What a buddhist tradition did you choose and why?

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Grigoris
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Re: What a buddhist tradition did you choose and why?

Post by Grigoris »

edgar_d wrote: Sat Dec 08, 2018 8:42 pm
Grigoris wrote: Sat Dec 08, 2018 8:01 pm
edgar_d wrote: Sat Dec 08, 2018 7:52 pmReally? With all the scandals, you need to ask this?
Yes. There is a difference between an apparently respectable Sangha and an actually respectable Sangha. Which one are you referring to? One rarely runs into serious (systematic) problems in an actually respectable Sangha, though one can fall prey to a less than savory individual within a respectable Sangha.
If we step a few posts back and look at the context of someone new coming to a Sangha, then unless one has siddhis, 'apparent' is what one has to go one, while 'actual' is what may only become apparent later.
I disagree. Noticing unhealthy social and personal relationships is not a siddhi.
"My religion is not deceiving myself."
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE

"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
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Grigoris
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Re: What a buddhist tradition did you choose and why?

Post by Grigoris »

edgar_d wrote: Sat Dec 08, 2018 8:44 pmimage
Silence can also signal a lack of an answer (ie ignorance).
"My religion is not deceiving myself."
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE

"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
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edgar_d
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Re: What a buddhist tradition did you choose and why?

Post by edgar_d »

Grigoris wrote: Sat Dec 08, 2018 9:32 pm
edgar_d wrote: Sat Dec 08, 2018 8:44 pmimage
Silence can also signal a lack of an answer (ie ignorance).
I'd rather wear that label than the alternative.
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Re: What a buddhist tradition did you choose and why?

Post by Kris »

Mirror wrote: Tue Oct 16, 2018 3:01 pm Hello, I'm looking for the right buddhist tradition for me and I can't decide, so pleas help me by answering to my question. Thank you for everything!
This probably won't help but I'll answer anyway. I chose Dzogchen cause the guru's teach the unsurpassed upadesha, some of the yogis have long hair and sometimes they wear terma in their topknots.
The profound path of the master.
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Re: What a buddhist tradition did you choose and why?

Post by Johnny Dangerous »

edgar_d wrote: Sun Dec 09, 2018 1:37 pm
Grigoris wrote: Sat Dec 08, 2018 9:32 pm
edgar_d wrote: Sat Dec 08, 2018 8:44 pmimage
Silence can also signal a lack of an answer (ie ignorance).
I'd rather wear that label than the alternative.
Actually in your short time on the forum so far, it seems like you've let your opinion be known quite strongly, albeit primarily through the questions you ask. You started life on the forum telling us that we all talk too much, in less direct terms. I'd say that's pretty declarative talk, even if you got there indirectly. Here you also continue to ask questions that are actually statements:
edgar_d wrote: Fri Dec 07, 2018 11:41 pm If I were a man dying of thirst in the desert, and through sheer amazing luck I had stumbled upon an oasis with a bunch of different drink stalls, I would not stop and spend ages comparing and evaluating the merits of freshly squeezed juice over coca-cola, though there may well be a fair few.

First quench your thirst. Practice. Practice hard

The sentiment is valuable for sure, but let's not pretend it's something other than your opinion, which you are sharing- like everyone else here.
Meditate upon Bodhicitta when afflicted by disease

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when sad

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when suffering occurs

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when you are scared

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Re: What a buddhist tradition did you choose and why?

Post by amanitamusc »

edgar_d wrote: Sat Dec 08, 2018 8:44 pm
Grigoris wrote: Sat Dec 08, 2018 8:01 pm
edgar_d wrote: Sat Dec 08, 2018 7:52 pmSure. Like those gassed millions. But OK, I guess you can make karma mean pretty much anything you want. So I won't take the bait (any further).
If it is not about karma then what is it about? Luck? God? Fate? Chance?
Image
Do you believe in karma?
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Re: What a buddhist tradition did you choose and why?

