We do not own this basic goodness. A dedicated study of Buddhist literature is the first step that interested individuals should take toward conversion. Once the mind is focused enough to look undistractedly into reality, we develop insight into the nature of our experience, which is marked by impermanence, suffering, nonego, and emptiness. As Joseph Campbell would say, all religions are true. We have to test the teachings of Buddhism against our direct life experience, not against our opinions. There is no overarching church, just a loose collection of different schools and communities. Buddhism is not a one-path-fits-all religion. What we find is that Buddhism works. In general, Buddhism is kind of a middle ground. We [...], © 2020 Lion's Roar | Email: [email protected] | Tel: 902.422.8404 | Published by Lion's Roar Foundation, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window). For many, a spiritual path that arrives at Buddhism does not feel like a conversion at all, but merely a logical step along a destined path. There’s no Buddhist pope. Because both you and your world are basically good. But the conceptualizations may not be that important since all are inherently imperfect. They render the mind hard and closed to whatever revelations or realizations Grace might send our way. We do this by recognizing our ignorance, the falseness of our belief in this “I.” Finally, the Buddha told us that there is a concrete way we can get there, which basically consists of discipline, effort, meditation, and wisdom. The foundations of Buddhism, are not so much tenets of faith as demonstrable principles of perceptual science. It is certainly true that many Buddhist practices work very nicely in the modern world, don’t require any exotic beliefs, and bring demonstrable benefit to people’s lives. By converting millions of these Mahars to Buddhism, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar returned them to the religion of their ancestors. Meditation — taming the mind — is what gets us from one to the other. The good news is, we can do it. There are teachers — women and men who are further along the path — who offer us instruction and inspiration. Rather, "Religion is a search for transcendence." The Buddhist cosmos is a vast one, containing infinite beings of different minds, bodies, faculties, and realms. I think it’s part of the reason why Buddhists never wish to convert anyone to Buddhism. Is it large or small? It is the nontheistic religion. Buddha said to him, "Make a proper investigation first." Sometimes it is tough, forcing us to face our problems and cutting through our comfortable illusions. Buddhism is not a one-path-fits-all religion. There is nothing and nobody fundamentally different from or outside of it. The first assumption is that an omnipotent and omnipresent entity such as God—or Brahma, or the Tao, or the Trikaya—can be completely understood by human intellect and that it can be expressed in doctrine form and transmitted to others with unfailing accuracy. You’ll also see that when you meet a Buddhist meditator, even one who’s been at it for a long time. That’s up from 15 percent just five years ago, and the percentage goes higher the younger you are — up to 72 percent for Generation Y. Buddhists do not proselytize, and instead encourage converts to investigate other religions and make sure they fully agree with Buddhism’s core tenets. But it doesn’t tell the whole story. There’s no one who’s going to do it for us, no place we can hide out for safety. The Buddha himself famously said, “Be a lamp unto yourselves,” and told his students they must test everything he said against their own experience. Thank you Lion’ Roar, if only this simple explanation of what Buddhism isn’t could be in every school child’s satchel, and adults for that matter. In Buddhism believing comes last. Topics: Atheism Agnosticism & Secularism, God, Melvin McLeod, Practice in Everyday Life, Religion, Shambhala Sun - Nov '13, Spirituality. Not seeking protection is the only real protection. In this context, skillfulness means any practices that reduce suffering in a meaningful, genuine way. We are free to take what we wish. One million frustrated Dalits to convert to Buddhism By Vishnu Makhijani, Indo-Asian News Service . That’s why many Buddhists also take a vow to put others before themselves and do whatever is necessary to alleviate their suffering, including introducing them to Buddhist teachings and practices. This is the fourth noble truth, the truth of the path. Other religion, in their own words, do not focus on the point of ‘cognitive empathy’. There are meditations to calm and focus the mind, contemplations to open the heart, and ways to bring ease and grace to the body. Rigidly fixed beliefs seal us off from objective reality and from other people who don't share our beliefs. The problem is that things that feel helpful — like going along with our usual tricks — can sometimes make things worse. Realistic self-evaluation tells us that rigidly fixed beliefs are not skillful, however. In our own time, hundreds of thousands of Americans are reporting that even a modest Buddhist practice has made their life better — they’re calmer, happier, and not as carried away when strong emotions arise. Either way, please allow us to re-introduce ourselves: (Some people debate whether Buddhism is in fact a religion, but for now let’s assume it is.) There is a cool, dispassionate logic in Buddhism that appeals to many people who struggle with the heated fervency of other mainstream religions—especially those that demand faith and obedience rather than intelligent, logical exploration. A Buddhist may well still feel that they are being taught by Jesus, but also by Dogen, Nagaruna, Chogyam