Im grappling with this because Im a materialist athiest but I find alot of the axioms on how to live a life in buddhism to be extremely beneficial for me. mindfulness and the 8 fold path have always intrigued me and recently as I have gotten into guided mindfulness more (which often have many buddhist inspirations for obvious reasoms) I find myself trying to anchor myself and detach so to speak from things that bring me suffering etc.

my issues is the spiritual aspect which isn’t for me but i dont want to be rude or disrespectful. ive read alot online i cant just take a buffet style buddhism or whatever and i am stuck in this middle where i can’t help what I believe but i also want to share the peace the parts of buddhism have helped me.

idk if this is nonsense but i thought itd be nice to have a sounding board while I ponder this

    • Mardoniush [she/her]
      ·
      4 years ago

      In theory, yes. In practice, there seems to be quite a bit of it for the average non-western lay practitioner.

      A difference similar to a Jesuit Theologian talking about the World and Jesus as both an emanation of the divine Logos versus some chud in America paying to the Virgin Mary to make them rich.

        • Mardoniush [she/her]
          ·
          4 years ago

          Yes.

          My general impression, both from reading and talking with Thai friends and from admittedly limited personal experience of Buddhist institutions in Thailand is that there is substantial integration of both the remnants of Mahayana Buddhism as well as Hindu and Folk traditions into day to day religious life and belief, especially in rural regions.

          But that could be misinterpretation, or that other religious concepts are repurposed as representations of Theravada concepts and I'm just not getting it.

    • ComradeMikey [he/him]
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      4 years ago

      the idea of rebirth and karma and the cycle is where I feel a little alienated (as edgy/cynical as it sounds) think there’s no inherent purpose to human life other than that found by them. we are biological automotans just like animals. my thoughts aren’t special just synapses bursting. so the idea i am living this life in order to break from this cycle and become enlightenmented and it will pass onto the next attempt is hard pill for me to swallow

      soo anything thats transcendental or meta physical in that way i can’t bring myself to believe. no disrespect to others though of course. it could totally be a misunderstanding to me as well of course as im definitely dipping my toes into it

        • ComradeMikey [he/him]
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          4 years ago

          poor use of words on the metaphysical aspect for my my apologies, yeah I could ignore it! I was just worried about respecting it as i hear some stirs about picking and choosing parts of it. the term “buffet buddhism” because people take what they want is common online. i didn’t wanna be THAT ass hole you know?