Post by edgar_d »

Johnny Dangerous wrote: Tue Dec 11, 2018 12:34 am
edgar_d wrote: Sun Dec 09, 2018 1:37 pm
Grigoris wrote: Sat Dec 08, 2018 9:32 pm Silence can also signal a lack of an answer (ie ignorance).
I'd rather wear that label than the alternative.
Actually in your short time on the forum so far, it seems like you've let your opinion be known quite strongly, albeit primarily through the questions you ask. You started life on the forum telling us that we all talk too much, in less direct terms. I'd say that's pretty declarative talk, even if you got there indirectly. Here you also continue to ask questions that are actually statements:
edgar_d wrote: Fri Dec 07, 2018 11:41 pm If I were a man dying of thirst in the desert, and through sheer amazing luck I had stumbled upon an oasis with a bunch of different drink stalls, I would not stop and spend ages comparing and evaluating the merits of freshly squeezed juice over coca-cola, though there may well be a fair few.

First quench your thirst. Practice. Practice hard

The sentiment is valuable for sure, but let's not pretend it's something other than your opinion, which you are sharing- like everyone else here.
Well, opinion is as opinion does, to borrow from Mrs. Gump. And on-line one has practically no way of knowing what the said doing entails, leaving the opinion somewhat lacking substance.

You say "You started life on the forum telling us that we all talk too much", Johnny Dangerous. I actually said that I could not make heads or tails of most threads, which isn't the same thing and thank fully people, including your kind self, cam along and shared their perspectives. I take that as a good thing.
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Re: What a buddhist tradition did you choose and why?

Post by Johnny Dangerous »

edgar_d wrote: Tue Dec 11, 2018 8:33 am
Johnny Dangerous wrote: Tue Dec 11, 2018 12:34 am
edgar_d wrote: Sun Dec 09, 2018 1:37 pm

I'd rather wear that label than the alternative.
Actually in your short time on the forum so far, it seems like you've let your opinion be known quite strongly, albeit primarily through the questions you ask. You started life on the forum telling us that we all talk too much, in less direct terms. I'd say that's pretty declarative talk, even if you got there indirectly. Here you also continue to ask questions that are actually statements:
edgar_d wrote: Fri Dec 07, 2018 11:41 pm If I were a man dying of thirst in the desert, and through sheer amazing luck I had stumbled upon an oasis with a bunch of different drink stalls, I would not stop and spend ages comparing and evaluating the merits of freshly squeezed juice over coca-cola, though there may well be a fair few.

First quench your thirst. Practice. Practice hard

The sentiment is valuable for sure, but let's not pretend it's something other than your opinion, which you are sharing- like everyone else here.
Well, opinion is as opinion does, to borrow from Mrs. Gump. And on-line one has practically no way of knowing what the said doing entails, leaving the opinion somewhat lacking substance.

You say "You started life on the forum telling us that we all talk too much", Johnny Dangerous. I actually said that I could not make heads or tails of most threads, which isn't the same thing and thank fully people, including your kind self, cam along and shared their perspectives. I take that as a good thing.
Fair enough, and it is.
Meditate upon Bodhicitta when afflicted by disease

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when sad

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when suffering occurs

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when you are scared

-Khunu Lama
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edgar_d
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Re: What a buddhist tradition did you choose and why?

Post by edgar_d »

amanitamusc wrote: Tue Dec 11, 2018 4:55 am
edgar_d wrote: Sat Dec 08, 2018 8:44 pm
Grigoris wrote: Sat Dec 08, 2018 8:01 pm If it is not about karma then what is it about? Luck? God? Fate? Chance?
Image
Do you believe in karma?
This thread isn't about me and we should be careful not to derail it, but to honour your question, amanitamusc, karma is cause and effect, as I understand it, and cause and effect is one of the things even a child doesn't need to believe in - it's self-evident, at least to us, temporal beings.

To come back to the topic, I started off in Theravada but moved to Chan, because I guess I was thankful for the practical guidance my Chan teacher provided, the emphasis on meditation and on integrating practice with our whole life, but in all honesty, it is hard to pinpoint the exact causes - it just clicked. Isn't that the case with so many things? Except when we follow others because we trust them and not ourselves or do things for other wrong reason. Even then, maybe the error and the detour was precisely what we needed. :shrug:
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Re: What a buddhist tradition did you choose and why?

Post by Wayfarer »

I discovered Zen because of the popular Zen books of my youth: Suzuki (D.T. & Shunryu), Alan Watts and Paul Reps. I read heaps of spiritual books, and they were the ones that really struck home. Homage to them and the ancestors that taught them.

