buddhism and combining aspects of other cultures and religions...

toujour_333 · 07-31-2006, 06:38 AM

namaste friends,

i was wondering if there was anything wrong with adding things from other religions and cultures into ur buddhist practice. by this i was generally talking about things like t'ai chi, yoga, and things like that. i know that yoga was designed for spiritual purposes, but im not sure if it is used in buddhism, or at least i have yet to hear anything definitive.

so, if anyone could answer this question for me, i would be greatly appreciative. the reason why i am asking is that i just bought a book on yoga written by a yogi from india called 'the heart of yoga'. its really good and i can see a lot of simularities between buddhism and some of the thoughts behind yoga. and so im thinking of starting a yoga practice as well as my meditation practice to get the benifits of both, however i wanted to know if there was any sect that already did this or does anyone else do this?

thank you all very much for all the help.

be well in peace

Vajradhara · 07-31-2006, 07:03 AM

Namaste toujour,

thank you for the post.

well, the simple answer to your query is that yoga is used in Buddhism and it is a featured practice in the Vajrayana found in Tibet. t'ai ch'i is also a form of Buddhist practice it is a meditation of movement which has several different permutations depending on the cultural region in question.

at a certain level, yoga is yoga

it is only as one moves along the yogic path that the nuances between the various views becomes clear. that said, irrespective of religious view, yoga practice is quite excellent for the physical form

so, from that point of view, there couldn't be anything wrong with it! recall the rather famous Ch'an koan: chop wood, carry water.

speaking of which... gotta go get some water..

metta,

~v

toujour_333 · 07-31-2006, 07:16 AM

namaste vaj,

thanks for that. not only did it answer my questions, but it made me laugh and brighten my day, or night rather. do u personally practice yoga or t'ai chi? or rather, does anyone on here practice either in combination with meditation? thanks again.

be well in peace

Vajradhara · 07-31-2006, 07:19 PM

Namaste toujour,

thank you for the post.

i do not practice T'ai Ch'i though i am interested in it. i do use several yoga practices within my normal practice routine.

yoga is a pretty broad field and has various permutations to be found it in. in my case, it is not so much doing the Hatha yoga (physical assanas and so forth) but more of practicing the Yogas of Naropa which are Vajaryana Buddhist techniques to realize the subtle energy body and to open the various chakras.

metta,

~v

Paladin · 08-01-2006, 05:57 AM

Hi Toujour,

I have practiced Buddhist meditation for several years now and I also practice Tai chi under the instruction of Sifu Martin Kelly here in Colorado. One of the Wing Chun students (a senior student actually) is a devotee of the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh. In one way or another I have been a seeker for all of my 46 years and have found many marvelous practices, sampling the spiritual banquet humanity has most graciously provided us. Personally I find that Tai chi and Taoist yoga (Chi Gong) has helped me to physically experience emptiness in a very visceral way. I find the practice helpful in developing focus which in turn affects my sitting meditation. As Usual Vaj has given us the vital clue when he mentions the writing of an ancient Zen master, I believe the entire quote went: "Majical power, Marvelous action! Chopping wood, carrying water..."

Here again Vaj reminds us that every moment is a holy moment if so practiced. Thank you both for sharing these thoughts

Peace
Mark

Vajradhara · 08-08-2006, 09:11 AM

Namaste Paladin,

thank you for the post.

where in Colorado do you practice? you don't have to mention it on forum if you'd rather not, PM me

did you know that there is a very interesting Tibetan Buddhist monestary and university in Boulder? hmm... Boulder.. i'll have to check to make sure i'm recalling that correctly.. in any event it is Naropa University and it was founded by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche.

yes.. here's the site:

http://www.naropa.edu/inside.html

are you close to Boulder?

sort of a long build up to that question, eh?

metta,

~v

Paladin · 08-08-2006, 04:37 PM

Hi Vajradhara,

I live in Colorado Springs, which is a couple of hours south of Boulder, and I don't mind posting here that I practice mostly in my back yard

Seriously though, there is a studio here called "Self-Care Arts" run by Sifu Martin Kelly that teaches Wing Chun kung fu, Aiki ju-jitsu, Chi Gung, and Several types of internal martial art such as tai-chi, Bagua (pa kua) and Hsing yi. As I have gotten a little older now, I have found the benefit of studying the internal arts for health and mental focus.

My wife Susan and I have always been enamored of Naropa and wish we could quit working and just be full time students at that most wondrous institution. We look through the class catalog like most people peruse wishbooks like LL bean or Sears. :0)

Peace
Mark

Vajradhara · 08-09-2006, 08:43 AM

Namaste Paladin,

thank you for sharing.

i, too, would enjoy spending some time there as a student.

metta,

~v

JustifiedByFaith · 08-11-2006, 02:21 AM

Dear Vajradhara,

My beliefs as a Christian also cause me to see an aspect about the attempts at being humble in buddhism to be interesting. In my faith, man is unable to change his sinful nature apart from the Holy Spirit and being "Born Again" of the Spirit. In Buddhism, how can one "acheive" true humbleness of ones self under these circumstances? Is there no belief of sin or "fallenness" in mankind in Buddism? If so, how can one "honestly" know if someone has attained true humbleness of self?

Vajradhara · 08-11-2006, 12:37 PM

Namate Justified by faith,

thank you for the post.

not really, no. Buddhism doesn't have any conception of sin as it is understood in the Christian paradigm.

i suppose that the only way in which a being can determine if another being is humble is by observing their actions and listening to their words. it matters little what one claims for oneself the proof of the pudding is in the eating, as they say.

nevertheless, within the overall Buddha Dharma the foundation of humble action is layed through the teaching of Impermenance and Interdependent Co-Arising which, when properly cognized, invariable shifts one towards a more holistic and humble state of being.

sorry for the terse reply, its a bit late here or early, depending on your view

metta,

~v

JustifiedByFaith · 08-14-2006, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vajradhara

Namate Justified by faith,

thank you for the post.

not really, no. Buddhism doesn't have any conception of sin as it is understood in the Christian paradigm.

i suppose that the only way in which a being can determine if another being is humble is by observing their actions and listening to their words. it matters little what one claims for oneself the proof of the pudding is in the eating, as they say.

nevertheless, within the overall Buddha Dharma the foundation of humble action is layed through the teaching of Impermenance and Interdependent Co-Arising which, when properly cognized, invariable shifts one towards a more holistic and humble state of being.

sorry for the terse reply, its a bit late here or early, depending on your view

metta,

~v

Thank you.