It was a nice run being Christian for the month. I really found a new appreciation for some of the practices, some of the practitioners, and a few of the modern philosophical teachers.
What did I learn? A lot. Do I feel more like a Christian? Yes and no. On one hand, I learned a lot of valuable things, listened to a lot of inspiring sermons/teachings, and met some pretty impressive individuals. On the other, I found my interpretation of this new information to distance me from the possibility of being a true Christian. I can see the truth in the teachings, and I understand the importance Christianity has in the world, but I can't fully buy the notion Jesus is the only way.
My understanding of Jesus:
I understand the importance and significance of Jesus' role in Christianity, but I also understand everything we know about him was written by man. It was interesting to read about the historical Jesus, and if you haven't done any research on the topic you might find it educational (no matter your religious leanings). What I found most interesting was how the story of Jesus may have lead him to be the son of Christianity. That may seem silly to you, but I was brought up with all the great stories about Jesus healing the sick and helping the poor. I was taught what the gospels told us about Jesus, how he was man and God, how he died for our sins, how through his grace we could find our place in Heaven.
The more I read about the history, surrounding the time and place of Jesus in the world, the more I started to find myself doubting. I am not intending to sway anyone's opinion on the subject. I hope that if you are reading this as a Christian you do not get offended, just as I hope any non-believers reading this do not think I am championing any anti-Jesus message. I do, however, feel like its important to hear multiple sides to a story and make your own opinions about the matter.
What new (for me) information caused me to doubt?
For one, Pontius Pilate was a real dick.
"Concerning Jesus’ executioner, Pontius Pilate, we have a considerable body of data that contradicts the largely sympathetic portrayal of him in the New Testament. Even among the long line of cruel procurators who ruled Judea, Pilate stood out as a notoriously vicious man. He eventually was replaced after murdering a group of Samaritans: The Romans realized that keeping him in power would only provoke continual rebellions. The gentle, kindhearted Pilate of the New Testament—who in his “heart of hearts” really did not want to harm Jesus is fictional. The New Testament depicts Pilate as wishing to spare Jesus from punishment, only to be stymied by a large Jewish mob yelling, “Crucify him.” The account ignores one simple fact. Pilate’s power in Judea was absolute. Had he wanted to absolve Jesus, he would have done so: He certainly would not have allowed a mob of Jews, whom he detested, to force him into killing someone whom he admired." (Joseph Telushkin. Jewish Literacy.)
Secondly, there are historians that claim the writers of those times often would describe people in ways that embellished ideals to portray a person. For instance, my wife is an excellent mother. So in those times I would have written a story about her taking in all the homeless children of Lexington, feeding them all and becoming a mother to all of them. The point is to explain that she is a loving mother, but the stories often times were skewed to make a point. One author explained that this was not intentional, but just the way of the times. So it is possible that some of the scriptural accounts about Jesus were dressed up a bit, to help get the point across.
To be honest with you, I am completely ok with that. It doesn't make the teachings less special, it doesn't make the truth less real, and it doesn't mean you can't use it to find whatever you are looking for. The Jesus I read in the Bible was a spiritual superhero. That dude was rad, and understood what it takes to live life (Unless, of course, your idea of having what it takes to live life includes living past 33). It's sad to see being a good Christian sometimes comes down to saying you believe in a story about a man, written by men, that could never find words to reveal the true essence of what they were trying to describe. When can we look past the notion that it has to be "this way" or "that way", and see that living the teachings is what makes you a good Christian? Who knows, maybe I'm way off...the opposite of what you know as true can also be true. Maybe you really can live your life selfishly and be saved by nothing other than asking for forgiveness.
Thirdly, I can't fully get behind the resurrection story. Not because I believe it to be made up, but because I know it "could" be made up. There are other parts of the bible I can't fully get behind either: People living 900 years, seven headed dragons (I've also read it as "beast"), Noahs Ark, Genesis...that'll do to make a point I suppose. I've heard my problem is a lack of faith. I would disagree. I have faith that people who follow the teachings of the bible can make the world a much better place. I found faith this month that many wise Christians are doing fantastic things in the world. In fact, my faith in Christianity has probably never been higher than since I started reading C.S. Lewis and listening to the teachings of the retired Archbishop Desmond Tutu this month.
So this is where I am at on the whole Jesus thing.
1. He is possibly the son of God, though I'm not going to bet my life on it.
2. We don't know as much about the historical Jesus as we think we do (at least I don't)
3. His teachings seem legit.
4. Following him with all of your heart will make the world a better place.
5. He would be ashamed of what people have done in his name.
Feel like I'm missing something, or I am way off base? (there is so much more I didn't have time/room for) Make a comment. I love the discussions.
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Christianity...just like coming home.
What better month to be a practicing Christian than Easter season? I'm sure if you're a practicing christian you would argue every month is a good month to be practicing. So how do you go about being a "good practicing christian"? That's a tough question, and a loaded one at that. So this month I set up a few rules.
1. Going to church. I plan on attending church each week.
Growing up and baptized methodist, I am looking to check out other styles of churches, ones that offer a different flavor of christianity. I went to the Vineyard Church a few weeks ago with a couple of friends. It was a really nice church, (disclaimer: Any place that has free earl grey tea is hard to talk bad about) and the first I have attended that had a band, which was nice. I was curious about the message, but I found it to be pretty inspiring. A lot of talk about being better people, helping community, and nothing about fire/brimstone/hell.