:namaste:
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Re: What a buddhist tradition did you choose and why?

Post by bfm1989 »

Mirror wrote: Tue Oct 16, 2018 3:01 pm Hello, I'm looking for the right buddhist tradition for me and I can't decide, so pleas help me by answering to my question. Thank you for everything!
After a long journey exploring many paths I’ve settled on practicing Nichiren Buddhism, independently and on my own.

I practiced in the Nyingma Vajrayana tradition for many years until my guru passed away into mahaparinirvana. But the methods of Vajrayana proved difficult for me because I struggle worth visualization and some of the more strict aspects of tantric ritual.

I have sat zazen with several zen groups but the discipline and consistency required by zazen was also too great a challenge for me.

This is not to say I didn’t derive benefits from the various practices of both schools - it’s just neither was a good fit for me. For what ever reason, sustaining practice within these lineages long term was too difficult.

I am not disparaging any sect or practice but I found that i wasn’t making a lot of progress in them, personally.

I liked some of what I’ve read from the PureLand schools but in the end that also wasn’t for me.

I came home to Nichiren Buddhism. I was a member of SGI but now I practice on my own.

Chanting suits me best as a Buddhist or spiritual practice. When I chant I feel empowered, energized, uplifted, nourished and sustained. I’m at a place where I feel like changing does as much for me as eating food, drinking water or breathing air. I can’t imagine life without it. Practicing Nichiren Buddhism by chanting Daimoku (the title of the Lotus Sutra) and also gongyo (portions of the Lotus Sutra) gives me all I need to grow spiritually towards enlightenment. Out of all the different systems of philosophy to be found within Mahayana Buddhism, Nichiren also resonated most deeply with me.

I’m grateful that there are so many different Dharma paths. It took me a little while to find which one worked best for me but I’m grateful for all the experiences I’ve had along the way.
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Re: What a buddhist tradition did you choose and why?

Post by DJS »

To start it might be best to find a local sangha in your area and start practicing with them. Be critical. Ask questions. Don't go along with herd mentality, use common sense and good judgment. If something seems off, try finding another group. Local is best because you want to be able to access support easily. If your sangha is half-way across the world, how often will you really be able to see and interact with them? Dharma on one level is an interactive process. Benefits do come from alone practice but you need to be able to talk with your teacher and sangha in person as well.
It may take some searching before you find a path and sangha that is a good fit for you. Or you may get lucky and find something on the first try.
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Re: What a buddhist tradition did you choose and why?

Post by well wisher »

what tradition does one belong to, if one can offer praise for all 3 major vehicle classifications?
Mahayana: very strong afterlife teaching, and out-of-box thinking, more inter-personal interactions and bigger group generalized teaching, disciplined
Theravada: very strong in-human-life focus and logical thinking, more self-improvement focus, disciplined
Vajrayana: very strong fearless and power components, does not fear seemingly-demonic portraits for practices, more personalized, flexible

Did i overdo it in the differential discriminating wisdom or generalization? With my limited understanding ... :shrug:
-----
http://www.katinkahesselink.net/tibet/vows.html
"The Dharma of the Buddha is boundless. I vow to master it."

Is one possibly too overly ambitious trying to master all forms of dharma, if it is boundless and limitless?
Considering there are so many different types of Buddhist schools out there in the world!
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Re: What a buddhist tradition did you choose and why?

Post by Vasana »

well wisher wrote: Sat Feb 23, 2019 2:33 pm what tradition does one belong to, if one can offer praise for all 3 major vehicle classifications?
Mahayana: very strong afterlife teaching, and out-of-box thinking, more inter-personal interactions and bigger group generalized teaching, disciplined
Theravada: very strong in-human-life focus and logical thinking, more self-improvement focus, disciplined
Vajrayana: very strong fearless and power components, does not fear seemingly-demonic portraits for practices, more personalized, flexible

Did i overdo it in the differential discriminating wisdom or generalization? With my limited understanding ... :shrug:
-----
http://www.katinkahesselink.net/tibet/vows.html
"The Dharma of the Buddha is boundless. I vow to master it."

