how do contemporary buddhist practices reflect the foundations of the religon?

Answer 1

we are the foundations. Everyone is a potential Buddha through the noble 8 fold path. Wisdom (right understanding, right intention), Ethical conduct (right speech, right action, right livelihood) and mental discipline (right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration).Right means perfectness or ideal. You must separate the individual cultural backgrounds from the practice though. tibetan buddhism has alot of the culture that belongs in Tibet. When Buddhism came to the west though some people decided to practice it with the tibetan culture. You can combine buddhism with your own culture though. The same can be said of the other non tibetan branches of the religion. We practice the foundations everyday, in everything we do or say, starting with concentrating and meditating so that slowly we realize what we do or say and eventually end up aware before we do or say something negative until we no longer have to concentrate on being ourselves.

Answer 2

one of the biggest components to buddhism is that each person must find their own way into enlightenment. It's a journey that you can only make alone and it's not a clear cut path. Contemporary practices, just like poems, are just new ways of finding what you seek. It's not like the contemporary practices state that for each baby you eat you get +1 kharma. It's building on old philosophies and adapting to the modern world. Buddhism is very much a philosophy and a religion, therefore it adapts to the new age. While some people do believe that Buddhism is just incense and a fat bald guy that always smiles, it's a misconception.

Answer 3

When you do zazen (sitting meditation), your doing exactly as buddha did.