Today I attended church with my family and grandparents at the methodist church I was baptized in. It was nice being back, and I was grateful to be there with my grandparents, but I wasn't as inspired by today's service as much as the one I attended in Lexington. To be fair, I had my children there, so a good part of the time was spent keeping paper out of Em's mouth and wondering if Ro would say the word "butt" outloud. What didn't really "do it" for me was the structured agenda of it all. Sit, read, stand, sing, call and response, THEN a sermon, then more reading. I didn't really feel like I had time to think for myself and soak it all in. I don't want this to be a negative thing, but it didn't give me what I liked about The Vineyard. The Vineyard was like listening to someone in your family. Christian ideals were definitely preached, but in a way that connected it to the community, and allowed me to reflect on how to be a better person.
2. Attend a weekly bible study group.
I feel so fortunate and grateful for the group of guys I get to hang out with this month. Randomly, I was hooked up with a pseudo bible study group consisting of 7-8 retired preachers. Thinking about a bible study was a daunting task. I wasn't really interested in my idea of a traditional bible study (I probably have the most untraditional view of a traditional bible study). I thought my time constraint would not allow me to get a whole lot out of it. Would there be open discussion? Would we be going through one book of the bible? Would I be preached at? Would they even let me in if they found out I subscribe to the buddhist tradition?
What I wanted was an open forum. A place where we could shoot the shit, talk some Jesus, and debate the christian ideals that seem to drive wedges between community members. And that is EXACTLY what I got myself into. These guys are great. Granted, they are still trying to save me, but they sincerely treat me like one of their own. We have pretty lengthy discussions, I feel completely comfortable explaining my true thoughts on christian teachings, and the guys answer my questions without any detectable traces of judgement. It's nice to know guys like this were building ministries throughout the country. We obviously have some major philosophical differences, but we all want the same thing. For those of you who have a really negative view of christians, I have to tell you there are some really great christians out there. A year ago I don't know if I would have believed how great my conversations with a self-proclaimed conservative christian could have gone. But here I am hoping you get the opportunity that I have had so far this month.
3. Pray.
This is the one thing I was sure would be easier than it has turned out. Obviously, praying is not a difficult thing. I have been somewhat serious with meditation up until now, and praying seemed an easy alternative. Well....it wasn't. Praying in the morning to start the day...no problem. Praying at night before I go to bed...should be easy, but I seem to forget most nights before lying down to sleep. Saying a little prayer before a meal has proven to be the most difficult for me. The big issue is my forgetfullness. But when I do think about it at lunch, I get self concious about it. I sometimes think to myself "this is going to be a good one" or "hot damn! I'm feeling the love and Im going to include everyone that made this meal possible". Then reality sets in. I start to think to myself...is anyone going to stare at me when I do this? I wonder if they were like my former self and think what I'm doing is silly. Then what happens is my extravagant grace turns into a few second of thanks. (the ministers assure me any grace is better than none...maybe its more of a self dissapointment I let unsubstantiated thoughts get in the way)
4. Read/listen to expand my understanding
I have been hitting the podcasts pretty hard on my drive to/from work.
CS Lewis is my new free time favorite.
Any other suggestions? I have a book by Ravi Zacharias that was loaned to me, but I'm just not sure its in the cards. I'm sure he's a great man, but I listened to a few of his talks on podcast and he didn't do it for me.
So that's what I have been up to this month. Looking forward to continuing, and improving, my understanding on the subject over the next week and a half. I hope everyone who practices had a great easter. I hope all of you who don't did as well.
Stay Blessed.
1. Going to church. I plan on attending church each week.
Growing up and baptized methodist, I am looking to check out other styles of churches, ones that offer a different flavor of christianity. I went to the Vineyard Church a few weeks ago with a couple of friends. It was a really nice church, (disclaimer: Any place that has free earl grey tea is hard to talk bad about) and the first I have attended that had a band, which was nice. I was curious about the message, but I found it to be pretty inspiring. A lot of talk about being better people, helping community, and nothing about fire/brimstone/hell.
Today I attended church with my family and grandparents at the methodist church I was baptized in. It was nice being back, and I was grateful to be there with my grandparents, but I wasn't as inspired by today's service as much as the one I attended in Lexington. To be fair, I had my children there, so a good part of the time was spent keeping paper out of Em's mouth and wondering if Ro would say the word "butt" outloud. What didn't really "do it" for me was the structured agenda of it all. Sit, read, stand, sing, call and response, THEN a sermon, then more reading. I didn't really feel like I had time to think for myself and soak it all in. I don't want this to be a negative thing, but it didn't give me what I liked about The Vineyard. The Vineyard was like listening to someone in your family. Christian ideals were definitely preached, but in a way that connected it to the community, and allowed me to reflect on how to be a better person.
