convert to Taoism or Buddhism
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Hi...everybody,
I have a few questions to ask and I hope the friends here will gimme some good advice.
-Can a Christian convert to Taoism or Buddhism?
-If he/she converts to Taoism or Buddhist,what are the new beginner tips for his/her new faith?Things like the gods to worship and things to take note of like the kind of temple to go to...
Please feel free to give me your good advise.Thanks!
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you are free to convert to any religion. Just follow your heart ..........
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people as a human are free to convert. true Buddhism is not about worshipping. that's folk believe mixing into "buddhism".
pls read :
Kalama Sutta: To the Kalamas
translated from the Pali byThanissaro Bhikkhuhttp://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an03/an03.065.than.html
Although this discourse is often cited as the Buddha's carte blanche for following one's own sense of right and wrong, it actually says something much more rigorous than that. Traditions are not to be followed simply because they are traditions. Reports (such as historical accounts or news) are not to be followed simply because the source seems reliable. One's own preferences are not to be followed simply because they seem logical or resonate with one's feelings. Instead, any view or belief must be tested by the results it yields when put into practice; and — to guard against the possibility of any bias or limitations in one's understanding of those results — they must further be checked against the experience of people who are wise. The ability to question and test one's beliefs in an appropriate way is called appropriate attention. The ability to recognize and choose wise people as mentors is called having admirable friends. According to Iti 16-17, these are, respectively, the most important internal and external factors for attaining the goal of the practice. For further thoughts on how to test a belief in practice, see MN 61,MN 95, AN 7.79, and AN 8.53. For thoughts on how to judge whether another person is wise, see MN 110, AN 4.192, and AN 8.54.
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also read simple understanding of real Buddhism:
Be A LAmp Upon YoUrseLf Published in 1999 for free distribution Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery Dharma Propagation Division Awaken Publishing/\
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But whats e difference btw Buddhism and Taoism?Sorry....I come from a Christian background.Both seems okay to me.Where should I start?
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Originally posted by Steaks:
But whats e difference btw Buddhism and Taoism?Sorry....I come from a Christian background.Both seems okay to me.Where should I start?
Taoism has many deities and they practice medium consultation. Burning of joss sticks, incense papers and paper houses, paper garments, they practise feeding the ghosts as and when needed and during 7th month ghost festival.
Buddhism is about the teaching of Buddha. Buddhists chant, meditate .
Personally, I have appreciation for buddhism.
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taoism origins fm china, 5000 years ago. they have many taoist sutras for chanting. they also do meditation and also have a few martial arts for exercise. they mainly differ fm buddhism in their rituals and rites.
taoist deities are much much different fm buddhism.
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Originally posted by Steaks:
But whats e difference btw Buddhism and Taoism?Sorry....I come from a Christian background.Both seems okay to me.Where should I start?
Taoists burn incense papers while true Buddhists do not burn incense paper.
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Originally posted by Steaks:
Hi...everybody,
I have a few questions to ask and I hope the friends here will gimme some good advice.
-Can a Christian convert to Taoism or Buddhism?
-If he/she converts to Taoism or Buddhist,what are the new beginner tips for his/her new faith?Things like the gods to worship and things to take note of like the kind of temple to go to...
Please feel free to give me your good advise.Thanks!
I've a friend who was a Christian for 40 years. She converted to Buddhist few years ago and there are many more out there. Just follow what you think is the truth.
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Dawn,wot made your friend do it?
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Dawn.....wot do I have to do if I am a Buddhist or Taoist?Can u help me kick start the faith?Wot temples should I go to and things to do at home.Do I need to renounce anything?
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Originally posted by Steaks:
Hi...everybody,
I have a few questions to ask and I hope the friends here will gimme some good advice.
-Can a Christian convert to Taoism or Buddhism?
-If he/she converts to Taoism or Buddhist,what are the new beginner tips for his/her new faith?Things like the gods to worship and things to take note of like the kind of temple to go to...
Please feel free to give me your good advise.Thanks!
Hi Steak
Actually one need not concern with what one need to do, there is no deliverance or baptism ceremony when one need to go thru. However, when one is ready, one can partake in the 3 refuge service which is conduct in most Buddhist temples.
If there is anything I need to warn u it will be. The paradigm shift in one mindset as it is dependent how long one is in the Christian circle. It will no longer be God’s will or demonic thingy. The second thing is the former church mates may try to psycho u back to church with notion of hell and lovely dovey John 3:16.
As I was a baptized Charismatic Christian, I went thru that phase. I find the most important thing is explore, understand and experience the truth of Buddhism for yourself. Do not build upon other’s people experience. That’s where the conviction will last.
When I was in Melbourne, I began with Dalai Lama book on the 4 noble truths. It was the simplicity and profundity that shed truth into my life. It awakens me to respect Buddhism despite of the fact that I was serving in a church. After my studies, when I returned to Singapore, I start with attending English Basic Buddhist class at kong meng san. To cut the story short, I am now a Nichiren Buddhist due to my affinity and interest with the Lotus Sutra.
Alrite, may u 2 embark on the Buddhist journey of faith. Namu Myoho Renge Kyo
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it's also important to know the founder of Buddhism, Ś�kyamuni . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha
btw, founder of Taoism is Laozi, and i don't think he teach burning paper. Tao De Jing is a good read. there's ch'an/zen element in it. as he's a Pizhifo 辟支佛 as taught by Ven ShenKai. Pizhifo 辟支佛 is good in dependent origination.
http://www.buddhanet.net/funbud12.htm
the one we see today are also quite messed up.
