Please dont laugh.

Subliminal

My first post here, and took a while to post it.

I have been doing shaolin kung fu for seven years, i train with a sifu who is strongly grounded in buddhism. He has shared with me some of his traditions and beliefs, after i was inspired after seeing his temple. I have been an athiest for 15 years, rared as a catholic here in dublin. Now i find myself drawn to buddhism very strongly. I have read some books i bought, and want to learn more about becoming a buddhist. I dont think i am ready to take the step into buddhism yet, but i would love to go to an open day or simelar in a buddhist seminar etc. I hope it is ok to ask this here, but i ask out of curiousity..

How do you become a buddhist?
What essentials do you think are needed?
Is there an original buddhist temple in ireland? If so, where?

Part of the shaolin i have yet to do ( Next level ) is to study buddha, and to contemplate shoalin buddhism and what it is like. Please dont get me wrong, this isnt a cult or anything like that, but i have learned so much kung fu, and i need to think clearly and carefully about my decision, that all i am really asking is what is in-depthly involved on taking the path to buddhism.

Thanks.

AnonymousBloke

Hi

"How do you become a buddhist?"

I can only offer my opinion. In my experience 'becoming' a Buddhist is not like joining a religion like Catholicism, for example. There are certain formal steps that one can take, e.g. taking refuge, but it's not really about adopting a set of beliefs or dogma. In Buddhism you are postively advised to question and analyse teachings for yourself, see if they make sense to you. I've been a Buddhist in my friends eyes for about 10 years, but I didn't use that label for myself initially. I didn't announce to anyone that I was becoming a Buddhist, and I didn't renounce my former religion, which I hadn't practised for years. Ironically, through Buddhism I have a better appreciation of Catholicism now.

I would suggest taking gradual steps, reading broadly- there are many different Buddhist traditions. I'd ask your teacher which Buddhist tradition he follows, and try to find out more about that. At a guess given that he's teaching Shaolin Kung Fu he's probably following Ch'an Buddhism, which itself has many subschools and different flavours and is practised in Japan, Korea, Vietnam (as Zen or Son in Korea). I'm not aware of any Ch'an centres in Ireland.

You don't have to 'become' a Buddhist at all- you may find some of the philosophy helpful, you may find meditation useful. I wouldn't push- try to keep an open mind, and see what fits for you, if anything.

"What essentials do you think are needed?"

I once heard a Buddhist teacher say that the only essential for being a Buddhist was the belief that change is possible. Seems like a good starting point to me. There isn't a set of beliefs that you have to subscribe to, no articles of faith as such.

"Is there an original buddhist temple in ireland? If so, where?"

I'm not sure what you mean by this. There are quite a few centres/temples in Ireland, but no Ch'an temples that I'm aware of. If you're interested in temples in Ireland I and others here I'm sure can give you info.


Hope this helps- feel free to ask other questions.

Asiaprod

AnonymousBloke wrote:

I can only offer my opinion.

I am very impressed. Your take is very accurate and your advise very good. I like the way you mentioned that the only real requirment is a belief that change is possible. That sums it up very well. I would also like to make one point very clear, Buddhism is not a religion, it is a way of life.

AnonymousBloke

Asiaprod wrote:

I am very impressed. Your take is very accurate and your advise very good. I like the way you mentioned that the only real requirment is a belief that change is possible. That sums it up very well. I would also like to make one point very clear, Buddhism is not a religion, it is a way of life.

Thanks.

Agree on it being a way of life, although the whole religion definition thing is a bit fraught

Asiaprod

AnonymousBloke wrote:

Agree on it being a way of life, although the whole religion definition thing is a bit fraught

Yes, it is amazing how people, including myself, have a negative reaction to the word religion. I actually became a Buddhist to escape from being classified as being a part of a religion. But as you say, the whole issue of weither or not it is a religion is really a mute point. It is at the end of the day what ever I make it to be:D

chandira

Asiaprod wrote:

Yes, it is amazing how people, including myself, have a negative reaction to the word religion. I actually became a Buddhist to escape from being classified as being a part of a religion. But as you say, the whole issue of weither or not it is a religion is really a mute point. It is at the end of the day what ever I make it to be:D

One interpretation I heard of the word religion which made it a little more palatable to me was that it originates from the latin re (go back) and ligare (connect), so that it could from that viewpoint be defined as a means of reconnecting. Re-connecting with what is the inevitable question- for me it implies re-connecting with the present often, ultimately though connecting with one's true or highest potential.

But I've always felt more comfortable with spiritual than religious, probably because religion as it's generally been presented in my experience has been a dry formal structure, devoid of a heart. And I've met many religious people who were not spiritual, as well as quite a few who were.

Asiaprod

chandira wrote:

One interpretation I heard of the word religion.......religion as it's generally been presented in my experience has been a dry formal structure, devoid of a heart

Both parts of that statement were very well put, nice explanation. I also experienced the same, thought I have to say that meeting people like Excelsior over on Christianity has helped changed my opinion on that last point.

AnonymousBloke

Asiaprod wrote:

I also experienced the same, thought I have to say that meeting people like Excelsior over on Christianity has helped changed my opinion on that last point.

Likewise..I've ended up for various reasons being at gatherings of people from different 'faiths' and have met some very spiritual people, including priests and nuns. What I noticed about these people is that they have little interest in talking about 'religion' per se or the finer points of theology or doctrine. They seem much more interested in people and life.

Asiaprod

AnonymousBloke wrote:

people and life.

Ah....those 3 magic words.
Thats what this entire trip is really all about, people and life.

And the magic 3 word solution
Live in Harmony:)

AnonymousBloke

Asiaprod wrote:

Ah....those 3 magic words.
Thats what this entire trip is really all about, people and life.

And the magic 3 word solution
Live in Harmony:)

3 is the magic number

Asiaprod

AnonymousBloke wrote:

3 is the magic number

For heaven's sake, don't mention the trinity.

<Bolt from the blue. Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrggg>

AnonymousBloke

Asiaprod wrote:

For heaven's sake, don't mention the trinity.

<Bolt from the blue. Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrggg>

Wasn't going to

Interesting how the number 3 does crop up all over the place, trinity, 3 jewels in Buddhism, etc.

John Doe

Let's not forget 3 points in every English Leaving Cert answer...oh no...I've been hopelessly indoctrinated...
Ever so slightly more seriously, 3 does turn up constantly in the mythology of every single part of the human race. And it's just a nice number, really. *singing* Threeeeeeee!