2. Attend a weekly bible study group.
I feel so fortunate and grateful for the group of guys I get to hang out with this month. Randomly, I was hooked up with a pseudo bible study group consisting of 7-8 retired preachers. Thinking about a bible study was a daunting task. I wasn't really interested in my idea of a traditional bible study (I probably have the most untraditional view of a traditional bible study). I thought my time constraint would not allow me to get a whole lot out of it. Would there be open discussion? Would we be going through one book of the bible? Would I be preached at? Would they even let me in if they found out I subscribe to the buddhist tradition?
What I wanted was an open forum. A place where we could shoot the shit, talk some Jesus, and debate the christian ideals that seem to drive wedges between community members. And that is EXACTLY what I got myself into. These guys are great. Granted, they are still trying to save me, but they sincerely treat me like one of their own. We have pretty lengthy discussions, I feel completely comfortable explaining my true thoughts on christian teachings, and the guys answer my questions without any detectable traces of judgement. It's nice to know guys like this were building ministries throughout the country. We obviously have some major philosophical differences, but we all want the same thing. For those of you who have a really negative view of christians, I have to tell you there are some really great christians out there. A year ago I don't know if I would have believed how great my conversations with a self-proclaimed conservative christian could have gone. But here I am hoping you get the opportunity that I have had so far this month.
3. Pray.
This is the one thing I was sure would be easier than it has turned out. Obviously, praying is not a difficult thing. I have been somewhat serious with meditation up until now, and praying seemed an easy alternative. Well....it wasn't. Praying in the morning to start the day...no problem. Praying at night before I go to bed...should be easy, but I seem to forget most nights before lying down to sleep. Saying a little prayer before a meal has proven to be the most difficult for me. The big issue is my forgetfullness. But when I do think about it at lunch, I get self concious about it. I sometimes think to myself "this is going to be a good one" or "hot damn! I'm feeling the love and Im going to include everyone that made this meal possible". Then reality sets in. I start to think to myself...is anyone going to stare at me when I do this? I wonder if they were like my former self and think what I'm doing is silly. Then what happens is my extravagant grace turns into a few second of thanks. (the ministers assure me any grace is better than none...maybe its more of a self dissapointment I let unsubstantiated thoughts get in the way)
4. Read/listen to expand my understanding
I have been hitting the podcasts pretty hard on my drive to/from work.
CS Lewis is my new free time favorite.
Any other suggestions? I have a book by Ravi Zacharias that was loaned to me, but I'm just not sure its in the cards. I'm sure he's a great man, but I listened to a few of his talks on podcast and he didn't do it for me.
So that's what I have been up to this month. Looking forward to continuing, and improving, my understanding on the subject over the next week and a half. I hope everyone who practices had a great easter. I hope all of you who don't did as well.
Stay Blessed.
Monday, April 7, 2014
Call it what you want...there is no God.
Did you know there are many different types of "atheism"? The internet says so, and it's never wrong. I grew up in simpler times, times when you could be a believer and non-believer. So easy, but like I've discussed before, nothing is permanent. The non believers have apparently joined more modern times and tried to overcomplicate things. Now there are a lot of hip and cool new ways to not believe in a higher power.
Atheism
Atheists deny that atheism is a religion. They do not believe in any God/Gods/supernatural powers. The internet (in its infinite wisdom) reveals that "An Atheist has no specific belief system. We (atheists) accept only that which is scientifically verifiable. Since god concepts are unverifiable, we do not accept them." Obviously this is an oversimplification. There are many different views on atheism. The one common theme is the belief there is no God figure, but I would argue they DO, in fact, have a belief system...just not one the incorporates an omnipotent being running the show.
Agnostics
Agnostics believe that our knowledge is limited to the natural world and we are never going to know if God exists. They tend to be skeptical of all/most things related to theology. Some take the stance that they don't know if God exists or not, others seem adamant that no one will ever be able to understand.
I used to describe myself as agnostic. It was my ideal place to deal with both believers and non-believers. It was like I could have my cake and eat it to. (By no means am I debasing Agnosticism, I personally described myself this way because I wasn't really sure what I believed and it was an easy out)
Free thinkers
"free-think-er n. A person who forms opinions about religion on the basis of reason, independently of tradition, authority, or established belief. Freethinkers include atheists, agnostics and rationalists. No one can be a freethinker who demands conformity to a bible, creed, or messiah. To the freethinker, revelation and faith are invalid, and orthodoxy is no guarantee of truth." - Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc.
This is not fully hitting the mark, but this seems to relate to some Buddhist teachings I discussed previously.
Humanism
"Being a Humanist means trying to behave decently without expectation of rewards or punishment after you are dead." - Kurt Vonnegut.
"Humanism is a progressive belief that, without supernaturalism, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of humanity." - American Humanist Association
Bloggers note: this is an "ism" that I can really get down with. I also had the pleasure of joining an online humanist forum. What I found was a group of people interested in making Lexington a better place. There were discussions of local fundraisers, many community building opportunities(I'm looking forward to a family bowling get together), and discussions on how to help families in need, and discussions on where to learn more about humanist ideas. Sounds like a church community...without God of course. And full of people I am happy to share my community with.
