I've just been looking around a bit, and a few of the sources I read said that not all people practice Buddhism as a religion. Is that true? If it is: I'm showing some interest in it as a concept. Where do I begin? Does it conflict with religion if one has one?
P'ang
Favorite Answer
Shakyamuni Buddha (the historical person) was very clear that he did not teach philosophy, religion, or a lifestyle.
Instead, Buddha called referred to his teaching as "training."
Training in what? The Buddha trained people to become wise, generous, compassionate, and creative.
And when humans act with wisdom and generosity, with compassion and creativity, they naturally act to reduce the suffering in the world. And that's the point of Buddhist practice -- to ease suffering (our own, as well as that of other people).
Buddha taught that meditation (along with related practices such as cultivation of virtue) was the primary way to develop wisdom and compassion. Meditation was the path the Buddha took to attain enlightenment (he didn't read books, talk with friends, or study philosophy).
As a result, most Buddhist traditions emphasize the practice of meditation. Meditation is most easily learned at a Buddhist center. And while it's easy to learn, many of us resist doing it regularly -- and that's why these centers exist: to help us sustain our practice. The links below will refer you to Buddhist centers worldwide.
An excellent introductory book is "It's Easier Than You Think" by Sylvia Boorstein. It's short and non-technical. And it conveys the warmth, wisdom, and wit of Buddhist teaching.
By the way, at my local Buddhist center, we have Christian, Jewish, and Muslim members -- there's no conflict between Buddhism and religion. In fact, there are several Catholic priests who have become Zen masters (see link below).
Good luck on your journey!
Anonymous
From what I read I think your observation is true. Many people called themselves Buddhist and are interested in Buddhism, but they have no idea how the practice would be.
If you want to practice Buddhism casually and mixed with other religion, it's like mixing belief and turn them into philosophy. You may want to choose Zen because Zen has nothing to teach. I don't recommend mixing religions.
If you're semi-serious, pick one religion and stick with it.
If you're very serious becoming a Buddhist, study the Buddhism lineage and the Buddha Schools. Talk to the people who belong to a selected Buddha School of your choice. Read the scripture, practice the meditation and improve your mind, body, and spirit per the scripture.
However, you'll need to give up your other belief.
In the section “Buddhist Qigong and Buddhism” of the Zhuan Falun Lecture on the web, you can find out a concise discussion about various branches in Buddhism.
Not relating to Buhhism, Falun Gong is a branch in the Buddha Schools. Falun Gong is based upon the universal principals of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance, consisting of 5 sets of powerful exercises.
grassfell
Buddha said "I teach one thing and one thing only: the nature of suffering, and how to overcome it".
Many religions, unfortunately, thrive on teachings concepts that Buddhism says are part of the cause of suffering because they feed on people's worst psychological aspects while saying it's a good thing, like fear (eg. eternal torture in the afterlife), guilt (for not believing in human sacrifices), masochism (you're a slave, you're unworthy of love or acceptance until divine blood drips on you), superstitions (like qualities of holy water), closed-mindness (if you question you'll be guilty of blasphemy) and many other aspects that cause harm to the mind rather than clear it.
Buddhism means different things to different Buddhists. To me, a huge part of it is accepting reality (the world was not created in 6 days) and getting away from the dangerous teachings present in some other religions.
Anonymous
Buddhism is the deep examination of the conscience. Be warned, it is not a way of escaping all societal rules of conduct.
The morality of Buddhism varies none from Christianity, only the source of that morality varies. The pop culture view that Buddhism allows the individual believer to determine right from wrong guts Buddhism of its morality altogether.
Good luck in your studies.
No Peace without Emancipating
Buddhism is not a religion, it is a philosophy. It is a way of life. It is the sacrificing of the ego. Continuously sacrificing the ultimate which is the self. You become Taoist then. When Buddha reached enlightenment he then came one with nature which is Taoism.
It will make you think differently about "organized religion". I just fell into it because of major trauma in my life. I realized how all of us are one and are all God's children.
Read about the Dali Lama. He has a wonderful way of explaining Buddhism.