Is one possibly too overly ambitious trying to master all forms of dharma, if it is boundless and limitless?
Considering there are so many different types of Buddhist schools out there in the world!
You shouldn't base your understanding or conclusions of those different veichles based on the above generalizations. They're a little more nuanced. Take your time and study the differences if that's where you're at, no need to rush.
'When thoughts arise, recognise them clearly as your teacher'— Gampopa
'When alone, examine your mind, when among others, examine your speech'.— Atisha
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Re: What a buddhist tradition did you choose and why?

Post by well wisher »

Vasana wrote: Sat Feb 23, 2019 2:47 pm You shouldn't base your understanding or conclusions of those different veichles based on the above generalizations. They're a little more nuanced. Take your time and study the differences if that's where you're at, no need to rush.
Thank you Vasana, I will try to take more proper time and consideration to explore and understand the vehicles properly then.
:namaste:

Yes, even my co-workers and family members says sometimes i am too impatient and rushed.
I thought maybe its because of unavoidable nature of normal fast-paced and high expectations city dweller life style with all the increasing retirees and all; but yeah, maybe I am assuming too much!

For now by default, I will probably stick with tradition that I initially took refuge and precepts in: Chinese Chan & Pure Land Buddhism : which my father & grandma took me before even my kindergarten years in Asia before we immigrated to Canada, when I understood very little.

Even though that both my grandma and my original precept-master monk has already passed away,
and I have not resided in the same asia country for 20+ years already.
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Re: What a buddhist tradition did you choose and why?

Post by bxcf24 »

Zen. There is a center near me and I like the simplicity and meditation practice.
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Re: What a buddhist tradition did you choose and why?

Post by RBK »

I have practiced and studied in a number of traditions and approaches, from “secular insight practice” to Zen. I also have read widely from across the various Buddhist schools etc, and Buddhist studies material. I eventually gravitated towards Mahayana and Zen more specifically, and found my current teacher living in my same suburb no less, via the main Zen center here.

Echoing the sentiments of many here, I think that a teacher is primary, one that you connect with where the right kinda of exchange/communication can unfold to help you along the path. Given this I do think you have to ultimately find a tradition that you resonate with given its aesthetics, teachings, teaching style etc etc.

From a Mahayana perspective it strikes me that all of the traditions and their different approaches in some sense can be seen as different “skillfull means” so really it is a matter of finding a context for practice and a teacher/set of teachings that you connect with and that works for you. This is not to say that there is one right answer for you, or that this may not change throughout your life relative to contextual factors etc...

It does strike me that if you step out onto the path, and search for such with the right intention, a teacher and a sangha will present themselves eventually in whatever form.
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Re: What a buddhist tradition did you choose and why?

Post by dude »

I chose the Nichiren School.
Because the practice works.
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Re: What a buddhist tradition did you choose and why?

Post by catmoon »

amanitamusc wrote: Sat Dec 08, 2018 3:39 am
And what if the first stall you stopped at was handing out glasses of poison?

A Sutra person would renounce it.A Tantra person would transform it.A Dzogchen person would self liberate it.
I'm not sure, but I think us Gelug types would just croak. Hopefully forgiving on the way down. :smile:
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Re: What a buddhist tradition did you choose and why?

Post by SunWuKong »

What? in the early 1970's it was Alan Watts, DT Suzuki, Ram Dass, and actually Tim Leary was very much into a Tibetan perspective (mostly in his head), then Allen Ginsburg read and lectured, also Steve Gaskin. I really liked Paul Reps Book, Zen Bones Zen Flesh. But i got into yoga, then TM, then rejected it all for Christianity. In 1999, my life kind of hit the rocks and I wanted to get back into meditation but had a very strong aversion for gurus. Someone turned me onto books by Thich Naht Hanh and John Kabat Zinn. I started a meditation practice then and joined into the respective sanghas. Mostly I am into Vietnamese Thien, but i sometimes go to a meeting of UUBF (Unitarian), Soto or Rinzai Zen. I settled into Thien pretty well, and established a very solid at-home practice for 20 years, but life has taken me into 4 different local sanghas during that time. What little i had time for with work, etc.

Why? mostly needing the stability of a meditation practice, which calms the mind and opens it to the Dharma. I'm kind of an opportunist, and this is what was presented to me, and I don't easily reject things unless there's a good reason for it.
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