Naturalism
"The mental attitude which unreservedly accepts the supremacy of reason and aims at establishing a system of philosophy and ethics verifiable by experience, independent of all arbitrary assumptions or authority." - American Rationalist
So what is all the fuss about? What makes us so afraid of atheists and where do these negative feelings come from? I'm not going to pretend it doesn't happen, because it does. I have talked with quite a few people about atheism recently and I have witnessed first hand the stigma that can accompany it. Lucky for me I was only atheist for a month, I don't know how you full time non-believers do it.
It seems that somewhere along the way the dialogue became more about being on the "right team" versus the "same team" (ironic, considering the other major religions consider us all Gods people) As long as there are people fighting for their view to be the right one, as long as there are people unwilling to listen to another perspective, as long as people use their beliefs to justify their fears; ignorance will continue to negatively influence our communities.
In case you missed it, no where in any of these definitions does it say atheists don't believe in good, they just don't believe in god. I can think of many reasons why someone may denounce religion. (more on that with my next post) I cannot think of any reason living a moral/productive/fulfilling life has to be mutually tied to a certain belief system, however. The reality of it all is that regardless of their reasons to believe in what they do, they have the capability to love, to be loved, to help, to cooperate, to do good. And anyone focused on making a positive impact on my community is ok in my book...regardless of what happens to them when they die.
Atheism
Atheists deny that atheism is a religion. They do not believe in any God/Gods/supernatural powers. The internet (in its infinite wisdom) reveals that "An Atheist has no specific belief system. We (atheists) accept only that which is scientifically verifiable. Since god concepts are unverifiable, we do not accept them." Obviously this is an oversimplification. There are many different views on atheism. The one common theme is the belief there is no God figure, but I would argue they DO, in fact, have a belief system...just not one the incorporates an omnipotent being running the show.
Agnostics
Agnostics believe that our knowledge is limited to the natural world and we are never going to know if God exists. They tend to be skeptical of all/most things related to theology. Some take the stance that they don't know if God exists or not, others seem adamant that no one will ever be able to understand.
I used to describe myself as agnostic. It was my ideal place to deal with both believers and non-believers. It was like I could have my cake and eat it to. (By no means am I debasing Agnosticism, I personally described myself this way because I wasn't really sure what I believed and it was an easy out)
Free thinkers
"free-think-er n. A person who forms opinions about religion on the basis of reason, independently of tradition, authority, or established belief. Freethinkers include atheists, agnostics and rationalists. No one can be a freethinker who demands conformity to a bible, creed, or messiah. To the freethinker, revelation and faith are invalid, and orthodoxy is no guarantee of truth." - Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc.
This is not fully hitting the mark, but this seems to relate to some Buddhist teachings I discussed previously.
Humanism
"Being a Humanist means trying to behave decently without expectation of rewards or punishment after you are dead." - Kurt Vonnegut.
"Humanism is a progressive belief that, without supernaturalism, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of humanity." - American Humanist Association
Bloggers note: this is an "ism" that I can really get down with. I also had the pleasure of joining an online humanist forum. What I found was a group of people interested in making Lexington a better place. There were discussions of local fundraisers, many community building opportunities(I'm looking forward to a family bowling get together), and discussions on how to help families in need, and discussions on where to learn more about humanist ideas. Sounds like a church community...without God of course. And full of people I am happy to share my community with.
Naturalism
"Naturalism is a metaphysical theory which holds that all phenomena can be explained mechanistically in terms of natural (as opposed to supernatural) causes and laws. Naturalism posits that the universe is a vast machine or organism, devoid of general purpose and indifferent to human needs and desires...naturalism neither denies nor affirms the existence of God, either as transcendent or immanent. However, naturalism makes God an unnecessary hypothesis and essentially superfluous to scientific investigation. Reference to moral or divine purposes has no place in scientific explanations. On the other hand, the scope of science is limited to explanation of empirical phenomena without reference to forces, powers, influences, etc., which are supernatural." - The Skeptic's Dictionary
Rationalism
"The mental attitude which unreservedly accepts the supremacy of reason and aims at establishing a system of philosophy and ethics verifiable by experience, independent of all arbitrary assumptions or authority." - American Rationalist
So what is all the fuss about? What makes us so afraid of atheists and where do these negative feelings come from? I'm not going to pretend it doesn't happen, because it does. I have talked with quite a few people about atheism recently and I have witnessed first hand the stigma that can accompany it. Lucky for me I was only atheist for a month, I don't know how you full time non-believers do it.
It seems that somewhere along the way the dialogue became more about being on the "right team" versus the "same team" (ironic, considering the other major religions consider us all Gods people) As long as there are people fighting for their view to be the right one, as long as there are people unwilling to listen to another perspective, as long as people use their beliefs to justify their fears; ignorance will continue to negatively influence our communities.
In case you missed it, no where in any of these definitions does it say atheists don't believe in good, they just don't believe in god. I can think of many reasons why someone may denounce religion. (more on that with my next post) I cannot think of any reason living a moral/productive/fulfilling life has to be mutually tied to a certain belief system, however. The reality of it all is that regardless of their reasons to believe in what they do, they have the capability to love, to be loved, to help, to cooperate, to do good. And anyone focused on making a positive impact on my community is ok in my book...regardless of what happens to them when they die.
