Catholic and Buddahism?

[Sunlight.]

So my family is Catholic and so am I. Pretty much my whole family is. But I've been looking into Buddahism and a few of their views I find interesting. I find their way of life peaceful and, for me, inviting. However, because I was born and raised Catholic, I'm used to the beliefs that come along with being a Catholic such as God, how Jesus died for our sins and going to Church. That includes being baptised as well.
Could someone take on two faiths? I don't want to turn my back on being Catholic but I find Buddahism interesting as well.

[thefirstlady]

I'm a Buddhist. My entire family is very Catholic. You can be Buddhist and Catholic. I'm just strictly Buddhist though. You can be Buddhist and about anything really...It just depends on how you view Buddhism as there are many different forms and beliefs. Majority of Buddhism though is about compassion and easing suffering. Easing suffering of others and yourself. Such as if you can't do anything to help others, at least don't harm them. Treat others with respect and compassion as you don't know what they are going through. Trying my best not to sound preachy here so if you have any other questions about different parts of Buddhism, feel free to PM me.

[Composure]

Buddhism is nontheistic; Catholicism is monotheistic. Therefore, in my eyes, you can be both. However, you might find somewhere down the track that Buddhist beliefs and Catholic beliefs contradict each other (where they do, I don't know), it is then your decision on which belief you choose - the belief you choose in that case, will most likely define which religion you attribute yourself with.

Also, as a side thought, what the hell are you going to write on the next census forms?

[Sythan]

Well, you can mix the two faiths together, but Buddhists reject any God, because they think that religion has an origin in fear.

[thefirstlady]

It depends on what part of Buddhism you follow. Some Buddhist sects do believe in a deity(es). So some sects of Buddhism are non-theistic (Theravada Buddhism), yet some do have deities. That is where some people get confused and believe Buddhism is just a philosophy. It just depends on what type of Buddhism you follow if you believe in a deity or not.

[Guile]

Originally Posted by thefirstlady

It depends on what part of Buddhism you follow. Some Buddhist sects do believe in a deity(es). So some sects of Buddhism are non-theistic (Theravada Buddhism), yet some do have deities. That is where some people get confused and believe Buddhism is just a philosophy. It just depends on what type of Buddhism you follow if you believe in a deity or not.

Yeah, I've always seen Buddhism as more of a philosophy over a religion. I assume you could mix the two, as you could have a variety of beliefs.

[Epsilon]

You can't be Buddhist and Catholic because being Catholic excludes Buddhism. Catholicism doesn't believe in nirvana, karma, enlightenment and so on. It would be like trying to draw a square with 5 sides.

[Cosmo]

No. One or the other. Sorry.

[Of Mike and Men]

What part of Buddhism are you looking into? I do some Zen practices, but I do it to help maintain inner peace (I'm Christian/Protestant -- looking into Catholicism). Honestly, it probably just depends what you're looking into exactly. Buddhism varies in its practices. So, what exactly were you looking into? Zen, Dharma, Pure Land, Tibetan, etc.? For me, Zen does very little to hinder my Christian beliefs. There are certain things I disregard and do not do because I don't feel morally comfortable with it, but nonetheless, I find some of it very helpful.

TBH, if you're only looking into their life as peaceful and inviting, why not just incorporate some of their values into your Catholic beliefs? It doesn't mean you have to proclaim yourself a Buddhist. Just borrow stuff that aligns with your beliefs, or doesn't hinder them, or your conscience in anyway. If it's meditating, meditate. You don't need to be Buddhist to meditate, or even live like them. I'm sure you've heard of him, maybe not, but look up St. Francis of Assisi. You'd probably find him interesting if the Buddhist-type interest you, except he was purely Christian/Catholic.

[Dream]

I do not see any reason why you could not take up Buddhist practice while also remaining Catholic.

Buddhism is non-theistic, meaning basically that, as a religion, it leaves the question of whether or not God exists unanswered.

As for specific moral guidelines, there is quite a bit of similarity between the Five Precepts and the Ten Commandments. The Five Precepts are the basic rules of conduct for lay Buddhist followers ("lay" means "not a monk/nun").