Trungpa, the Dalai Lama, and the Buddha. In Buddhism, there is no savior. About a third of the religiously unaffiliated describe themselves as atheists. It’s highly pragmatic, because it’s about whatever helps reduce suffering. The Buddha taught his monks that Nirvana cannot be conceptualized and that any attempt to do so is part of the problem. We come to Buddhism as we are, so there’s definitely going to be ego involved. Buddhism doesn't necessarily need to be practiced at a temple, you can read the texts and if you're a convert buddhist you can meditate. But always it is skillful. It always tells the truth. The entire idea of conversion is not one all that suited to a discussion of how to become Buddhist. All you have to do is meet someone who’s been practicing meditation a lot to know that. So far, I am comfortable with them . So are their problems and states of mind. According to a Pew Research Report, 20 percent of Americans — one-fifth of the adult population — describe themselves as religiously unaffiliated. ADVERTISEMENT. Alphabetical Order. They can be like markers on a path, showing you a way others have walked before. The ultimate goal remember is to end suffering and to aid in the journey for fellow man kind. With all its ups and downs, this world of ours works. Thank you for your enlightened thinking! We have to face reality squarely, and we have to do it alone. Beings are infinite. Yes, like other religions Buddhism describes a nonmaterial, spiritual reality (perhaps the realer reality) and addresses what happens after we die. It is a simple, vivid world of direct experience we can investigate, care for, enjoy, make love to. This is really a way of saying the same thing the Buddha taught. Since then millions of people around the world have followed the pure spiritual path he revealed. Krithika Varagur. A skillful doctrine opens the heart to compassion and the mind to wisdom. Sending good vibes to all of you. Even when Buddhists take refuge in the Buddha, what they’re really taking refuge in is the truth that there’s no refuge. So that’s the bad news — we have to do it alone. Over the past month, over 400,000 readers like you have visited our site, reading almost a million pages and streaming over 120,000 hours of video teachings. Buddhism is unique among the world’s major world religions. The Buddhist path of meditation begins with practices to calm our wild mind. "We are not considered Hindus and we You just have to understand what they are true of. This is not to say that beliefs and doctrines have no value because they do. Dwelling on the topic of ancestors, Babasaheb in his Conversion Speech at Nagpur, told the large gathering, “We are the descendants of Naga people who were Buddhist and who spread Buddhism throughout India. The world's great religions have all accumulated their share of both skillful and unskillful doctrines and practices. Because according to the Buddha, all suffering, large and small, starts with our false belief in a solid, separate, and continuous “I,” whose survival we devote our lives to. The Dalai Lama has said that Buddhism must give up any belief that modern science disproves. Buddhism offers a wealth of skillful means to meet their different needs. So, we must not overlook this aspect of our lives. Meditation is Buddhism’s basic remedy for the human condition, and its special genius. If you really have interest in Buddhism, I would suggest you to read and find out more about Buddhism, may be to attend the Buddhism class for beginner, try out you self whether this path is suitable for you or not. But first: who are “we”? It’s fair to say, as many people have, that Buddhism is the world’s most developed science of mind. But that’s only part of the story. Which School of Buddhism Is Right for You. 1951 Started to write The Buddha and his Dhamma which was published posthumously in 1957. There are at least two problematic assumptions with this view, and people who intuitively sense these contradictions are often the types of people that become Buddhists. That changes everything. Maybe God is a metaphor for Nirvana. Of course, transcendence can be conceptualized in many different ways, also. Some are more subtle and awakened, and others are grosser and more confused. Hence, you will not see any adverts on the conversion of people to Buddhism. . Change comes slowly for most of us. I saw that it was not trying to manipulate me by telling me what I wanted to hear. Dalits convert themselves to Buddhism to escape the Brahminical social structure which benefits Priviledged people. Get even more Buddhist wisdom delivered straight to your inbox! Where is the boundary of my mind? The anonymous author of a great Christian work of mysticism said as much in The Cloud of Unknowing—finding God/transcendence requires first that you give up the illusion of knowledge. There is no need to propitiate gods or priests, no blind adherence to useless dogmas, rituals, holy books, or myths. Buddhists have a literacy rate of 81.29%, higher than the national average of 72.98%, according to Census data. This is because converting to Buddhism is more of a personal concern. This is one of the things that perhaps makes Buddhism unique among world religions—it embraces any practice that is truly skillful—that legitimately reduces suffering. While Buddhism in its Asian homelands can be conservative, convert Buddhists in the West are generally liberal, both socially and politically. OCT. 31, 2016 . There are no concrete reasons to convert to Buddhism--only the reasons you find within yourself. Of course, Buddhists are still people and still part of a society, so it’s a work in progress. The Buddhist way of life of peace, loving kindness and wisdom is just as relevant today as it was in ancient India. Admittedly, there are lots of Buddhist images that look like gods and deities, all kinds of colorful and exotic beings. For some people, Buddhism may offer an option if you are not finding yourself a good fit for the religion you currently practice. Buddhists judge the value of a doctrine not by its factual accuracy but by its skillfulness. It feels like we’re hopelessly caught in this bad dream of “me and them” we’ve created, but we can wake up from it. Some say he was an ordinary human being who discovered the path to awakening; others say he was already enlightened but followed the path to show us how it’s done. At the end of the day, buddhism can be cherry picked for the ideas and thoughts people follow. Melvin McLeod is the Editor-in-Chief of Lion's Roar magazine and Buddhadharma. Don’t expect perfection. 