For Buddhists?

Question

Since Buddhism teaches that there is no contradiction in practicing more than 1 religious faith at a time, is it possible for Buddhists to belong to more than 1 Buddhist sect at the same time?

Example: Can a Buddhist be both Mahayanist & Theravadist at the same time?

Answer 1

My experience has been very different from most people here. I have been a practising member of three different Buddhist groups.

Two were Zen Buddhist and the third was Nichiren Buddhism.
For two out of the three it was put to me that it was a problem my being a person of multiple faiths.

I personally do not find any conflict within myself. Due to the human pressures upon me it became my feeling in both instances that distancing myself from the group was the proper course for me.

With the one group in particular there was an heir of superiority regarding our practise which resulted in my getting angry with other people. I had this same issue with the different Christian Churches I attempted to frequent. I cannot abide antisematism or bigotry towards other religions such as Islam.

I don't desire spiritual exclusivity. I feel trapped and shortchanged somehow when ever I have attempted it. It doesn't ring true for me. I am also a Sundancer and enjoy studying many faiths including that of my own ancestors. I cherish my teachers.

Back to Buddhism! If you read the Lotus Sutra and the writings of Nichiren Dishonon you will get a much different impression of Buddhism than I have read here.

When I took my vows in Zen Buddhism, it clearly stated to stay within the Sanga. There are very specific precepts involved in taking these vows. Most of which I have managed to keep over the years!

I have always done my best with my spiritual practice. I cherishe my teachers and their teachings. But there is a place at my core that I cannot allow to be comprimised by anything that does not ring absolutly true for me.

Are most of you that call yourselves Buddhist here, on your own? If you are just reaading and studying on your own I can see how you are getting this impression. Specialised practice has its own merit and is nothing to snub your nose at. Also if you study these two kinds of Buddhism you have mentioned you will come accross the divide between them.

I do not have the answers but I do know that there is a difference between religion and the teachers the religion is fashioned after.

I do not intend these statements as a critisism of Buddhism. I am still a Buddhist both officially and in spirit. I am other things as important to me as well! Within me they are all one. Outside me, I respect the integrity of each teaching and its individual form of practice. The individuality of each is as important as the place in which they become one. I don't mess with the method! Integrity!Respect!No mixing up a bit of this or a bit of that ceromony with this one. No. Respect

May you all be blessed in your search and grow in beauty and truth always.

Peace.

Answer 2

An excellent book to read, worth investigating is:
"Life Without STress.:
By: Dr. Arthur Sokoloff.

It's aim is not to convert others, but to simply openly, without negatively criticizing or judging others, share the Far Eastern Antidote to Tention, Anxiety and Stress.
In the book, Dr. Arthur Sololoff explains how most Eastern Religions and Philosophy's combine different religions and Philosophy's together and acquire a stable peace of mind to live without stress, tension and anxiety. This is often unheard of in the United States, and in the Middle Eastern religions of Islam.

The Shambala Meditative center that I, an American Buddhist practice at, has born again christians practicing mindfulness meditation their, has Catholic Christians practicing meditation there, has some muslims/muslimah's practicing Mindfulness meditation there, has Buddhists practicing mindfulness meditation there, has many Jewish people pracicing meditation there, has Mormons proacticing meditation there, and many others.
We all basically, not only to learn how to calm our minds down for peace, but also their to learn how to face ourselves, our problems[challenges] in life through insight {mindfulness) meditation, face to face enabling us to see things, people, situations clearly as they really are. As we practice Mindfulness Meditation, we see our problems [challenges] in life, slowly dissolve
as we face them non-judgementally face to face during meditation. The end result is a Stable Peace of MInd, and Happiness.

So as you see, if a person can be, if they are open-minded, be Jewish or a Catholic Christian, or a born again christian and still practice Mindfulness Meditation then YES, a person can practice both Theravadan and Mahayan or Tibetan Buddhism at the same time. Some choose one or the other, I however practice both traditions, the tradition of the elders (which I mostly identify with) and also Tibetan, as the 14th
Dalai Lama practices.

Hope this helps some.

With Metta.

Answer 3

Absolutely many are and many practice cross overs. The key
to Buddhism is to prove it yourself with logic and truth no matter where you get it. The point is not to win and be the one but to lose and be nobody, only then can you in all humility come to the realization that you are no big thing only part of a big thing

Answer 4

Buddhism is more a philosophy than a religion. A Buddhist can also be a Christian, or Muslim, or anything else.

Answer 5

A practitioner of Theravada is practicing Theravada; a practitioner of Mahayana is practicing Theravada and Mahayana; a practitioner of Vajrayana is necessarily practicing Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana; however, a Theravadin, or Hinayana practitioner is not practicing Mahayana or Vajrayana. Until bodhicitta is generated one is practicing Hinayana Buddhism, or teachings for practitioners of smallest scope, or smallest capacity.

Answer 6

Different Buddhist sect represent different method of practicing, but not different believe.

You are asking a question like:
Can I swim in freestyle and butterfly style at the same time?

The answer is:
It's either you will invent a new style of swimming or drown.

Answer 7

Yes. You can be as much or as little as you want. The Dalai Lama has said that people can take what they want from Buddhism.

Answer 8

Why not? Any reason not to? As far as I know, the teaching are complementary then contradicting.

There are different ways to enlightenment, as long as the ways contains the right substance, you will be enlighted ..... :P

Answer 9

Buddhism is a philosophy not a religion. I think a person chooses their philosophy and doesn't dabble in several.

Answer 10

Probably. Why not?