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Survey says...atheists are not to be trusted
It's true, recent studies have shown that some people have a pretty negative view of atheism. Half of all Americans polled said they would not vote for an atheist president. Studies report many people do not consider atheists as trustworthy as other Christians and Muslims. Some argue that people who believe God is watching over them are more likely to behave morally. I believe that people who praise a higher power can certainly use their faith to bring awareness to a better life...but to say atheists are not trustworthy folk, is a dangerous way to see the world.
I have not been able to get to know many new atheists this month, but I have done some reading up on atheist philosophy and other educational perusing of the world wide web and I have discovered an amazing truth. Atheists seem to be just like everyone else. They have beliefs, and some hold them tighter that what is healthy. Some of them seem to genuinely care about a multitude of the worlds problems, and some seem to think the "others" are the bat-shit crazy ones.
Atheists seem a lot like people. Real people, people with problems, people who meet with other like minded people to try and save the world (or school...or city), people who see the beauty of community. From what I can tell, a common thread of all people is to want to belong. So we hang out with like minded people, which is great...so long as we keep trying to expand our personal bubble to include other people who aren't quite like minded. What we may find is these unlike-minded individuals are more like us that we originally thought.
So where does this negativity come from? Probably a lot of places, in a lot of different forms, but one commonality is ignorance. I'm not talking about bad people necessarily. Ignorance has many shapes and sizes ranging from down right damaging and completely made up to a simple lack of updated information. But here is the good new friends, I have something special coming up for you! (not really, just a lot of information that is mostly new to me)
Be warned. I have been studying atheism for over a month now, with the help of my smart phone AND the internet. Clearly I know my stuff, but in the case that I write something incorrect, please correct me. And when you are correcting me, please try to be helpful...otherwise you might end up looking like one of the crazies.
I have not been able to get to know many new atheists this month, but I have done some reading up on atheist philosophy and other educational perusing of the world wide web and I have discovered an amazing truth. Atheists seem to be just like everyone else. They have beliefs, and some hold them tighter that what is healthy. Some of them seem to genuinely care about a multitude of the worlds problems, and some seem to think the "others" are the bat-shit crazy ones.
Atheists seem a lot like people. Real people, people with problems, people who meet with other like minded people to try and save the world (or school...or city), people who see the beauty of community. From what I can tell, a common thread of all people is to want to belong. So we hang out with like minded people, which is great...so long as we keep trying to expand our personal bubble to include other people who aren't quite like minded. What we may find is these unlike-minded individuals are more like us that we originally thought.
So where does this negativity come from? Probably a lot of places, in a lot of different forms, but one commonality is ignorance. I'm not talking about bad people necessarily. Ignorance has many shapes and sizes ranging from down right damaging and completely made up to a simple lack of updated information. But here is the good new friends, I have something special coming up for you! (not really, just a lot of information that is mostly new to me)
Be warned. I have been studying atheism for over a month now, with the help of my smart phone AND the internet. Clearly I know my stuff, but in the case that I write something incorrect, please correct me. And when you are correcting me, please try to be helpful...otherwise you might end up looking like one of the crazies.
Monday, February 24, 2014
This stuff can get complicated
I have already written about what drew me to studying more about Buddhism. It seemed to make sense with how I saw the world. As I was really getting into Buddhist principles, I started to remember the crazy stuff I had heard at Sunday school. (I was definitely pissed over the whole Noahs Ark story for a while...I promise I'm all better now) So here I am getting ready to jump into the Buddhist deep end when out of no where the "simple" stuff gets complicated. Out of nowhere I'm blindsided with chanting, and reincarnation, wrestling with the idea of there being big-man-upstairs kind of god, and I did what any good little Buddhist wannabe does. I read more, and the more I read the crazier the stories got.
Finally I got to the point (I can't remember what book it was in) where I realized it was all just the finger pointing at the moon. That's when I started to see the great things I loved about the Buddhist teachings were in the teachings I heard in Sunday school as a kid. Unfortunately, at that time the stories never stuck. (which probably could have saved me a lot of stress and money growing up) It helped to see how the Buddhist lineages were very similar to the different Christian denominations, and how the Buddhist stories were pointing to the same truth as the ones in the Bible.
Just as in other religions, Buddhism has its fair share of "denominations". I am going to try to discuss two. The major branches in Buddhism are the Theravada (school of the elders) and Mahayana (the great vehicle).
Theravada tradition:
More conservative and said to be the closest representation of early Buddhism.
Nirvana is achieved through your own diligent work.
You seek nirvana for yourself to achieve enlightenment.
The purpose of life is to follow the Buddha's teachings until final enlightenment, in which you are never reborn into the world of suffering. (reincarnation until you become enlightened)
Will be reincarnated based on Karma, based on this, and previous, lifetimes.
Once you reach enlightenment...POW! that's it.
Seems gloomy, but the Theravadins eat that gloomy stuff up! They believe when you can see the true nature of things there is nothing substantial left in the world. And when that happens, don't let the door knob hit ya' son, it's time to peace out. I feel like its similar to Christians realizing that, compared to heaven, there is really nothing remarkable here for us on Earth.
Mahayana tradition:
Seeks enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings, and to become a bodhisattva.
Bodhisattvas are people who right before achieving nirvana, stay here in this world to help all others become enlightened.