8. Good article! While retaining our self-respect and judgment, we must be willing to accept the guidance, even leadership, of those who are further along the path. Christianity has rituals that say "NOW I am a Christian", but Buddhism does not. This is not an attempt to convert anyone to Buddhism. The Buddha called the truth of suffering “noble,” because recognizing our suffering is the starting place and inspiration of the spiritual path. Westerners converting to Buddhism: An exploratory grounded theory investigation . It’s fair to say that Buddhism is the most contemplative of the world’s major religions, which is a reflection of its basic nontheism. But an attitude that is perhaps more accurate is that of historian Karen Armstrong when she says that religion is not primarily about beliefs. Buddhism is not a religion suitable for everyone to convert to. It is the set of beliefs and practices that provide you with the possibility of transcendence and the tools for seeking it. People who are eager to convert others to their religion usually believe their religion is the "right" one—the One True Religion. This makes it especially suited to those who consider themselves spiritual but not religious. Sign up for Lion’s Roar free email newsletters. Barbara O'Brien is a Zen Buddhist practitioner who studied at Zen Mountain Monastery. I have belonged to several Christian churches, and have visited many other religious faiths and explored several “isms.” I also explored atheism for several years and found it rather empty and missing something. The difference is that meditation is the very essence of Buddhism, not just the practice of a rarified elite of mystics. Is it inside me looking at the material world outside? As a religion, Buddhism takes discipline and dedication, many of the doctrines are very difficult to wrap your head around, and its vast body of teachings can be intimidating. What is Buddhism. Most of the doctrines of most of the world's religions reflect some small part of a great and absolute truth—a truth that perhaps should be considered symbolic rather than literal. These are all available for you to explore according to your own needs and path. All you can do is look directly, relax, and let go. Home » Cover Story » Conversion To Buddhism Has Brought Literacy, ... our analysis goes with the assumption that the benefits of growth in the community accrue mostly to the Dalits. This is something you can investigate for yourself: Is my mind made of matter or is it something else? Low-caste Indians are leaving Hinduism en masse—partly to stick it to their prime minister. It warms us; it feeds us; it offers us color, sound, and touch. This is the third noble truth, the cessation of suffering. It is empty of all form, yet everything we experience is its manifestation. We’re working with patterns of ignorance, greed, and anger that have developed over a lifetime — if not much longer. We’re the Shambhala Sun Foundation. There is no received wisdom in Buddhism, nothing we must accept purely on the basis of somebody else’s spiritual authority. For millennia, Buddhism has been making people more aware, caring, and skillful. The thing is, we can’t solidify, identify, or conceptualize it in any way. But it’s really important not to burden ourselves with unrealistic expectations. By Luna Greenstein “Oṃ śhānti śhānti śhānti.” This mantra—meant to bring inner peace to those who chant it—is an example of the many connections between Buddhist teachings and mental health. The man was so impressed by the words of the Buddha that he decided to become a follower of the Buddha. Finally, we experience ourselves and our world for what they have been since beginningless time, are right now, and always will be — nothing but enlightenment itself, great perfection in every way. That’s called giving the gift of dharma. It wasn’t so long ago that most Americans took their religion for granted. The conversion to Buddhism represents a spiritual transformation, rather than a material enlistment or accomplishment of a set process. (No, the Dalai Lama is not the head of world Buddhism. We rely significantly on advertising and newsstand sales to support our work — both of which have dropped precipitously this year. Is it one thing or many? Finally, it is the rare person who can navigate the spiritual path alone. Then it’s just the same old game we’re stuck in now. Doctrines can be like a flickering candle that keeps you from walking in total darkness. Buddhism is a religion that some people can enter into with their entire hearts and minds without leaving critical thinking skills at the door. By using Learn Religions, you accept our, Faith and Doubt in the Buddhist Tradition, Buddhism: 11 Common Misunderstandings and Mistakes, Soka Gakkai International: Past, Present, Future. Ultimately, we are no different from him, and vice versa. I am in the category