Buddism. What do you think?

Question

I want to convert from Catholicism to Buddhism. I want peace and relaxation in my life. My father thinks it's just a phase, but I'm quite serious. I don't feel that Catholicism is my personal way of reaching spirituality. How do I convert? I have to wait another year when I turn 18 to do so, but I want to know what to do right now. Do you think Buddhism defying God, or is it another way to praise? What do you think about Buddhism? Be honest.

To those of different religions who have a problem with Buddhism or any other religions that are not yours: Please don't answer this question. I am trying to find out MY way to spirituality. I don't want you to tell me about how there is only one religion that will lead us because it's simply not true. There are so many different people in the whole who come from different backgrounds than just you. People do not think the same, act the same, look the same, or worship the same. Buddhism is my way to Enlightment and also to some others that believe in Buddhism. I only want them to answer please. With all due respects to your religions. Thank you.

My only reason of waiting legal age 18 is becasue that is when I know I have the freedom of choosing whatever I want, without my father's permission, including to become Buddhist. If I weren't serious about this, I would not have asked. My mother thinks that it's a great idea, and she is christian. She knows that I'm a different person who knows the right choice for me, but my dad believes that I came from a christian/catholic family and that I should stay that way.

Answer 1

Buddhism is not so much a religion as a philosophy. As the Buddha himself said, you have to seek your own path. However, he was nice enough to outline the basics for us.

You do not "convert" to Buddhism, and you certianly don't have to wait until you're 18! Allow me to do the honors: Poof, you're a Buddhist! Now go meditate.

You do not have to stop beleiving in God or the divinty of Christ, though, unless you want to of course. Nothing in what the Buddha taught is contradictory to beleiving in God (or gods/goddesses for that matter). Siddhartha Gutama, who was the first Buddha and the founder of Buddhism, said nothing about God in his teachings, despite the fact that he was a member of a priest caste in the Hindu religion. When asked by one of his followers why he did not teach anything regarding the existence of a god or higher being, he responded:

"If you come upon a man in the forest who has been struck with an arrow, you do not ask him 'Where did this arrow come from? How did this happen?' or 'Why were you shot?'. Instead you would offer aid and seek to ease his suffering. In the same way I seek to ease your suffering here, in this lifetime. I cannot comment on what exists beyond, and it is irrelevant to the question of enlightenment any way."

Note to other Buddhists: that is a heavy paraphasing and not a quote! : )

So right from the man's mouth--his teachings are not about God, or whether there is or isn't a God. The Buddha simply taught us that we must take responsibilty for our own spiritual enlightenment right now, in this lifetime.

I have been a Buddhist for a number of years, although recently my practice has veered more towards the Hindu traditions. I have to wonder why you feel that Buddhism would bring you more "peace and relaxation" than the teachings of Jesus. I often reflect on the direct teachings of Jesus in meditation, and many Buddhist practices seek to cultivate the same unconditional love for all beings that Christ spoke of in his ministry.

And, oddly enough, both Christ and Buddha have a number of similarites in their lives--the most significant of which (to me anyway) is the paralell between Christ's 40 days in the desert and his resistance of Satan's temptations and the Buddha's long meditation under the Bodhi tree and his resistance of the tempations of Maya. Each of them is even tempted the same number of times, and in the same manner...and both of them began teaching and gather disciples at about the same age.

Weird, huh? Especially because Buddhism is about 500 years older than Christianity.

Answer 2

Technically everyone should have religious freedom at any age.

Practically you may not be able to do this unless you leave home.

You may have to do a balancing act and study Buddism but not take it home with you.

Your parents have a right in their home to restrict what you do.

If you want to screw boys in your bed or smoke pot in your room, they have a right to stop you cold.

It is there house, not yours.

Let's be honest and fair. You have a roomate and your roomate thinks it cool to sell crack cocaine and keeps a pound of it in your apartment, would you approve of that?

Of course not.

You may not be able to dress the part or look the part or do inscense or whatever in your room.

You may have to go and come looking like a good little catholic girl.

Can your parents demand stay in the catholic church as long as you are at home living for free.

Yes.

They can make whatever demands they want of a, excuse the term, leech.

Can they stop you from going out, goiong to a Buddist temple, no.

That is illegal after the age of 18 or whatever the "legal" age is in your state (it is 17 in New York and 14 or 16 in Hawaii).

So long as you are not doing anything illegal or contrary to society, and your behave and respect the HOME environment, they have no recourse.

Legally, they can throw you out at age 18, if they want to.

They have to give you reasonable notice, they can't just bar you from the house.

They have to give you a fair amount of time to get a job, find an apartment and move out peacably.

They have the right to keep anything they bought for you.

It is up to you to mediate this.

Remember, this is almost as radical as announcing to them you're a Lesbian or a Communist.

As for what I think of Buddism, I don't know all that much about it. It doesn't seem all that bad.

I'm a believer in Jesus and God and most would say I blasphem for saying to you what I have already, but everyone has to find themselves and I don't believe in ORGANIZED religion and I don't go to CHURCHES to find God, Jesus or Salvation.