Infused with different cultural influences, while keeping the core teachings of the 4 noble truths and eightfold path.
There is a belief in reincarnation, but the interpretations are numerous and depend on the teacher
They believe all beings are Buddhas already, they just haven't awakened.
The goal of the bodhisattva is to help all others attain Buddhahood, which in turns opens them to the highest realization of the true nature of things.
More of a friends helping friends vibe, and I can dig that. But helping people isn't just "it". You still have to master the inner peace the Buddha found to help others in the best way possible. That's why giving gifts can still lead to suffering. If you give something and you expect something in return ( praise, money, benefits, happiness, forgiveness) you will likely find some negative Karma down the road when the outcome doesn't match your expectation. But if you can find some inner peace and give something away without wanting anything in return...well my friends, that is when helping others truly helps you. Trust me, you don't need to be enlightened to feel good giving gifts. Giving just to give, and for no other reason, is good enough.
The type of Buddhism I have been following is Zen. It is under the Mahayana umbrella, and it is one that I have seemed to stick with for a while now. It's the most simplistic version that I have come across. I get most of my understanding of Zen from the Vietnamese Zen Monk Thich Nhat Hahn. (there are numerous reasons you should look into him). If I have time, I will try to write a bit about Thich Nhat Hahns take on Zen. He is a smart man and seems to have a great outlook on life.
Finally I got to the point (I can't remember what book it was in) where I realized it was all just the finger pointing at the moon. That's when I started to see the great things I loved about the Buddhist teachings were in the teachings I heard in Sunday school as a kid. Unfortunately, at that time the stories never stuck. (which probably could have saved me a lot of stress and money growing up) It helped to see how the Buddhist lineages were very similar to the different Christian denominations, and how the Buddhist stories were pointing to the same truth as the ones in the Bible.
Just as in other religions, Buddhism has its fair share of "denominations". I am going to try to discuss two. The major branches in Buddhism are the Theravada (school of the elders) and Mahayana (the great vehicle).
Theravada tradition:
More conservative and said to be the closest representation of early Buddhism.
Nirvana is achieved through your own diligent work.
You seek nirvana for yourself to achieve enlightenment.
The purpose of life is to follow the Buddha's teachings until final enlightenment, in which you are never reborn into the world of suffering. (reincarnation until you become enlightened)
Will be reincarnated based on Karma, based on this, and previous, lifetimes.
Once you reach enlightenment...POW! that's it.
Seems gloomy, but the Theravadins eat that gloomy stuff up! They believe when you can see the true nature of things there is nothing substantial left in the world. And when that happens, don't let the door knob hit ya' son, it's time to peace out. I feel like its similar to Christians realizing that, compared to heaven, there is really nothing remarkable here for us on Earth.
Mahayana tradition:
Seeks enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings, and to become a bodhisattva.
Bodhisattvas are people who right before achieving nirvana, stay here in this world to help all others become enlightened.
Infused with different cultural influences, while keeping the core teachings of the 4 noble truths and eightfold path.
There is a belief in reincarnation, but the interpretations are numerous and depend on the teacher
They believe all beings are Buddhas already, they just haven't awakened.
The goal of the bodhisattva is to help all others attain Buddhahood, which in turns opens them to the highest realization of the true nature of things.
More of a friends helping friends vibe, and I can dig that. But helping people isn't just "it". You still have to master the inner peace the Buddha found to help others in the best way possible. That's why giving gifts can still lead to suffering. If you give something and you expect something in return ( praise, money, benefits, happiness, forgiveness) you will likely find some negative Karma down the road when the outcome doesn't match your expectation. But if you can find some inner peace and give something away without wanting anything in return...well my friends, that is when helping others truly helps you. Trust me, you don't need to be enlightened to feel good giving gifts. Giving just to give, and for no other reason, is good enough.
The type of Buddhism I have been following is Zen. It is under the Mahayana umbrella, and it is one that I have seemed to stick with for a while now. It's the most simplistic version that I have come across. I get most of my understanding of Zen from the Vietnamese Zen Monk Thich Nhat Hahn. (there are numerous reasons you should look into him). If I have time, I will try to write a bit about Thich Nhat Hahns take on Zen. He is a smart man and seems to have a great outlook on life.
Sunday, February 23, 2014
buddhism: basic teachings and the difficulties of following them
So what is Buddhism? Religion-ish philosophy maybe? First things first, Buddha is not a god. He was a prince, as the story goes, who (to make a long story short) went on to become enlightened (Buddha literally means "enlightened one"). Enlightened to what you ask? The true nature of the cosmos, the world, the inter-relationship of all things.
The Buddha taught the 4 noble truths.
The Buddha taught the 4 noble truths.
1. Suffering is universal
2. Suffering has an origin
3.Suffering can cease
4.There is a path out of suffering
Pretty vague right? Well it actually can get pretty complicated. I'll try to give you my simplified take on it. Suffering is universal, we can all relate to that. Suffering in the Buddhist sense isn't just the obvious: fear, pain, disease, having to watch Dora the Explore with (or without I would imagine) your kids. It also encompasses the desire for power and money, addictions, other mental and physical limitations we all have. So we have all experienced some sort of suffering...in fact, it's a daily (moment to moment) occurrence.