/\
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Originally posted by Steaks:
Dawn.....wot do I have to do if I am a Buddhist or Taoist?Can u help me kick start the faith?Wot temples should I go to and things to do at home.Do I need to renounce anything?
i am more curious is that, you seem to me that you dont really understand what is taoism or buddhism.If so, what make you want to convert to this religion? What is your motivation towards taoism or buddhism?
find out more like for buddhism get the book 4 noble truth read and try to understand better
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My thought is that it is immoral to convert other religionists to believe yours, but is morally in tune, to convert their wrong understanding of their own faith. This is essential for world peace that begins from your personal peace
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I want to discover the faith of my forefathers and believe in it too.
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Originally posted by Steaks:
-Can a Christian convert to Taoism or Buddhism?
Sure why not?
I support you in your conversion to Taoism/Buddhism.
The Tao and the Buddha
![[for Buddhists]](http://www.thetao.info/images/iconbudd.gif)
The Attraction
Buddhists are often attracted to the Tao and visa versa.Both paths accent happiness through intellectual cultivation, and they both originated around the same time historically.
While Buddhists are often encouraged to read alternative ideas and religions, following another path while trying to be a Buddhist is specifically discouraged.
Early, close relationship
In China, Buddhism and Taoism, grew up together.In fact, according to the Platform Sutra, transcribed from the words of the great Zen Master Hui Neng in the 8th century, Taoists attended least one, and probably many other, of his lectures.
Since Buddhism arrived in China well after Taoism had developed, the Chinese used familiar Taoist terms to describe similar Buddhist ideas.
This has led to countless poor translations of Sutras from Pali, Sanskrit and Tibetan into Chinese and caused a lot of misunderstandings. The Tao even has a similar writing style to Chinese Zen (actually called Ch'an in Chinese) writings.
Emptiness
The most common misunderstanding people have about the Tao is that "Emptiness" in the Tao has a similar meaning to "Emptiness" (Sunyata, Chinese: Kung, Japanese: Ku) in Buddhism.This is because different words in Buddhism and Taoism were all translated as Emptiness in English.
Several different Chinese characters are used for Emptiness in the Tao, but Chinese Buddhists mostly use the character on the right (pronounced 'Kung'). 'Taoist Emptiness' is completely different to 'Buddhism Emptiness'. The Emptiness in the Tao is about restraint, patience, frugality, simplicity, lack of worldly desire etc.
These are all good things for Buddhists, but they have nothing whatever to do with Buddhist Emptiness, which is about the inaccuracy of our "externalist" perceptions of reality and the fictional objects that are created from that misunderstanding.
The Meeting?
Some Taoists believe that when Lao Tzu left LuoYang, he travelled to India to tutor the Buddha.It's an interesting idea, but no serious historian would look at it because of timing, distance, language and credibility barriers to this possibility. Instead this legend probably grew out of the complex relationship between Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism that existed in the 1st millennium.
This relationship is probably also responsible for the legend of Lao Tzu's meeting with Confucius that is detailed in the section on Lao Tzu.
If Zen Buddhism is interesting to you, About the Tao has a sister site, About Zen(http://www.aboutzen.info).
http://www.thetao.info/tao/buddha.htm
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Originally posted by Steaks:
I want to discover the faith of my forefathers and believe in it too.
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Originally posted by Steaks:
I want to discover the faith of my forefathers and believe in it too.
if i were you, i will learn more about something before leaping in. prevent future regret also feel so much more comfortable.
once u become buddhist, u should not turn back anymore and since it is so important, you should read more about it first, there are so many books and you will sure have doubts and then you can come to forum or other qualified buddhists to ask questions.
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So if I become Taoist/Buddhist,do I have to put the gods at home and observe some certain rules??
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I think I have more or less made my decision.Do I have to go to scared sites like in Thailand or China to pray?A temple keeper told me I could pray to any god I wanted and the thing that I must do is to pray no less than three gods at home if I have a altar.How about the offering of joss sticks or the kinds of food to offer to the gods?
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Originally posted by Steaks:
So if I become Taoist/Buddhist,do I have to put the gods at home and observe some certain rules??I think I have more or less made my decision.Do I have to go to scared sites like in Thailand or China to pray?A temple keeper told me I could pray to any god I wanted and the thing that I must do is to pray no less than three gods at home if I have a altar.How about the offering of joss sticks or the kinds of food to offer to the gods?
Some thoughts:
- Firstly, understand the distinctions between Taoism and Buddhism (← click). They are not one and the same.
- In Buddhism, we understand that cultivating ourselves is not about externals such as setting up altars and venerating gods. While Buddhists do set up altars if conditions allow, it is more as a focal point to remind us of our commitment towards awakening to the truth regarding the nature of reality, overcoming afflictions and gaining liberation from samsaric suffering, etc.
- How one would take care of a Taoist vs a Buddhist altar also differs, precisely because there are underlying differences in belief.
- And actually even within Taoism, there is the need to distinguish between folk Taoism and what is true Taoist practice.
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Thanks....Will be looking for a temple around the west area to worship.
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Originally posted by Steaks:
Thanks....Will be looking for a temple around the west area to worship.
I wish you good luck in your conversion from christainity to Taoism/Buddhism. I hope you can have a fulfilling religious life. In the end, all must return to their true roots. Lee Kuan Yew also will not succeed in his goal of destroying dialects in Singapore.
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Yeah,got to make some adjustments in my life as well.