Are you a Buddhist?

A discussion on all aspects of Theravāda Buddhism
SarathW
Posts: 21234
Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2012 2:49 am

Are you a Buddhist?

Post by SarathW »

If someone ask me above question I may give a conventional answer “Yes”.
But in realistic sense that question does not make any sense to me.

One of my so called Buddhist friend who was 45 years old told me that he understood the meaning of the first precept only recently.
He said he just repeat the Pali words without knowing the meaning of that!
I gave up my social drinking habit only ten months ago.
About 98% of my Buddhist male friends drink alcohol!

Who do you considered to be a Buddhist?
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
Reductor
Posts: 1382
Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2009 6:52 am
Location: Alberta, Canada

Re: Are you a Buddhist?

Post by Reductor »

Anyone can call themselves Buddhist, as it's only a way to identify themselves as belonging to a group. In this sense the word "Buddhist" refers only to the actual common quality of that group, whether it be racial or national or whatever (or, rarely, the pursuit of Dhamma).

To practice dhamma is something else altogether, and for that reason I don't tell others I'm a Buddhist; instead I do my best to live a dhammic life (hard though it is).
User avatar
Bhikkhu Pesala
Posts: 4646
Joined: Thu Jan 29, 2009 8:17 pm

Re: Are you a Buddhist?

Post by Bhikkhu Pesala »

There are many types of Buddhists, with a wide range of faith and skill in the practice of the Buddha's teachings.

The Venerable Ledi Sayādaw describes Four Types of Buddhists in his "Manual of the Excellent Man."
BlogPāli FontsIn This Very LifeBuddhist ChroniclesSoftware (Upasampadā: 24th June, 1979)
danieLion
Posts: 1947
Joined: Wed May 25, 2011 4:49 am

Re: Are you a Buddhist?

Post by danieLion »

No. I'm a practitioner of the Buddha-Dhamma. Being a Buddhist is craving-for-becoming and clinging-to-identity-view.
Kindly,
dL
User avatar
Bhikkhu Pesala
Posts: 4646
Joined: Thu Jan 29, 2009 8:17 pm

Re: Are you a Buddhist?

Post by Bhikkhu Pesala »

danieLion wrote:No. I'm a practitioner of the Buddha-Dhamma. Being a Buddhist is craving-for-becoming and clinging-to-identity-view.
If so, then being a "Dhamma Practitioner" is also craving for becoming and clinging to identity view.

One should understand labels such as "Buddhist," "Daniel," "Bhikkhu Pesala," or "Dhamma Practitioner" for what they are — conventional truths.
Last edited by Bhikkhu Pesala on Wed Sep 18, 2013 9:32 am, edited 1 time in total.
BlogPāli FontsIn This Very LifeBuddhist ChroniclesSoftware (Upasampadā: 24th June, 1979)
Spiny Norman
Posts: 10172
Joined: Fri Mar 05, 2010 10:32 am
Location: Andromeda looks nice

Re: Are you a Buddhist?

Post by Spiny Norman »

SarathW wrote:Who do you consider to be a Buddhist?
Anyone who does Buddhist practice.
Buddha save me from new-agers!
arijitmitter
Posts: 118
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2013 11:24 am

Re: Are you a Buddhist?

Post by arijitmitter »

Depends on the level of the question - if you are a census worker and asked my religion I would reply, I am a Buddhist. But many may not. The ethical, moral view of many atheists are same as a Buddhist.

If you take the " supernatural " elements like rebirth, kamma, Nibbana out of the equation then many educated and humanist atheists will fall into the framework that Buddha laid down.

There is a movement roughly called Buddhism 2.0 ( not that I subscribe to it ). I am just a curious member of Secular Buddhism Forum. My sister who is an atheist one day after discussion with me found that without knowing she is a Secular Buddhist.

Yes I am a Buddhist who follows 8 precepts for short bursts and 5 precepts always. But most do not. However most good people follow Dhamma with or without knowing it. And as Buddha said Dhamma is the essence.

:namaste: Arijit
Spiny Norman
Posts: 10172
Joined: Fri Mar 05, 2010 10:32 am
Location: Andromeda looks nice

Re: Are you a Buddhist?

Post by Spiny Norman »

arijitmitter wrote: If you take the " supernatural " elements like rebirth, kamma, Nibbana out of the equation...
Is Nibbana "supernatural"?
Buddha save me from new-agers!
User avatar
kirk5a
Posts: 1959
Joined: Thu Sep 23, 2010 1:51 pm

Re: Are you a Buddhist?

Post by kirk5a »

Jivaka Sutta: To Jivaka
(On Being a Lay Follower)

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html
"When one thing is practiced & pursued, ignorance is abandoned, clear knowing arises, the conceit 'I am' is abandoned, latent tendencies are uprooted, fetters are abandoned. Which one thing? Mindfulness immersed in the body." -AN 1.230
arijitmitter
Posts: 118
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2013 11:24 am

Re: Are you a Buddhist?

