I am 15 years of age right now, almost 16. I recently took a quiz on belief net.com (kind of lame I know!) It says that my beliefs (from how I answered the questions) were 100% aligned with Mahayana Buddhism. I am being raised in a Roman Catholic house and am currently studying to receive the sacrament of confirmation, however I have wanted to explore Buddhism more personally after learning about it in my geography class. So I guess I've always known that I've identified with certain Buddhist and Hindu beliefs, but my question is: How do I actually PRACTICE Buddhism? What I mean by that is 1) What are certain rites/holidays that Buddhists partake in? 2) What is meditation, how do I do it, and what is its importance/benefits? 3) Are there any types of Buddhism that don't adhere to the "giving up material possessions" part? As I'm still a kid and am living with other people (parents) it's rather hard to make an extreme lifestyle shift. Much appreciated
Go to a temple, you'll see. Buddhism is a nice religion, I'd check it out if I were you. And it's always good to learn to meditate. Religion or not, meditating feels great and calming.
1) What are certain rites/holidays that Buddhists partake in?
Buddhism varies by region, and I am not particularly well versed enough to be able to answer this part of the question. There are a few knowledgeable Buddhists on this site, however, who may be able to answer this question if you give them some time to get to it.
2) What is meditation, how do I do it, and what is its importance/benefits?
As someone who has been meditating regularly for almost 2 years now, I can share my experience on this question. Meditation is the act of observing the mind. In my tradition, it is done in several ways: sitting, working, chanting, and koan work. There are a lot of benefits to meditation. In my experience, meditation allows our inner wisdom to manifest by helping us to see the difference in the way things are and the way we think they are. It helps us to get in touch with our feelings as well as reality itself.
Here is a simple instructional video on meditation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csyCrcpDs58
3) Are there any types of Buddhism that don't adhere to the "giving up material possessions" part?
As a proponent of the middle way, the Buddha taught that it is not necessary to give up our material possessions. I encourage you to do a quick study of "the middle way" to better understand this teaching.
Here is a brief article on the middle way:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_way
If your parents allow you to do so, you might consider visiting a Buddhist center in your area. Here is a directory that can help you find one near you:
Buddhism is a philosophy, by an ordinary man who was seeking peace,,,Siddhartha Gautama...[ Buddha]
He though that we come back time and again...to reach perfection...NIRVANA...
The Bible says otherwise...
(Ecclesiastes 9:5-6) For the living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all, neither do they anymore have wages, because the remembrance of them has been forgotten. 6?Also, their love and their hate and their jealousy have already perished, and they have no portion anymore to time indefinite in anything that has to be done under the sun.
God DOES remember us, because he has promised we will be resurrected...
(Revelation 20:12-13) And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and scrolls were opened. But another scroll was opened; it is the scroll of life. And the dead were judged out of those things written in the scrolls according to their deeds. 13?And the sea gave up those dead in it, and death and Ha?Des gave up those dead in them, and they were judged individually according to their deeds.
From our death to this we remain non-existent...as the Bible puts it...'asleep' in death...doing nothing...
(Psalm 13:3) Do look [upon me]; answer me, O Jehovah my God. Do make my eyes shine, that I may not fall asleep in death,
How do I actually PRACTICE Buddhism?
The Buddhist teachings is summarized as: Do all good, avoid all evil, purify the mind. You can start off by practicing the 5 precepts and the 10 good deeds. You can visit a Dharma Center for more information.
1) What are certain rites/holidays that Buddhists partake in?
Mainly Wesak day where we celebrate the Birth, Enlightenment and Nirvana of the Buddha. During Wesak many people go vegetarian, or they observe the 8 precepts etc.
2) What is meditation, how do I do it, and what is its importance/benefits?
It is best you learn this from a Buddhist temple. They have teachers which can guide you properly properly. The importance of meditation is that it helps us develop concentration (or sadhu), which is one of the key factors for enlightenment - the other two factors being Precepts and Wisdom.
3) Are there any types of Buddhism that don't adhere to the "giving up material possessions" part?
--> You don't have to give up your material possessions unless you are a Buddhist monk or nun. As a householder, we just have to make sure we are not greedy for more than what we have.
The BEST way to practice Buddhism is to find a cent re that practices Buddhism -- they usually have classes for beginners. If this is a particular school of Buddhism you are interested in, try to find one that practices that school. Here's a link with listings of world-wide centers:
http://www.dharmanet.org/listings/
The predominant forms of Mayahana Buddhism seem to be Zen (which is quite austere and better for atheists or agnostics), and Tibetan (which has a lot of ritual and a LOT of specific practices one can do off the meditation cushion, utilizing all modalities of learning: auditory, visual, & kinetic.) I am not really familiar with Zen, but I practice Tibetan Buddhism, so please forgive me if I am misinformed about Zen. Tibetan Buddhism also has many specific techniques for developing compassion. I have not researched Tibetan Buddhism on the net, because I have my own teacher, but cent res listed on Hamnet often have their own sites and often have information there.
Some cent res charge a lot, others (like my own, which is a non-profit society and has a resident monk teaching, from the Dalai Lama's monastery) ask only for a $5 donation and no one checks to see if you've donated. You donate what you can afford, even if it's not money but only your attendance.
1. Tibetan Buddhism observes Saga Dawa Duchen, which is linked to the lunar month but falls in late May or Early June ... this day celebrates the birth, enlightenment, and death of Buddha. Members of our society gather at the Centre and do a purification ritual before sunrise, and spend the rest of the day following the 10 precepts. We also celebrate a few other days, in similar ways, but nothing that Hallmark could sell greeting cards for.
2. There are many forms of meditation. My teacher teaches the breath-watching meditation to beginners (for the first year) ... any website could give you a form of breath-watching meditation. In Tibetan Buddhism, the two basic kinds of meditation are (1) Mind-stabilizing, where you learn to focus your mind and block out distractions, and (2) Analytical meditation, which is not done until you are no longer distracted by thoughts of external things. The benefits of meditation are that you train your mind, so that you can remain aware and focused as you go through your day. Buddhism is essentially a training of the mind, and a re framing of reality as we see it.
3. No Buddhist is expected to give up material possessions. No extreme lifestyle shift is necessary. Neither do you have to become a vegetarian. An ordained monk or nun takes vows to follow certain rules (Samara vows), but laymen are not expected to make samaya vows. Many laymen choose to take (once they understand Buddhism well) the Five Precepts Vows, which are not vows about lifestyle, but vows to avoid doing harmful things.
What the practice of Buddhism does is it gives you the ability to not be "hooked" or "swept away" by your attachments, aversions, emotions or thoughts. Instead you become gradually more and more able to remain fully open to all that is going on, both inside you and outside you, and you reach a light and peaceful inner stability. True, you don't feel the same connection with your possessions ... in other words, you give them up internally, and the external doesn't really matter. But you do not make an EFFORT to give them up internally -- this comes as a natural result that follows from the insights and changes in attitudes that meditation and practice off the cushion both give you.
Need some info on Buddhism?
