No, Buddhism requires the worship of creation rather then the creator. There are tenants of Buddhism that are found in all cultures including that of being a christian. Since Christ Paid it all I see no reason to seek wisdom elsewhere. That does not mean don't read up on Buddhism just that the Bible will take preeminence over your life rather then that of Buddha.
Some Christians do meditation and yoga. I myself do meditation but not yoga (never really learned, but not really against it). Most people who identify themselves as Christian do not believe in all aspects of Buddhism, because much of it doesn't add up. What you need to do is try out lots of different churches, and when you find one that you really like, ask the Church leaders how they feel about different aspects of Buddhism. Some are more favorable than others. In the end, only you can decide what you believe religiously.
Absolutely. This is actually a very common thing. Being Buddhist doesn't require you to believe in everything. The whole concept of Buddhist practice is essentially self psychology ( and has been used in psychology), and teaches one how to mentally overcome obstacles in life and connect with that spiritual feeling ( To a Buddhist Christian this is God, it is an amazing feeling). The Buddha never disrespected any other religions and wanted one to choose their own beliefs. Combining the two is always an excellent idea because the Christianity doctrine teaches more-so from literary interpretation which is great, but sometimes we do not remember at every second of the day. With Buddhist practice we can keep our mind in check at every moment, helping you become closer to God and a deeper understanding of yourself.
You could probably do it most easily if you practiced both Tibetan Buddhism AND Catholicism:
- Both teach compassion and love
- The sacrament of penance and the Vajrasattva ritual both cleanse and purify ones negative karma/sins (although penance is done through a priest and the Vajras.puma is done through ones self)
- The transubstantiation of the host during mass, is similar to elements of the guru puma
- The Aspostolic Succession has its parallel in the Buddhist concept of transmission of the lineage.
- Both use body movements and gestures in their rituals, as well as water, light and incense.
- Both have saints, angels, and the female intercessions
- The Contemplative Prayer of St. Theresa of Avila IS meditation
- Catholicism has a tradition of mysticism, and many modern Catholics (including Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk of the last century) were "fans" of Buddhism and saw great similarities between the two traditions.
Although Catholicism is very deity-oriented, and Buddhism (even Tibetan Buddhism) is not, it is possible to practice both.
Absolutely. Thomas Merton* was a Christian monk who worked closely with Buddhist monks and developed a close personal friendship with Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and other Zen Masters teaching in the west.
There is an interesting book, by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, on the similarities between the two religions entitled "Living Buddha, Living Christ." I highly recommend it - it may be available at your local library, otherwise it is available at Amazon.**
Thomas Merton also wrote on his experiences with Buddhism in his books, "Zen and the Birds of Appetite" and "Mystics and Zen Masters".***
Such Christian Mystics as Meister Eckhart, St. John of the Cross, and Wayne Teasdale are also notable example of individuals who realize the common thread between Buddhism and Christianity.
You can believe in God, but not take refuge under him or relying on him for your own Enlightenment.
You can ask him to be your protector, but not your master.
I am a Vajrayana Buddhist Yogi undertaking all percepts and vows, so I am a reliable source of information in term of Buddhism; for real Buddhist, we take no master before us, we rely on our Guru for transmission of the real Buddhism practices, we rely on Buddha's teaching- the Dharma for walking the right paths; we rely on Sangha- our Buddhist friends and colleagues for support; we utilize various heavenly deities to accomplish world goals, but not our realization and Enlightenment.
Example: One vow I took was, "I take refuge under Guru, Buddha, Dharma and Sangha; I will not take any master before me that are not Enlightened, and most of all I will not take refuge under any worldly deities."
Christian God is not Enlightened nor is he a self realized Enlightened being, therefore he is a worldly Deity- still a sentient being of Samsara- may be we can be friends, or he can act as my protector, but not as my master.
Some of the Christians are correct in the concept, you can not serve two masters, and the objectives are directly oppose each other, one wants to go to Heaven; as Buddhists we avoid going to Heavens, because if we do then we will forget to be a Buddhist, at the end of Heavenly life, we fall straight down to hells.
All Karmic debts must be paid and be balanced; your merits and demerits are like your bank account. Every time you did meritorious deeds you get positive deposit, every times you indulge yourself too much you negatively overdraw, so going to Heaven to enjoy yourself will run your account into negative, so for most people after Heaven, their next stop is Hell.
So you tell me, are you first Buddhist then Christian, or are you Christian then Buddhist. Then read my statement above, you can then realize what is the correct answer.
Could I practice Buddhism and be a christian?