Post by arijitmitter »

Spiny Norman wrote:
arijitmitter wrote: If you take the " supernatural " elements like rebirth, kamma, Nibbana out of the equation...
Is Nibbana "supernatural"?
Supernatural - Attributed to some force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature. I guess for most people it means Nibbana is supernatural.

To a believing Buddhist like me Nibbana is an acceptable truth I strive towards in this life and all following lives, but I will have a hard time convincing the man sitting next to me in a bus that it is " natural ". So yes to most of human race it is supernatural just as rapture is supernatural / mythical to me but not to a believing Christian. I have hard time believing every one lying in a grave will rise up and be transported to heaven before Armageddon ( from my understanding of Christian soteriology, which may be mistaken ). I have no doubt Christians and atheists or other faiths view Nibbana with same feeling of ludicrousness.
User avatar
DNS
Site Admin
Posts: 17190
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 4:15 am
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, Estados Unidos de América
Contact:

Re: Are you a Buddhist?

Post by DNS »

Bhikkhu Pesala wrote:
danieLion wrote:No. I'm a practitioner of the Buddha-Dhamma. Being a Buddhist is craving-for-becoming and clinging-to-identity-view.
If so, then being a "Dhamma Practitioner" is also craving for becoming and clinging to identity view.

One should understand labels such as "Buddhist," "Daniel," "Bhikkhu Pesala," or "Dhamma Practitioner" for what they are — conventional truths.
I agree. There seems to be a modern tendency especially among some New Agers to say that they "have no labels" that way they have no ego-clinging. But they actually do have a label, the label of "one with no labels" :tongue: And they could even have ego-clinging in the spiritual-materialist label of "one who is superior to those with labels"

We all need some labels in this conventional world. It is no biggie, nothing to be obsessed about, just helps identify our roles in society, not something that has to be an ego-clinging. The Buddha was ahead of his time and brilliantly (in my opinion) explained it with the Raft Simile. We can get rid of all our labels and attachment to the Dhamma when we reach the other shore.
User avatar
Viscid
Posts: 931
Joined: Fri Jul 09, 2010 8:55 pm
Location: Toronto, Canada
Contact:

Re: Are you a Buddhist?

Post by Viscid »

Whether or not I identify myself as Buddhist depends on who I am speaking to:

If I were speaking to someone who has gone all-out-- precepts, meditation, temples, shrines-- then no, I am not Buddhist.. or at least, I am not Buddhist in the way they are Buddhist, and I wouldn't want to give the impression my religiosity is equal to theirs.

If I were speaking to a Christian or to a dogmatic atheist I'll identify myself as Buddhist, as it communicates that, while I demonstrate no external expression of it, I confidently harbour philosophical and metaphysical beliefs (and sometimes practices) which potentially contrast with theirs and would best be described as Buddhist in nature.

I also feel Buddhist. When I read Buddhist texts, I have the conviction that what I am reading is an authoritative, reliable exposition of reality, not just some exotic cultural artifact. I accept them as being something I would have severe difficulty arguing with. When I survey my understanding of the world, I find that it is Buddhistic. From my perspective it's not that 'I am a Buddhist' but moreso 'I am convinced Buddhist philosophical beliefs are the best description of the human condition.'
"What holds attention determines action." - William James
danieLion
Posts: 1947
Joined: Wed May 25, 2011 4:49 am

Re: Are you a Buddhist?

Post by danieLion »

Hi Pesala,
Bhikkhu Pesala wrote:
danieLion wrote:No. I'm a practitioner of the Buddha-Dhamma. Being a Buddhist is craving-for-becoming and clinging-to-identity-view.
If so, then being a "Dhamma Practitioner" is also craving for becoming and clinging to identity view.

One should understand labels such as "Buddhist," "Daniel," "Bhikkhu Pesala," or "Dhamma Practitioner" for what they are — conventional truths.
I agree that both are labels, but I also suspect--and, of course, I might be wrong--that the conventional/ultimate "truth" distinction is a false dichotomy. I intentionally avoided using the word "being" (no, my use of "I'm" is not an "is of indentity" conjugation) to distinguish the conventionality of the label from ontological descriptors. I suppose I could've have been more specific and clarified that I view practicing the Buddha-Dhamma not as an identity, but as an activity; not a "thing" but a process.
Kindly,
dL
danieLion
Posts: 1947
Joined: Wed May 25, 2011 4:49 am

Re: Are you a Buddhist?

Post by danieLion »

Hi David,
David N. Snyder wrote:We all need some labels in this conventional world.
I agree that labels are very pragmatic, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're the opposite of some pie-in-the-sky "ultimate" truth.
Kindly,
dL
danieLion
Posts: 1947
Joined: Wed May 25, 2011 4:49 am

Re: Are you a Buddhist?

Post by danieLion »

Hi Viscid,
Great post.
Kindly,
dL
Post Reply