of people that are not religious but are spiritual. There is no need for that. Or are my perceptions and my experience of them both mind? 1. Thus "religious conversion" would describe the abandoning of adherence to one denomination and affiliating with another. Robert Wright’s book ‘Why Buddhism is True’ makes a good case in this context. Can you help us? We can go right to the source, because the lineage that started with Gautama Buddha is unbroken to this day. His faculties were purely human, any of us can follow his path, and our enlightenment will be exactly the same as his. There’s really only one place all that happens: in our minds. There are fine books, excellent teachers (many of them now American), practice centers, communities, and indeed, magazines. They’re kinder to themselves and others. Apr 19, 2016 - Converting from one religion to another is a very personal choice. KNOW WHAT MAKES BUDDHISM DIFFERENT FROM OTHER RELIGIONS. It’s the way we’ve related to religion for thousands of years. Buddhism is not about salvation or original sin. You cannot "convert" to Buddhism. Buddhist meditators have been studying the mind for thousand of years. Belief is anti-Buddhist, since Buddha told his followers to NOT blindly believe. His second noble truth was the cause of suffering. But at the same time, it is down-to-earth and practical: it is about us, our minds, and our suffering. The practice of Buddhism also benefits the human spirit in many ways. As human beings, we have the resources we need: intelligence, strength, loving hearts, and proven, effective methods. So, I AM exploring the Tao and Buddhism. We can’t see or measure subjective experience, so we can’t judge directly the effect Buddhism is having on someone else’s mind and heart. But one thing is certain: he was not a God, deity, or divine being. A group of Dalits in Gujarat's Una renounced Hinduism on Sunday to convert to Buddhism.The residents claimed that they took the decision as they were not considered as Hindus and were not allowed to enter temples. We want to provide even more Buddhist wisdom but our resources are strained. If you stick with it, that’s guaranteed. It is not inside of us, it is not outside of us, it is beyond the reach of conventional mind. Topic: One million to convert to Buddhism : Hammer: posted October 23, 2001 01:14 AM One day, Low Cast Hindu Tamils will get frustrated with LTTE for using their kids to fight a war that they will never see a benefit and convert themselves to Buddhism or Christianity. Today, a significant and growing number of Americans do not identify themselves as members of any religion. Can you lend your support to Lion’s Roar at this critical time? Huston … Buddhism very often is of great appeal to anyone from whom common sense and intuition have caused dissatisfaction with current religious practice. Like other religions, Buddhism is practiced at different levels of subtlety, and sometimes it can be just as theistic as any other religion. Buddhism is about realization and experience, not institutions or divine authority. COVID-19 has brought tremendous suffering, uncertainty, fear, and strain to the world. In Thich Nhat Hanh's Fourteen Precepts of Engaged Buddhism, the esteemed Vietnamese monk perfectly summarizes the Buddhist approach toward religious belief systems: Buddhism is a religion that some people can enter into with their entire hearts and minds without leaving critical thinking skills at the door. Our fellow practitioners support our path, while never allowing us to use them as crutches. You can read a book, attend classes, or hear a lecture by a Buddhist teacher. As a result, a lot of people who found interest in the practice always wonder how to truly convert to Buddhism. We are basically good as well, confused as we may be. Buddhism is the one world religion that has no God. The other false assumption is that thinking the correct thoughts and believing the correct beliefs are what define religion. The Supreme Court on Friday decided to examine the issue of extending reservation to Dalit Christians and Muslims under the category of Scheduled Castes, six … In Buddhism, our true nature has many names, such as buddhanature, ordinary mind, sugatagarbha, Vajradhara, or just plain buddha —  fundamental awakeness. Learn Religions uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Also, much of what I’m saying about Buddhism also applies to the contemplative traditions of other religions. Spiritual life is very crucial to our existence. Buddhism has been described as disorganized religion. Many of the things the Buddha taught can be of benefit to people of all backgrounds. Then again, you may not know us at all. So, according to the Buddha, the problem is suffering, the cause is ignorance, the remedy is waking up, and the path is living mindfully, meditating, and cultivating our wisdom. Does my mind change constantly or is it continuous? It’s about being fully and deeply human, and it has something to offer everyone: Buddhists of course; but also the spiritual but not religious, members of other religions, and even those who don’t think they’re spiritual at all. If Buddhism is the proper place for you, your path is already leading you there. It is nothing and the source of everything — how do you wrap your mind around that? Read more about Dalits convert to Buddhism, say 'not considered Hindus' on Business Standard. Buddhism exists to address one problem: suffering. 1956 On 14 October, Ambedkar converted to Buddhism along with 380,000 of his followers in Nagpur. Except for a few daring freethinkers, that’s the way it was as recently as the 1950s, and that’s still the way it is in most of the world today. 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