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Is it possible to be an atheist and a Buddhist ? Buddhist philosophy rarely reference to the supernatural, only in the area of reincarnation and origin of the Buddha to some degree. the rest is just good solid Mental Health

for example:Buddha Quotes
Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment. ...
Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship. ...
Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life.
I heard a Buddhist monk say 'if you believe in reincarnation your goal is to have a good life.'
if you don't believe in reincarnation your goal is to have a good life. I personally do not believe in reincarnation. I do have a meditation practice I do find solace in the Dharma.
and feel I can use it in my day-to-day live.
does this make me less of an atheist ?

m16566 7 May 8
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32 comments

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3

I think it is very possible. I think the issue is about the relationship between spirituality and religion. They are not mutually exclusive. While religion often expresses itself in ways devoid of spirituality, spirituality doesn't need religion to express itself.

1

You're a buddhist whether you want to be or not. A buddhist will tell you that if being an atheist in this life is a part of your on going path to enlightenment, then that is the road you need to be on at this particular juncture.

That's cornering the market. Jehovah's Witness do it calling the ancient Bible characters JWs and Islam does it too calling them Muslims.

1

Possible? All stupidity is possible but atheism and Buddhism are incompatible.

Here are a few examples. These are the exact things I ran away from in the first place:

  1. It is all about God, LOL

  2. Outdated and meaningless rituals and chores,

  3. Full of superstitions

  4. Believing miracles

  5. People worshiping (Buddha, Dalai Llama and monks),

  6. Deity worshiping

  7. Accepting saints,

  8. Believing the virgin mother story

  9. Sexism - women have been subordinated, women priests were now allowed

  10. Celibacy of monks

  11. Violence in the name of religion

Buddhism is also an organized religion. Anyone following an organized faith is not an atheist in my view no matter how we continue justifying it.

It is a human tendency to construct an argument based on what we want to like and not based on reason and facts.

This is my suggestion to anyone who is considering Buddhism..... F L E E

@TheMiddleWay That's why bookish knowledge is dangerous in this world. I am familiar with all stories of Buddhism since childhood. I grew up among many Buddhists and remember all BS they are taught and believe in. Seen it all up close.

@TheMiddleWay I wouldn't say none of these, but certainly not all of them are part of buddhism.

@TheMiddleWay You are not aware because you have not lived in the land of Buddha - Bihar in India. What you have seen is like Chinese food in America like Garlic Chicken that is not a Chinese dish in China.. lol

That is why I always believed that bookish knowledge is good in a classroom but it fails to relate to real life quite often. When I said something about Buddhism, I said because I knew it all first hand. Did you?

@Tiramisu I think you have constructed an image of what you think Buddhism is and made a judgement on that. People may look at the Soviet Union and conclude that communism is a murderous ideology, but they would not have understood what communism is. I feel that you have fallen into the same trap.

@Gareth Do you know faith is sold differently in different lands? The Chinese food is different in different lands?

@Tiramisu Yes. If you have a point to address to me try to frame it in clear and concise language as riddles are not my thing.

@Gareth I thought I laid it out point by point above.but you did not agree. Your views can be different than mine and it is ok. We both may be correct because our experiences are different.

@Tiramisu It's not just that I don't agree - it's that I think many of your numbered points are wrong if you are applying them to Buddhism as a whole. Bad practices can accrete to good ideas (eg communism) but that does not invalidate the ideas. As for miracles, supernatural beings, rituals and general woo - they aren't in any way essential to being a Buddhist as they seem to be in the Abrahamic religions.

@Gareth Essential or not, those are there and practiced heavily in Buddhism. You may have seen the Western version of Buddhism but I have seen how Buddhism is practiced up close. It is full of the same ugliness that is common to all other religions.

@Tiramisu I think we have come back to my original observation re: communism.