The Buddha taught that all of our individual suffering has an origin. He linked all of our suffering to attachment. We as people are really good at trying to keep good things in and bad things out. The result is attachment. Attachment is everywhere in our lives. We are attached to our ideals, our identities, our cultural norms, and we are always clinging to the things that bring us happiness and trying to fight/shut out everything else.
The good news: all this nonsense can be stopped, and the Buddha has the way out. He lays it all out in the Eightfold Path.
1. Right understanding: seeing the true nature of things
2. Right intent: acting from a place of love and compassion
3. Right speech: clear, truthful, uplifting and non-harmful communication
4. Right action: the five precepts (refrain from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, intoxication which leads to carelessness)
5. Right livelihood: ethical principle of non-exploitation
6. Right effort: consciously directing our efforts to good deeds for yourself and others
7. Right mindfulness: Developing awareness
8. Right concentration: sometimes thought of as meditation. "Samadhi"
You can find a lot more information with a quick search of the topic, but for the purpose of a quick explanation, you can see its a moral standard of living that can lead to a happier life. The results of practicing the eightfold path is enlightenment/nirvana. Seems to have the same effect as the 10 commandments. Live a moral/helpful life and you will find peace.
Seems simple enough, but I'm finding it very difficult. The mind is an awesome and totally f''ed up thing (at least mine is). Since starting meditation more seriously I can see some of my habits and how they contribute to a less happy me. The really crazy part about my brain, now that I have more understanding of what things lead to happiness/suffering, is I can't always keep up the practice. (really I CAN, but my damn brain is persuasive and I CHOOSE not to) I will make conscious decisions at lunch time about what place has the best fresh ingredients and how I'm going to avoid soda this time because that damned HFCS is going to kill us all. And truthfully, I have the best intentions, but then I completely lose my focus and the next thing I know I'm tasting the delicious dr. pepper in my mouth when I realize "you really should have gotten water". I also know deep down that I should throw the soda out and get some water, but my brain has been trained to get what it wants for a long time. It clings to the idea that I deserve the soda because it will go with the meal, it wants the instant gratification of the sugar rush and all the sweet memories attached to drinking soda, all the while trying to convince myself that this drink that I know is not benefitting my health, environment (insert any other reasons soda is bad) and yet I do it anyway. Realize that all of this happens during 10 minutes of my lunch...its ridiculous how many times my ego/brain wins throughout a typical day. Mindfulness is great, but a bitch to keep.
When you really think about what we do to ourselves and each other on a day to day basis, both physically and mentally, it's hard not to see the truth in the first noble truth. The key is to do a little self investigating to find the roots or your problems. Remember, bad things do not happen to us...things happen to us and we decide the rest. If you are filled with fear, hatred, aggression, anxiety...the things that happen to you look awfully grim. If you are filled with love, compassion, mindfulness of yourself and others, things look like life. And fortunately for us, life can always be a wonderful teacher and a beautiful thing.
This is just a quick overview of my take on Buddhism. Just like Christianity and Islam, cultures have taken the basic truths and transformed the teachings styles to suit different times in history. This leads to many different forms of Buddhism, with even more interpretations of what the Buddha actually meant. I will try to do an overview of some traditional interpretations of Buddhism and to answer some common questions I have heard about Buddhism.
In the mean time, if you have any questions, let me know...I will try to answer them the best I can.
Namaste
In the mean time, if you have any questions, let me know...I will try to answer them the best I can.
Namaste
Saturday, February 1, 2014
February: Chopping wood and carrying water.:
Have you ever seen the Morgan Spurlock TV show 30 days? The basic premise of the show is that it puts two people in the same house for 30 days. Usually one person moves in with another person (and usually with his/her family). The interesting part is that the two people have completely different views on a particular topic. A few of Nicki and I's favorites were the border patrol guy who was blatantly opposed to illegal immigrants who lived with a family of illegal immigrants and when Morgan and his wife lived on minimum wage for 30 days. It sparked a lot of cool conversations and really made me think about how fortunate my family and I are. It also made me realize that everyone on every episode was just trying to be happy and do what they felt was the best for their family. It was around that time when I started to think more about our community in Lexington and how I could get more involved.
It was also around this time I started reading more about Buddhism and found it very interesting. What I really enjoyed about Buddhism was the simplicity of it all, and what really drew me to actually practicing the teachings was the try-it-for-yourself approach to becoming a better person. The Buddha essentially taught to investigate everything, even his own teachings. If it feels good and helps people without harming anyone else...keep it up. If for some reason suffering is an outcome...stop doing it. The more I read, the more interest I had in other religions. I always felt there was something greater than us, but went through many phases on how to make it "fit" to my liking. I read the New Testament and shocked myself when I really enjoyed it. I have come to believe that love and compassion is "it", "the truth", or whatever else you want to call it. You may call it God, Allah, Nature, the Holy Spirit, mindfulness, common sense, non-sense, but none of it matters without love and compassion. I believe all religions point to it, but in different ways, and with different traditions.
