Buddhism in many forms...Back at it again.

It has been a while...

since I have written about Buddhism. It is something very important in my life and that has done wonders for me over the last 10 plus years. It has helped me overcome extreme challenged, bad mental states and just bad situations in general.

When I first joined SteemIt that was something that I focused on writing. I really enjoy it and love passing on the knowledge. It isn't something easy to write about because I feel I need to capture it in the correct way.

It has been many months since my last article on Buddhism and there are many reasons for this. one being time. Its does take a lot of energy to do so, while still well worth it. Another might have been the discouraging time around Hard Fork 19. But I need to remember why I write about it in the first place and not get stuck on the need to earn or even be viewed by the masses.

My goal is to write about

the journey and path of Buddhism. There are many variations and people experience the path in different ways but there is one common end point. And that is eternal happiness. That is what we all strive for. And Buddhism is a great place to start.

Buddhism has been compared to psychology, philosophy and religion by many. Everyone has their own uses for it whether it be as a spiritual journey or as a philosophy. Some use it hand in hand with Yoga while other may only use the aspect of karma, not knowing its routes.

So this is where I want to start this discussion. On different uses of Buddhism by different people, different cultures and even just different locations. And yes, I do want the discussion involved to. In the past when I would write about it I would get many peoples specific practices about what I was writing about. Whether it was similar to mine or way different. I want to bring this back.

Buddhism as Philosophy

Many who practice Buddhism practice a less spiritual version or path. This is particularly true in the west but can be found in many regions of the world. Buddhism relies on empirical evidence to prove what is true and false and goes hand in hand with science in many aspects. It doesn’t try to explain what cannot explain. While some sects do expands on this and have more detailed beliefs beyond what the Buddha taught.

So how is it not religious? Well Buddhist teachings are based on experiences from one man, The Buddha. These have been expanded upon over the years but one thing was for sure, Buddha was just a man. One who went through many extremes to find that middle path. One of the most amazing aspect of Buddhism is that it was created on trial and error and it is expected to be practiced that way. One should not believe something just because someone else told you, but because you have experienced the effects your self.

Though, there are a few sects of Buddhism that believe he was a God. So one main reason for there being a lack of belief in a God in Buddhism is that there is a lack of evidence, like I said above. The Buddha preferred to focus on what we had control of. Also he believed that one could find happiness and meaning in life without this fear of a God.

One of the key aspects of Buddhism is that of suffering (Dukkha) is present in our lives and that by removing this we reach a state of nirvana (unending happiness). Is this religious? This teaching is just something that would fall into common sense. But the teachings of the Buddha help reach these goals, through practice. Many follow a philosophical approach to finding this state. This can include a spiritual type practice.

Buddhism as Religion

A religious practice is a different type of Buddhist practice. This falls into a more traditional type of practice. Tibetan Buddhism is what I think of when I think of religious practice. Though there is a fine line in Buddhism between philosophy and religious practices.

If we look at the Mahayana tradition we see the devotion to the Buddha and to the Bodhisattvas (enlightened ones). This, in my opinion, crosses the line from philosophy to religious. There is an importance in prayers as well. From long life mantras to that of compassion. I often recite Om Mani Padme Hum which is supposed to bring the embodiment of compassion within one’s self.

Buddhism as Psychology

Just as Buddhism goes hand in hand with science, so does psychology. Many use the practices to help others work through their struggles. Their suffering. Compassion is key. Not only do therapists use it, many use it on one’s self to help alleviate the pains of life.

There are many books that can be used to help one work on themselves while using Buddhist practice, aside from the regular teachers. One such is Unlimiting Mind: The Radically Experiential Psychology of Buddhism by Andrew Olendzki. Another really good book that I would recommend is Buddhism on the Couch: From Analysis to Awakening Using Buddhist Psychology by Caroline Brazier

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So do you practice any form of Buddhism? Is it used for Philosophical, Religious or Psychological benefit for you? What tradition do you practice? Mahayana, Theravada or maybe Vajrayana? Or maybe you practice Zazen. Or just Meditate or practice Yoga. Let me know in the comments below.

Some of my other Buddhist posts

What is Meditation

Buddhist Auspicious Days and Inauspicious Days

What is Karma?

When the Buddha asked "What have you gained from meditation?"

Staying Calm: Mindfulness

Staying Calm: How to control our minds
https://steemit.com/life/@nicnas/buddhist-terms-defined

Meditation: Four Point Meditation

Attaining the fruit of the Mahayana Path

Love vs Attachment

Ten Non Virtuous

Just because something is a thousand words doesnt make it better than one single word

The Lamrim part 2

My Introduction

Staying Calm: Mindfulness and Meditation