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Who do you share your interest in Buddhism/your Buddhist practice with in your life?
Dandelion
London Veteran
I don't mean in a 'lead by example' way, I mean in a 'do you have family members or friends (not purely internet friends) that are Buddhists?' This is why I need to go and check out some local Buddhist centre's.. I would like to know some Buddhists in the person. People I can socialise with that are Buddhists. This is the next step for me that I would like to take. I did go to a Buddhist meditation centre near where I live, but now my job means I can't get to their meditation on time, and only found the place a few weeks before starting the job I am currently doing ~ I wasn't there long enough to make friends really. There are other places I can go though, so all is not lost. I feel a bit like it is a secret, almost. My husband knows of my interest in Buddhism, and a couple of friends. I tend not to talk politics and religion to people though, most of my friends don't either, and that is fine, and going it alone is fine, but I would like to be able to meet up with one or two people every now and then that I can talk to about Buddhism, maybe even meditate with at home every now and then, that would be very nice.
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I ended up finding a small local group of about a dozen or so regulars who are at least interested in Buddhism and come to our weekly meditation and discussion. A guy from our area sponsored a weekend retreat and put up ads around town, so I called him up. It was definitely a blessing. Most people in my life know about my Buddhist practice and study, but few are interested. It's nice to meet up with people who just understand and who I can pose questions to and they can answer along Buddhist lines. It's nice to have the support for sure.
Thank you @karasti
I did start a local Buddhist meditation group on meetup and about 35 people joined, although finding places in the cold weather to get together and meditate has been hard so we are still struggling to get off the ground.
The meditation group I attend on campus has a lot of sharing of meditative experiences and discussion about meditation, but I'm not sure if anyone identifies as a Buddhist.
My family and the few friends I have I won't keep it a secret, but I generally don't talk much about it either because they have no interest in it. It's 'just another on of those typically strange things that Josh is interested in'-- that sort of thing. I may occasionally talk a very little bit about some aspects of Buddhist practice with my mother.
The only person I do talk to it about is my girlfriend online or in emails (we have a VERY long distance relationship). She isn't Buddhist but she's more open to things and curious. I have contributed to (but not directly caused) her interest in meditation in a general way, but I don't push her on anything. She is in a large part sympathetic to Buddhism though. We'll talk about some aspects of it, and we often talk about philosophy, so this isn't too unusual.
But for the most part, I keep a great deal of it to myself, sometimes jotting things down in a journal.
She and her sister and brother were raised catholic (our family tradition) but when it came time for confirmation (around the age of 13 or so) they were each given the choice to continue and commit to Catholicism as young adults, or to become Pagan (like I was) or investigate any other religious path they found an interest in... Or do nothing at all at that particular point.
Both my son (my eldest) and my youngest daughter chose to just sort of drift with no commitment to any particular religious path. That's pretty much where they are today - still.
Nina, my middle child, did make her Catholic confirmation but not until she was 20 yrs old. Completely her choice - no pressures from anyone. But by the time she was nearing 29-30 it was apparent she was not really into the Church and it's moral codes and rules, and certainly thought they were too misogynistic for her tastes, and over-involved politically speaking. She did marry her very Catholic boyfriend in the Church, (in 2009) and doesn't regret that ... but she just wasn't "feelin' it" any longer for the religion.
Right around the same time I was reacquainting myself with Buddhism, she took an interest as well, Today she considers herself a Buddhist. We are a lot alike, my daughter and I... got some great qualities and an inherent sense of fairness and honesty... but we also have some pretty impressive faults in common as well!
We often playfully remind each other to "Call on the inner Buddha, Mom" or "Be the Buddha, Nina" when we see each other getting dicey. LOL It works well for us!
Edited to add:
My husband is a non-practicing Southern Baptist, my in-laws are all the same, except some are very involved in their churches. Most of my friends are Catholic or christian of one stripe or another, my one sister-in-law (married into my husband's family) has been a 'secret atheist' for many many years, I was the only one she could 'come out' to!
My family- parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, their spouses etc are all Catholic with the exception of a few Jewish or other-christian spouses.
@chela
That is so cool your husband is going to the conference with you (to see the DL). Its nice that he wants to share in that, even if it's not really his 'thing'.
Perhaps it's just a coincidence that ordained Buddhists are available to teach at our group.
I make the new age stuff sound worse than it really is though. It's not like there's someone rambling about prismatic energy and crystal healing every day. Other than the occasional "Uh... what?" moment, it's just good to have somewhere closeby where I can sit with a group.
You are unlikely to get to know her here though.
She thinks Buddhist websites are the work of Mara.
Something to do with the legacy of E Sangha I believe.
Got a chuckle out of that.... for sure.
My family doesn't know I'm a Buddhist and my boyfriend is, essentially, an atheist. He says he wants to go to temple with me once I start going regularly, but I don't think he would really like it. Most of my friends are either adherents to other faiths, mainly Christian, or are completely non-religious.
The only person I can think of who would really be willing to share my interest is a 50 year old female friend and her oldest child (28). They moved two states over about 3 years ago, but they are moving back in June.
:hair:
well, glad to say I've never had the 'pleasure' of experiencing E Sangha, @Citta. (sarcasm)
I do not practice Buddhism as a religion, but rather as a way of life.
For example yesterday I met a Ganesha Swami, giving Ganesh a good spring clean. Bowing to Ganesha and the swami, I was able to treat the 'God' as if real. Making sure he had been eating his coconuts, getting garlands, getting his milk bath etc. Here we are talking devotion. I got the feeling the 'swami' was one of the temple financiers and therefore a successful businessman. Ganesh is well looked after . . . and may be going on an outing in the future . . .
I spoke to no one except a few statues (Including Ganesh and Laxmi) and trees at the Buddhist temple I went on to . . .
Tomorrow I will show pics of the temple to my sister, who is interested in architecture, not Buddhism. We may discuss gardening which she may find relaxing, if she ever 'finds the time' to do any . . .
Each 'sleeping Buddha', speaks dharma in their own tongue . . .
Of course there was also a majority of genuinely interested and supportive people.
But the ( large ) minority of angry and /or attention seeking members skewed things.
On New Buddhist those folk are few. And I am trying to stop being one of them.