I started to put my beliefs into practice and started to spend more energy being helpful, trying to cause less suffering in the world: I tried to only buy used things when I could help it, I started giving things away, I tried to be more helpful, I wanted to try and see things beyond what I have been told and taught my whole life. What I found was that I was much happier. Actually, I don't think I was "happier". I realized how grateful I was for the things I have, and that helped me realize that the things that make me unhappy don't have to. (disclaimer: I'm not trying to be holier than thou, in fact, I am honestly at the point where I can now see how my actions cause a lot of suffering in others, and am nowhere near the point where I have the ability to always abide by my own set of morals)
So how does community come into all of this? Like I said before, I have the feeling that most religions preach the same message using different messengers. I also see how people sometimes are blind to the fact that what they see as truth may look different through someone else's eyes. If we could get back to the basics of each religion I think we would find we could all be doing a lot more for each other. My assumption is that each religion calls for each member of the community to help lift up those who are in need. So instead of assuming, I want to find out for myself.
I am going to try to spend each month this year learning and living with a different group of people. The plan is to spend the next few months learning about different world religions by practicing each tradition for one month. My hopes is to spend the month doing some educational reading, participating in each traditions customs, and hopefully attending weekly meetings. What better way to understand how to help others than trying to see what is important to them and what they believe in? I want to start with the better known religions: Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, and Atheism. My hopes is to spend the other months learning how to volunteer with other communities in town including the homeless, LGTB, and hospice. It's early in the year, time will tell how this year will pan out.
This month I will focus on Buddhism...specifically Zen. There is a weekly meditation group that meets in town each Sunday, followed by a group led Buddhist discussion. I plan on continuing my sitting meditation for the rest of the month, and will try to apply the principles of the teachings into everyday life. My goal is to blog a few times each month. It helps me hold myself accountable to the year long project and hopefully someone will find some of this information useful. I don't have big plans for the blog, but I have no doubts someone may take this (or something I write) out of context, or personal. My intentions are not to judge. I do have a tendency to get pretty passionate about things, and I have no intentions to sugar coat things, but hopefully it will lead to some nice discussions both on and offline. So please if something offends you, let's chat about it. If something I say isn't how you understand it, feel free to correct me. If you have any information to help me along my path, don't hesitate to tell me about it.
Namaste.
It was also around this time I started reading more about Buddhism and found it very interesting. What I really enjoyed about Buddhism was the simplicity of it all, and what really drew me to actually practicing the teachings was the try-it-for-yourself approach to becoming a better person. The Buddha essentially taught to investigate everything, even his own teachings. If it feels good and helps people without harming anyone else...keep it up. If for some reason suffering is an outcome...stop doing it. The more I read, the more interest I had in other religions. I always felt there was something greater than us, but went through many phases on how to make it "fit" to my liking. I read the New Testament and shocked myself when I really enjoyed it. I have come to believe that love and compassion is "it", "the truth", or whatever else you want to call it. You may call it God, Allah, Nature, the Holy Spirit, mindfulness, common sense, non-sense, but none of it matters without love and compassion. I believe all religions point to it, but in different ways, and with different traditions.
I started to put my beliefs into practice and started to spend more energy being helpful, trying to cause less suffering in the world: I tried to only buy used things when I could help it, I started giving things away, I tried to be more helpful, I wanted to try and see things beyond what I have been told and taught my whole life. What I found was that I was much happier. Actually, I don't think I was "happier". I realized how grateful I was for the things I have, and that helped me realize that the things that make me unhappy don't have to. (disclaimer: I'm not trying to be holier than thou, in fact, I am honestly at the point where I can now see how my actions cause a lot of suffering in others, and am nowhere near the point where I have the ability to always abide by my own set of morals)
So how does community come into all of this? Like I said before, I have the feeling that most religions preach the same message using different messengers. I also see how people sometimes are blind to the fact that what they see as truth may look different through someone else's eyes. If we could get back to the basics of each religion I think we would find we could all be doing a lot more for each other. My assumption is that each religion calls for each member of the community to help lift up those who are in need. So instead of assuming, I want to find out for myself.
I am going to try to spend each month this year learning and living with a different group of people. The plan is to spend the next few months learning about different world religions by practicing each tradition for one month. My hopes is to spend the month doing some educational reading, participating in each traditions customs, and hopefully attending weekly meetings. What better way to understand how to help others than trying to see what is important to them and what they believe in? I want to start with the better known religions: Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, and Atheism. My hopes is to spend the other months learning how to volunteer with other communities in town including the homeless, LGTB, and hospice. It's early in the year, time will tell how this year will pan out.
This month I will focus on Buddhism...specifically Zen. There is a weekly meditation group that meets in town each Sunday, followed by a group led Buddhist discussion. I plan on continuing my sitting meditation for the rest of the month, and will try to apply the principles of the teachings into everyday life. My goal is to blog a few times each month. It helps me hold myself accountable to the year long project and hopefully someone will find some of this information useful. I don't have big plans for the blog, but I have no doubts someone may take this (or something I write) out of context, or personal. My intentions are not to judge. I do have a tendency to get pretty passionate about things, and I have no intentions to sugar coat things, but hopefully it will lead to some nice discussions both on and offline. So please if something offends you, let's chat about it. If something I say isn't how you understand it, feel free to correct me. If you have any information to help me along my path, don't hesitate to tell me about it.
Namaste.
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