@TheMiddleWay I agree that the poster is mixing up religions, certainly. But Buddhism is not what it is in theory but what it is in practice. I lived in Thailand for many years so I've lived in a Buddhist country. Many western middle class Buddhist types know Buddhism from their books and a one week holiday playing tourist and temples. Buddhism does include worship like other religions; it does include supernatural belief mystical assertions and all the stuff religions have. It is what it is in practice. Buddhism is a philosophy not a religion, is a nice illusion in the west but it's false. I'm not really disagreeing with you, but let's not sanitise Buddhism the way some western people do.

@David1955 correct, how religion is practiced matters, not what is written.

2

Yes, it is possible but why would you want to? When I first became a Christian as a teen it was not because I was looking for some guidance or looking for anything to worship. It was because I was taught about god and they knew there is only "one true god." I wanted to carry this idea into the ministry and "save the lost" but in time that idea became redundant. Along with it was the very idea of a spiritual life because that term goes back into concepts of religion.

BUT if what you are doing gives you solace without the ill fated promise of being with a creator forever and ever if you are a good boy, then more power to you. Being firmly planted in the here and now with peace of mind is a great gift.

5

Call it what you want, everyone defines it differently. It sounds like a beautiful position to hold. If it makes you "less of an athiest" to a few opinionated purists don't worry about it.

MsAl Level 8 May 8, 2019
5

Whatever works for you.
Who cares what anyone else thinks? If it's working for you, and you aren't harming
anyone with it, whatever anyone else may think about it is wholly irrelevant.

Good luck to you.

1

The question should be does it make you feel less of an Athiest and does it really matter. Why ask others their opinion about you unless you need validation. What does Budda say about the need to define your beliefs by what others think? As noone knows what is true, do what makes you happy.

3

I know nothing about buddhism,or if there is a conflict in atheism with buddism... atheism is defined as a lack of belief in a supreme being. To me, pretty simple. Buddhism either does, or does not propound belief in a supreme being. Seems to me that just trying to take what I see as the best from any philosophy, and trying to follow that as a way to live, as best I can. Is the best I can do. With that said....to strive for perfection is a virtue, to EXPECT perfection in ourself, or others....is irrational. good luck

5

Yes. I'm a Secular Humanist that leans towards Atheist views, and who believes in Buddhist values.

It works for me. For the most part, I'm in a happy place. I will be happier in the future.

4

Do not kill, help the less fortunate, etc, etc,. There are some teaching in all religions that are good advice to follow and to live by. I am sure buddhism has some concepts that are good. You can use philosophy to find the same teachings. Take the good things from any religion and discard the bad stuff. One does not need to believe in a supernatural being in order to recognize that some part of a religion can be useful in life. If you can use some part of buddhism to make your life better, than go for it. You do not have to accept everything that is part of the religion.

1

You can not be truly atheist and truly Buddhist, but that's mostly semantic because these world views are contradictory, therefor logically incompatible. You can be agnostic and practice any religion, because that just means that you accept that you don't know which if any religion is correct.

3

You are what you believe yourself to be.. existentially of course.. I may believe I'm a pro athlete but that would be a delusion. lol

9

Since age 13, I have been an atheist. At 18, I found a slender book in the University of Michigan bookstore, "Tao Te Ching" by Lao Tsu. I love:

The highest good is like water.
Water gives life to the ten thousand things and does not strive.
It flows in places men reject and so is like the Tao.

In dwelling, be close to the land.

In meditation, go deep in the heart.
In dealing with others, be gentle and kind.
In speech, be true.
In ruling, be just.
In business, be competent.
In action, watch the timing.

No fight: No blame.

From “Tao Te Ching,” written in the sixth century B.C. by Lao Tsu.

Awesome! 😃

Likewise, The Sayings of Chuang Tzu ( Zhuangzi ) are worth reading if only for the simple reason that he is one of the very few philosophers from antiquity who possessed a sense of humour.

