How did you come to Buddhism? (poll)

Exploring Theravāda's connections to other paths - what can we learn from other traditions, religions and philosophies?

How did you come to Buddhism? (see post for elucidation)

1) Through meditation
35
30%
2) Through Dhamma
72
62%
3) I can't say I adopted Buddhism as a religion
9
8%
 
Total votes: 116

Spiny Norman
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Re: How did you come to Buddhism? (poll)

Post by Spiny Norman »

I was a recovering Catholic when I first got involved with Buddhism. The absence of God was probably a big factor. :woohoo:
Buddha save me from new-agers!
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Sabbe_Dhamma_Anatta
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Re: How did you come to Buddhism? (poll)

Post by Sabbe_Dhamma_Anatta »

.


I don't really remember when and how I first encountered Buddhism. Born in Buddhist culture. Some meditations made me think "this is really something". Adding some readings & listenings, ... "this is really really something". Adding some arguings :tongue: on DWT ... "this is really really really something".

:jumping:


:heart:
𝓑𝓾𝓭𝓭𝓱𝓪 𝓗𝓪𝓭 𝓤𝓷𝓮𝓺𝓾𝓲𝓿𝓸𝓬𝓪𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝓓𝓮𝓬𝓵𝓪𝓻𝓮𝓭 𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓽
  • Iᴅᴇᴀ ᴏꜰ Sᴏᴜʟ ɪs Oᴜᴛᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴀɴ Uᴛᴛᴇʀʟʏ Fᴏᴏʟɪsʜ Vɪᴇᴡ
    V. Nanananda

𝓐𝓷𝓪𝓽𝓽ā 𝓜𝓮𝓪𝓷𝓼 𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓣𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓘𝓼
  • Nᴏ sᴜᴄʜ ᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴀs ᴀ Sᴇʟғ, Sᴏᴜʟ, Eɢᴏ, Sᴘɪʀɪᴛ, ᴏʀ Āᴛᴍᴀɴ
    V. Buddhādasa
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Nicholas Weeks
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Re: How did you come to Buddhism? (poll)

Post by Nicholas Weeks »

Perhaps I missed it, but did not see Zom define "coming to Buddhism" as formally, in a Temple with a Bhikshu, taking refuge in the Three Jewels of Buddha, Dharma & Sangha. Other than that sincere step, which is the true entrance to the Dharma, the rest would be philo-Buddhists or fans of Buddhism or cultural Buddhists.

Would like to see a poll of how many have formally taken refuge - maybe there is one already here - somewhere.
Good and evil have no fixed form. It's as easy to turn from doing bad to doing good as it is to flip over the hand from the back to the palm. It's simply up to us to do it. Master Hsuan Hua.
Barry8888
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Re: How did you come to Buddhism? (poll)

Post by Barry8888 »

Hi all, new joiner to this forum. Nice to meet you. My main purpose is to learn more Dhamma topics and also try to seek Kalyana mitta.

I would not label myself as Theravadin or Mahayanist or Vajirayanist. A 'Buddha Dhamma follower' maybe.

I do observe Pancasila as lifelong practice, while sometimes Uposatha 8 precepts if opportunity comes.

Initially I am really against Buddha because I was thinking : what is the use of paying respect to those Indian guys? " Then, I was into Buddha Dhamma when I was about 13 (not certain of it), when I read Dhammacakkappavattana sutta. It was the moment that I felt like I am now undergo some shocks in my brain, and since that I changed my lifestyle.

Namo Buddhassa
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not myself today
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Re: How did you come to Buddhism? (poll)

Post by not myself today »

Nicholas Weeks wrote: Sun Nov 22, 2020 4:57 pm Perhaps I missed it, but did not see Zom define "coming to Buddhism" as formally, in a Temple with a Bhikshu, taking refuge in the Three Jewels of Buddha, Dharma & Sangha. Other than that sincere step, which is the true entrance to the Dharma, the rest would be philo-Buddhists or fans of Buddhism or cultural Buddhists.
This is an opinion, such as the Buddha advised us to abandon, as the cherishing of opinions leads to discord, to conflict, to strife.

I know of no account in the Scriptures of any of those many lay followers who declared to the Buddha that they would henceforth follow him for life having those declarations validated by any bhikkhu, the Buddha himself included. As far as I can tell, this, like so much other rite and ritual that has arisen around the practice, arose well after the Buddha’s time as an aid to those who take comfort in such external validation and in the rite and ritual of religion in general.

The path of the Dhamma is one of *self*-actualization; the only person who can transform you in any meaningful way is you. Thus have *I* heard (and experienced), at least...
Ian

Not in the faults of others
nor what they did or failed to do,
but in oneself should be sought
things done, things left undone.

