Dhamma Wheel Buddhist Forum

Anyone know any quizzes are questionnaires for helping you decide what kind of Buddhist you might be? I've been torn between Zen and Theravada for a long time and it's quite conflicting. I took some silly little quiz which wasn't very good, but it said I was theravada. I wouldn't mind a more in depth analysis.

Hello greggorious,

I don't see any conflict between Theravada and Zen. Why not keep both?

http://www.okcupid.com/tests/what-kind- ... e-you-quiz" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

But why try to put a label on yourself, why try to put yourself in a particular box?
Just follow the Teachings of the Buddha. Your understanding will grow, mature and change over time.


with metta
Chris

greggorious wrote:Anyone know any quizzes are questionnaires for helping you decide what kind of Buddhist you might be? I've been torn between Zen and Theravada for a long time and it's quite conflicting. I took some silly little quiz which wasn't very good, but it said I was theravada. I wouldn't mind a more in depth analysis.

Be the good kind of Buddhist, the one who trains day and night in wholesome states. Rahula was given a way to quiz himself about this in MN 61.

If you're still aching for a label, why not ask yourself which set of texts you'd want to compile and memorize in case of being stranded on a desert island. Are they from the Nikayas? Perhaps you'd prefer the Shobogenzo? Or something else?

(Maybe you're afraid to pick anything other than the 'best' practice, which translates into a hunt for the 'best' Buddhist label?)

I like Therevada because of Vipassana and because of Ajahn Buddhadassa, I like Zen due to it's pantheistic and altruistic nature. Not into Tibetan at all though.

greggorious wrote:Zen due to it's pantheistic and altruistic nature.

Care to elaborate here? I'm curious, having started with Zen myself.

If you have alturistic tendencies its good to tend to orthodox Theravada, if you are more from a selfish tendency its good if you cut of your horns in any Bodhisattva tradition. For the beginning, at least you will find all the same tendenies in both, and finaly see that normal alturistic as well as selfishness are rooted in the same confusion.

greggorious wrote:Anyone know any quizzes are questionnaires for helping you decide what kind of Buddhist you might be? I've been torn between Zen and Theravada for a long time and it's quite conflicting. I took some silly little quiz which wasn't very good, but it said I was theravada. I wouldn't mind a more in depth analysis.

Dear greggorious,

I see the main problem of you is not the traditions, but your purpose. You just want label. Even if you are a student of a true arahant, you still can't possess his wisdom and understanding. The core teaching of the Buddha is that you must rely on yourself and dhamma, don't rely on others let alone traditions. Even the teaching of one tradition is true, but if you just know the texts, you know nothing. You just want to worship something. This attitude is not bad but if you take it to the extreme, it is really bad, because it increases arrogance, even when you are worshiping the Buddha.

Let have an opened mind. If zen or therevada says something, examine it, compare it, test it, if it is compatible with truth, benefit, it can't be criticized reasonably by the wises, then follow it. And open this attitude to everything, whatever is said, from scientists, other religions, Christians, Muslims, atheists,..

Regards

It just boggles my mind that you could mistake zen for pantheism How do you feel they are similar?

Here is a quiz which might be useful: Which rebirth do you deserve?

whynotme wrote:

greggorious wrote: You just want label.

Not label, but stability.

Some peoples, most of new practitioners, must to be supported in their practice by an appartenance to group.

It's true, that this appartenance will solidifying the ego, but it's better than nothning. If some one feels that he need some external support to practice, he must make this support, after, if he practice well, he will put this support in the trash.

IMO

DAWN wrote:

whynotme wrote:

greggorious wrote: You just want label.

Not label, but stability.

OK, I know, you're maybe right.

Regards