2

Atheism isn't just a non belief in any god. It should also include embracing principles of reason and a rejection of mysticism of all kinds. Buddhism, despite its warm and fuzzy pretentions, is riddled with mystical nonsense, like karma and reincarnation which require a kind of faith, even if followers and practitioners claim otherwise. I lived in a buddhist country long enough to see it firsthand. There are a few ideas in buddhism I like, others I find repugnant. Some reconcile calling themselves atheist and buddhist, but I consider it sloppy thinking.

You're not entitled to redefine "atheism" to suit yourself.
I am happy to be called an atheist and a Buddhist and I don't consider myself a sloppy thinker. Indeed, that someone should make that assumption causes me to question the rigour of their own cognitive processes.

@Gareth in other words you don't agree. Equating atheism with a rejection of mysticism is hardly my assertion alone but a universal one. Try reading Bertrand Russell for example. Nothing impaired with his cognitive processes. Though people pick and choose bits from Buddhism that suit them, like they do all religions, don't fool yourself, it's full of mysticism, supernaturalism, and non evidence based claims, even if it's not a monotheistic religion by definition.

@David1955 I've read all of Russell, thanks, except the Principia. Atheism is a disbelief in God or gods - there isn't really any other accepted definition. Buddhism is essentially a practice to clear the mind - there's nothing supernatural about it at all even though many people, including self-ascribed Buddhists, may not grasp this.

1

Great post! I am looking forward to reading the responses! 😃

7

Atheism is a non-belief in a god. I don't believe Buddism requires a god, so I don't see the two as in opposition to each other.

Buddism does require a belief in things that cannot be proven, so if you're a skeptic in addition to being an atheist, you're probably in conflict with yourself.

Adopting some Buddist practices - like meditation - would not put you in opposition to atheism or skepticsm, depending on why you meditate

@phoenixlives

Agreed. As an atheist since age 13, I learned Transcendental Meditation at the University of Michigan.

Have been meditating since age 18. Thirty minutes. Meditation calms, centers and grounds me. I "awaken" calm and refreshed.

@LiterateHiker Me, too...I am a TMer...I do 20 minutes twice a day...it just silences the noise and keeps me from stressing out...I read the science behind it and know that it has helped me physically...wow--another thing we have in common!

"Buddism does require a belief in things that cannot be proven"
I disagree. There need to be some ideas that can be accepted provisionally and tested, but there is nothing that needs to be taken on faith. If you are relying on unfalsifiable beliefs then you are doing it wrong.

@LiterateHiker Go Spartans! M Go Blow! 🙂

@Gareth Buddists believe in re-incarnation, don't they? Are you going to test that? 🙂

@phoenixlives

I am not a Buddhist or any religion. I love this verse because it resonates with me deeply. Words to live by.

We can find wisdom in many places.

@phoenixlives Some Buddhists believe in reincarnation and some don't. I don't. If there's any evidence to the contrary I'll consider it when it's presented.

9

My mother was an atheist and a Buddhist.. some of her daily rituals were Buddhist...meditation, candles, etc. She liked the practicality of the lessons but never embraced that a god was behind any of it...

I meditate and do some rituals because I like them...I think they are independent of what I believe

7

I find the greatest attraction to Buddhism, Taoism, for the absence of diety and focus on mindfulness, establishing life patterns of compassion and authenticity, and consistently re-examining life choices. There is great freedom and contentment in having the learnings and intellectual power to know how best to live my own life.

truth is truth wherever you find it

2

As far as I can tell, I "live without a spiritual life".

4

I am a Buddhist and a Agnostic, but more importantly I am a Realist and I realize the past and the future requires some sense of self awareness and enlightenment to provide the answers and give order to the world.
Things like karma, which basically says what goes around comes around and reaping what you sew gives a sense of order to life. I use the principle theories and teaching of Buddhism, and discard the dogma and religious theory.

0

Budism is not a philosophy, it i a set of dogmas, or absolute truths that are not tested, not falsifiable (if meditation is not good is because you are doing wrong, not because it is not good) and are taken at face value.
Spiritual, reincarnation, karma, all this concepts are based on universe having an order and life being more than materialistic nature, so even if there is no god, there is supernatural involved, there is a supernatural order that is not that different from a god, you can interpret YHWH(judaico-christian-islamic god) as the rules of the universe that is translated as a person just to make comunication easy...