- Dhammapada 4.50
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Nicholas Weeks
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Re: How did you come to Buddhism? (poll)

Post by Nicholas Weeks »

not myself today wrote: Mon Nov 30, 2020 1:54 pm
I know of no account in the Scriptures of any of those many lay followers who declared to the Buddha that they would henceforth follow him for life having those declarations validated by any bhikkhu, the Buddha himself included. As far as I can tell, this, like so much other rite and ritual that has arisen around the practice, arose well after the Buddha’s time as an aid to those who take comfort in such external validation and in the rite and ritual of religion in general.
The following refrain is found in many suttas, this one came from Sutta-Nipata. It suggests taking refuge in Three elements, not just one or two and in the presence of another, not alone.

After Buddha died the only living beings left are Sangha members. So if Buddha objected not to taking refuge in Buddha, Dharma & Sangha when he was living, why not continue doing so?
When this had been said, the wealthy brahmans said to the Blessed One: ‘Wonderful, venerable Gotama, wonderful, venerable Gotama. Just as, venerable Gotama, one might set upright what has been overturned, or uncover that which has been covered, or point out the way to one who had gone astray, or bring an oil-lamp into the darkness, so that those with eyes might see shapes, in the same way the doctrine has been declared by the venerable Gotama in manifold ways. We go to the venerable Gotama as a refuge, and to the Doctrine, and to the Order of bhikkhus - May the venerable Gotama accept us as lay-followers, who have taken refuge from this day forth as long as life lasts.’
Good and evil have no fixed form. It's as easy to turn from doing bad to doing good as it is to flip over the hand from the back to the palm. It's simply up to us to do it. Master Hsuan Hua.
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StrivingforMonkhood
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Re: How did you come to Buddhism? (poll)

Post by StrivingforMonkhood »

not myself today wrote: Mon Nov 30, 2020 1:54 pmThe path of the Dhamma is one of *self*-actualization; the only person who can transform you in any meaningful way is you. Thus have *I* heard (and experienced), at least...
Yes, that is the ultimate truth.

We tell ourselves story after story: this person will make me happy; this place; this house; this whatever...
Only "you" can make "you" happy. The external world is just an illusion.

With great love in the name of the Holy Buddha

:anjali:
May we all fulfill our deepest wish for happiness

We are already Buddha
Spiny Norman
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Re: How did you come to Buddhism? (poll)

Post by Spiny Norman »

Nicholas Weeks wrote: Sun Nov 22, 2020 4:57 pm Perhaps I missed it, but did not see Zom define "coming to Buddhism" as formally, in a Temple with a Bhikshu, taking refuge in the Three Jewels of Buddha, Dharma & Sangha. Other than that sincere step, which is the true entrance to the Dharma, the rest would be philo-Buddhists or fans of Buddhism or cultural Buddhists.

Would like to see a poll of how many have formally taken refuge - maybe there is one already here - somewhere.
:zzz:
Buddha save me from new-agers!
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Ceisiwr
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Re: How did you come to Buddhism? (poll)

Post by Ceisiwr »

When I was in university the 1st time around, at 18, I randomly typed “Buddhism” into Wikipedia as i spontaneously thought about how little I know of it (kamma-vipāka perhaps?)I read the 4 noble truths on there and the that was it. That moment changed my life completely, although my practice was up and down during my 20’s.
“Knowing that this body is just like foam,
understanding it has the nature of a mirage,
cutting off Māra’s flower-tipped arrows,
one should go beyond the King of Death’s sight.”
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mjaviem
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Re: How did you come to Buddhism? (poll)

Post by mjaviem »

  • Reading the novel Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse.
  • Learning about mental wellbeing (mindfulness + giving + physical activity + learning new things + connecting with people).
  • Eastern wisdom archetype.
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Ontheway
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Re: How did you come to Buddhism? (poll)

Post by Ontheway »

Through Dhamma.

At first, I was just attracted by the Theravada buddhist culture and the chanting. Then I was curious about their teachings and I read some booklets, then the Suttas, ...till now.
Hiriottappasampannā,
sukkadhammasamāhitā;
Santo sappurisā loke,
devadhammāti vuccare.

https://suttacentral.net/ja6/en/chalmer ... ight=false
Spiny Norman
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Re: How did you come to Buddhism? (poll)

Post by Spiny Norman »

Mostly as a reaction to Roman Catholicism. Not an intelligent choice in hindsight.
Buddha save me from new-agers!
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DNS
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Re: How did you come to Buddhism? (poll)

Post by DNS »

Nuseir is embarking on a study of all the major religions. What he's doing is sort of like what I have been doing from a very young age and from my studies and interaction with the other religions is how I came to Buddhism.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzFQy02lkBY
emptyset
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Re: How did you come to Buddhism? (poll)

Post by emptyset »

Death of my mother made me question everything years ago. I found the answers I was given in Christianity to be incomplete and unsatisfactory, so I looked elsewhere. The creator God story never added up to me. Buddhism is the only thing that made sense of it all. I read mostly Zen and Tibetan at first, as that's what you tend to find in USA. Eventually wound up here because I found the more orthodox Theravada to be the right path for me.
"Whoever sees dependent origination sees the Dhamma; whoever sees the Dhamma sees dependent origination."
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