The practice of loving kindness and mindfullness is a universal spiritual ideal, and Buddhism puts the finest point on it of any school of thought I have encountered.
Meditation is not a practice peculiar to Buddhism, and many Christian mystics have utilized to great effect combined with what is currently referred to centering prayer.
Peace and Light, David
It is probably difficult being around all the negative vibes happening in your part of the world right now.
You and ones like you are the light and salt of the earth.
Your friend, David
Don't want to go off topic, so I may update in 'How was your day?' (Lotus Lounge).
If anything good has come out off all the mess going on around here, as you so correctly point out, it's that hopefully and gradually, a new awareness will develop in france about how 'Liberté, Egalité et fraternité' is all very well as a theoretic model, but differences DO exist between different Cultures and Ethnic groups.... and that the french will ahve to start recognising it as applicable across the board... It will take a long time because, much as the Human animal is 'resistant to Change' in general - the French are very particularly so!!
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It is a Good Thing to remember that Words of Wisdom are Words of Wisdom, no matter
what their origin, be they Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Moslem Jewish, Philosophical or simply Wise...... Where Love Speaks, Humanity would do well to listen. And whatever guise Love comes in, if it is accompanied by Wisdom, then the words cannot be wrong.