Thread lead to Crowley because he was a drug fiend; and I figure OP doesn't mind, and may not even consider this off topic. I admit, my link between Crowley and Buddhism is far-fetched, but Crowley, Thelema and drugs go together so well, and Jcsuperstar gave such mixed messages about the off-topicness of their interelatedness...
Concentration techniques are not Buddhism although we may use them in Buddhism.
I agreed with that in my last post.
I've known people deeply into occult practices and I've read all the recommended literature on the subject to see if the claims made that our two practices overlap and i can say no they don't.
I'm talking Crowley and Jhana practice, that's it. If Crowley/Thelemites and Buddhists practice Jhanas, then yes there is overlap. On Occult literature: "the most common form of the Wiccan Rede is 'An it harm none, do what ye will'." Argue all you like, I'm calling that a very buddhist thing to say. It's a reworded interpretation of Crowley's own 'Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law!,' and his own commentaries on the meaning show that it 'overlaps' SOME buddhist teachings nicely.
Practicing breath meditation does not make one a Buddhist
Buddha practiced it before he 'became a Buddhist.' If an angry young Thelemite with no interest in Dhamma learns to enter Jhana after reading Crowley or practicing breath meditation, it will then be easier for him to relate to buddhism. Any small step towards Nibbaana makes you a temporary buddhist [I'm not interested in converting to another view of that right now].
In fact i first learned breath meditation in 3rd grade as a stress relieving practice, nothing Buddhist about that either.
Nothing Buddhist about stress relief? Dukkha, 4 Noble Truths, Samma-Samadhi...It's just not
uniquely buddhist, as Kenshou clarified.
Sit down and shut up. The similarities tend to end there.
Until you add Jhana, and I'm still waiting for an answer: Is it possible that Crowley would have been able to commit the unwholesome acts he was infamous for, while at the same time developing Jhanas? If not, then drug addicted outcasts reading his work may in that way be jumping even closer to arahantship than merely sharing common ground with an insincere 'buddhist'. If that isn't the making of a real buddhist, then I lose this one.
Moth no longer needs Crowley or drugs because they did help him. Way off?