Anyway budism is not philosophy because it is not based on logic, it does not test its axyoms, it not question its dogmas. And is not that pacefull as you think in the end of last year there were thousands of refugees fleeing from prosecution because they were hindus and not budists on indian subcontinent. Tibet was a feudal society as oppressive as medieval Europe.

I think you have a rather simplistic notion of what Buddhism is. Try reading Stephen Batchelor or Alan Watts.

@Gareth Does not matter how deep you develop, the premisses are dogmatic.
Catolicism has a very deep building over it, read St Augustin, it does not make it real, or correct. It just make at the limit internally coherent.

@Pedrohbds Well, I incline to disagree. If you tell me what you understand as a premise of Buddhism we can investigate whether your understanding is correct and whether it is dogmatic or empirical.

@Gar Hinduism and Buddhism are cut from the same cloth. I recently sat in meditated with the Hindu I could feel the energy it was beautiful.
as we focused on our breathing the harmony was clear the giving up of self was evident as we became peace with that ourselves and ultimately within our universe why meditation is the best part of my day of course I don't believe in a deity Supreme Being I do believe in the indomitable human spirit that the human mind is capable of greatness peace and contentment and that we have a lot more control over ourselves than most people admit how I feel is a choice how I breathe is a choice what I think is a choice this recognition is the first step toward free will and the responsibility that goes with it
eth

4

It is very possible to agree with or accept some of the precepts of Buddhism without buying the whole ball of wax.

2

I am not an expert on this but am an ex Hindu. I was taught Buddhism is the offset of Hinduism. The Chinese and Indians prayed and meditated on the same mountains. The groups separated and one group travel more South to China. ... then Buddhism spread to Korea, Japan and Malaysia up to Sri Lanka.
The Buddhists believe in everything Hindus believe in viz kharma, dharma moksha and reincarnation which is the cycle of rebirth. However the Buddhists don't have priests, Brahmins, rituals and caste systems, etc but they do have similar chanting and burn incense sticks before the chant.
Yoga too is connected to both Hinduism and Buddhism and is associated with religious beliefs. There are about 7 to 9 different forms and you can choose which path of yoga you wish to practice without connecting it to a religion, calling it spiritual instead. I'm also confused sometimes.
Yoga and karate was practiced on the coastlines of India, was one sport so to speak. Bhodhiharma went further South and taught the Chinese karate and left Yoga behind for the Indians only. Both these forms of art are linked to meditation, some form of divinity. The hands are clasped together most times in "prayer" form, the same as yoga. You sit in exactly the same position. Sometimes both hands are stretched out offering your inner self to be free of anxiety. I remain confused about the religious connection or medium you're lifting yourself up to and perhaps convenient for most these days to say it's just spiritual. ... perhaps it's like going to gym for good healthy mental balance etc with the form of yoga chosen. I haven't practiced either - meditation or yoga.
Gym yes!

Hinduism and Buddhism are cut from the same cloth. I recently sat in meditated with the Hindu I could feel the energy it was beautiful.
as we focused on our breathing the harmony was clear the giving up of self was evident as we became peace with that ourselves and ultimately within our universe why meditation is the best part of my day of course I don't believe in a deity Supreme Being I do believe in the indomitable human spirit that the human mind is capable of greatness peace and contentment and that we have a lot more control over ourselves than most people admit how I feel is a choice how I breathe is a choice what I think is a choice this recognition is the first step toward free will and the responsibility that goes with it

1

Why not.

From what I remember reading here a few weeks/months ago, there are a few people here that believe you can be both an atheist and believe in Jesus/God.

To be honest, I believe atheism has nothing to do with the paranormal/supernatural. It's only about the whether or not you believe in a God.

3

Take what's needed from wherever you can and use it intelligently to make life comfortable for yourself. Most of it is labels designed to separate one from another.

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