Maybe your father's right and it is a phase. Maybe you are lost.

Everyone is entitled to find their own path.

Amish let their kids, at 18, go to the "big city" and do what they want. They only come back if they decide the Amish was is best for them.

Answer 3

There are no formal ceremonies. Once you honestly believe that you are Buddhist, you're a Buddhist. As far as Buddhism and the Christian God go, I don't think it expressly acts against God, but it is no longer following his word. You don't need to be 18, either.

And I feel that Buddhism is truly a great religion. It teaches peace and tolerence among all things (human and animal), and its followers actually listen. It's not dogmatic. It doesn't claim to be the best (and only true) religion. On the list of great and helpful religions to society and individual spirituality, I'd put Buddhism near (if not right at) the top.

Answer 4

I found this page to be an interesting introduction to Buddhism.

http://www.allspirit.co.uk/buddhism.html

This page has a short biography of the man who became known as the Buddha:

http://education.yahoo.com/reference/encyclopedia/entry/Buddha

I find it interesting to learn that Buddha is a title and not a name, just as Christ is a title and not a name.

Personally, I am convinced that Buddhism is a search for God, not a denial or defiance. Remember that the Buddha began life as a the son of a powerful rule His religion, if he had any, was Hindu.

"In My Father's house there are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you." Again, "I have other sheep which are not of this flock."

Answer 5

I see Buddhism as more of a philosophy rather than a religion. I am a Baptist but I try to look to other philosophies because I don't think any religion has it right but I think Christianity is still in the right ballpark.

If you think that is the right path with you then more power to ya. I am a firm believer in questioning what you believe and why you believe it. I had a crises of Faith for a while but after many trial and tribulations I came back...and NOT because of some of my fellow stuck up Baptist. If you wanna talk e-mail me. [e-mail]

Answer 6

this is actual way too vast a question. There are dozen and dozens of websites accessible which will answer lots of your questions on Buddhism. There are 3 particularly great colleges of Buddhism practiced interior the U. S. immediately - Theravaden, Tibetan, and Zen (presently the main important college of Mahayana Buddhism interior the U. S.). Theravaden interior reason monastary orientated, Tibetan and Zen tend to have the two monastic and lay paths for prepare. HTH Buddhism is a faith that has no diety or ideals required. It has little or no dogma. it rather relies on the concept that life has suffering, and that with the help of skill of a prepare (related to various meditation) you could actually go beyond this suffering. It does not evaluate itself the "actual" faith, or extra appropriate than different religions. Buddhism the perfect for me, yet i could by no skill say it rather is the perfect direction for you. Buddhism sees all religions as distinctive hands pointing to an identical moon.

Answer 7

Read up, talk to a Monk, but it is not like the western religions, in fact you can be Buddhist and Catholic at the same time if it is OK. on the Catholic end. I know Christians and people who have done this. I don't think you sign up or become baptized.

Answer 8

Just do some study, and decide for yourself whether or not it's the right path for you. I'm an atheist, but if I were to be religious, I would probably be buddhist... or else I would believe in the Norse gods. Thor kicks some serious butt.

Answer 9

If you love mangoes, you are free to continue to eat mangoes, but no one forbids you to eat pineapples or oranges. Your favorite fruit is the mango, yes, but you don't betray your mango when you eat pineapple. I think it's too narrow-minded, even stupid, to enjoy only mango, when there are so many different fruits around in the world. Spiritual traditions are like spiritual fruits, and you have the right to enjoy them. It is possible to enjoy two traditions, to take the best of two traditions and live with that. If you like to eat Italian food, you can still enjoy French and Chinese cooking. You cannot say, "I have to be faithful to my Italian cooking", that's too funny.

You are the continuation of the Buddha, and you are the continuation of Jesus Christ. That is only beautiful, if you can share your wisdom, your insights, and you can learn from each other and enrich yourselves. That is what I envision for the future, that we remove the barriers between different spiritual traditions, and we behave as people do in the circle of psychotherapists. They enjoy and learn from all other traditions, and I think that each tradition of psychotherapy has something to offer. It's too narrow if we only want to be faithful to one school of psychotherapy.

You are welcome to continue your practice of Buddhist meditation, because you find it practical and helpful, transforming and healing. But you can think of other people who have come from the same tradition as you, and who have not encountered the practice. You can do it by sharing your Buddhist practice, and also proposing to them that you go back to your spiritual roots, and you might discover things that you have not seen. You might begin anew, so that your tradition will become very refreshing, something that can provide true answers to the questions of the new generations, and that will benefit many people. When I say that you have to go back to your roots, that does not mean that you have to abandon the Buddhist practice that you enjoy now. But the Buddhist practice will help you to understand more deeply, so that your work of transformation and renewing of your tradition will be possible; and especially so that your heart will open to embrace the people who do not seem to be open and understanding enough when they try to transmit their tradition and values to the new generations of people.
by Thich Nhat Hanh

Answer 10

I think you should study the Buddhism religion, purchase or borrow some books, and after you feel you've learnt everything that needs to be learnt about it, make your choice.