The most important thing for Buddhism is meditation (i.e. mindfulness meditation).

[thefirstlady]

To others: Like I said earlier, it depends on which part of Buddhism you follow. There are sects that do believe in deities and sects that do not. It is possible to be a Catholic and Buddhist depending on the sect you follow. Basic principles of both religions are the same. Do no harm to others, compassion for others, etc. Theravada Buddhism is more of the non-theistic side. One is in control of their own search for enlightenment and they don't really pray to the Bodhisattvas for help. Theravada is also known as the way of the elders and is the oldest and strictest form of Buddhism. It follows only the Tripitaka and not really any of the other Sutras or doctrines. Then there are the Mahayana and Vajrayana branches. Both of these include the Bodhisattvas & Buddhas and praying to them for help and guidance. They also include more texts than just the Tripitaka people follow. Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhist paths include Tibetan, Zen, Esoteric, Pure Land, and many other forms of Buddhism. Most people are only familiar with the philosophical side that is more widely known but they don't delve deeper into it from there. There is a lot more to Buddhism than the beliefs most people are aware of.

As a practicing Buddhist that grew up in a Catholic family that studied religion, I feel I can offer a more specific insight here...If you have any specific questions or anything feel free to PM me.

[TheBabyEater]

Dude, I'm half Satanist half Buddhist. Take religion how you want, it's not carved in your brain or anything. You're your own person.

[david2357]

You cannot be a strict christian (believing the bible fully) and a buddhist. However, all buddhists who actually believe the true essences of buddhism (as in, what the buddha taught) believe in rebirth. you dont have to believe in rebirth to be a buddhist (you dont have to believe anything of buddhism, but to catch the true essence of it you do, all true and respected buddhists do. its a major part of the religion). Rebirth is basically an extension of karma to further streams of consciousness that happen during rebirth.

Additionally, there is a reason that they do not call it reincarnation. they do not believe in a soul, and reincarnation is when the soul literally passes from your body to the next. Rebirth on the other hand is when your essence is passed to the next body, but its not your soul. Buddha described it as taking a candle and lighting another candle on fire with the original flame, and then blowing out the first candle. The second candle isnt the same flame as the first, but some "essence" of the first fire is contained in that second fire. Rebirth is an afterlife, just not a soul one. That in itself is contradictory to the Biblical view of heaven and hell. Also, buddhists dont believe in a soul (a MAJOR teaching of buddhism: that there is no permanent self) , which is most definetely contradictory to the Bible(as in , you absolutely cannot be a christian without the belief in a soul).

Buddhism is more of a philosophy than a religion, but its one that contradicts the Bible. Also, I am not just finding small details that contradict. The major teachings of Buddhism and the major teachings of the Bible are incompatible.

You can deny the points of buddhism that contradict the Bible. But its hard to think of the resulting belief as Buddhism. And no , you absolutely cannot remove the concept of heaven and hell from the bible (if heaven or hell did not exist, there would be no reason for jesus to die and salvation would be meaningless). And although you dont have to believe all of Buddha's teachings, its hard to call yourself buddhist if you reject CORE aspects of his teachings. Also, contrary to what you may believe, Buddha actually argued for rebirth, he did not simply accept it into his philosophies because reincarnation was part of the culture (which was Hindu inspired ) . So it really is a major aspect of Buddhism. Some take it to be metaphorically. But the respected Buddhists will accept it. It is not some obscure part of Buddhism. Its a core belief. Its almost like rejecting that the resurrection of Jesus Christ occured. Although not as bad given that Buddhism isnt as strict of a religion as Christianity and does seem to have more of a "dont just believe me, find the truth for yourself" flavor.

What you found peaceful was the concept of mindfulness and the relief of suffering. But buddhism does have the aspect of rebirth. And the concept of rebirth is related to the concept of Nirvana , which is like the ultimate goal in buddhism. Once nirvana is reached, the cycle of birth and rebirth stops and you are complete.

That being said, you can still practice the parts of buddhism that make u peaceful. u dont have to do the whole thing. There is no reason to.