Very nice post and just like my experience too. I have/have not been 'a Buddhist' for 30 years. (Actually now I am thinking of Buddhist as an adjective rather than a noun and it fits much better.) But I too have realised that it really amounts to sitting, following the precepts, and being part of a school, although I haven't quite finished the latter part. Thanks.

It's probably more Buddhist not to be Buddhist. I, too, was raised in a Protestant religion surrounded by very ethnocentric and hateful Mormons in Utah. I left the Lutheran Church when I went to college. The only Lutheran Church there was Missouri Synod and they would not let me take Communion there. That got me thinking. Who's Communion table is it? Is it Christ's or that of some church? Why is some church trying to control my access to Christ and his salvation? I was awakened that organized religions do more to separate and exclude most people than help most people. Sure, it's OK for their own to pose and posture to one another on Sunday but what good does it serve mankind (other than selective humanitarian efforts that are still in the true spirit of Christ)

In Honolulu, I found the Buddhist book in a hotel room. I tried one of the precepts, ridding myself of almost all my worldly goods and found great relief and really knew then who my friends were. Buddhism makes a lot of sense to me and although I don't go to a Buddhist church, many Buddhist practices and beliefs seem a lot more Christ-like and make more sense than the bigoted "my way or the highway" form of neochristianity in America today.

Dustin, in my life, I, have made the journey, to a pragmatic and sometimes Buddhist life. I, still eat meat but yet I have recognized the spirituality of those who have chosen the life of following the Buddha as a guide. I am, what I call, CaBuSuJew, the meaning, Catholic, Buddhist, Sufi and Jewish.
The fulfillment of this goal, to find the path that is truly mine has been one of ups and downs and I still have much to learn. Yet, upon seeing one such as yourself who has chosen the lifelong journey of growth and seeking, it gladdens my heart to know that I am not the only one who has made the choice to learn from the great masters of wisdom. Yet I sense hesitancy in your column, the fact that one must give up a sense of "rightness" is the hardest thing that we on this journey have to give up.
It is the letting go of the feeling of being right that gives us the opportunity to learn that all men and women, have within them, G-d, and that each one who touches the ineffable, inexorably becomes a traveler on the road of self discovery and tolerance towards their fellow human-kind.
So much needs to happen within the next generation but I have much hope that all soon enough will come to understand that we are all one and that there is within each a kernel of the truth, that if allowed to grow, will change the face of the earth and humankind as we know it.

. . . form is emptiness; emptiness is form . . .

Interesting. My story is the opposite. I came to Christ through Buddhism. I grew up as an episcopalian, but it never really touched me, it was just a family activity done on Sundays. As a teenager Christianity dimly occurred to me as a hypocrisy that proclaimed it declared obedience in a higher authority of "good" until some other
priority reared its head, like money, power, desire, anger, whatever.
Then the Christian morality disappeared like a house of sand in the high tide. I turned to Buddhism because it was all about exposing and lighting up those things Christians love to keep in the dark, their selves. Buddhism is about yourself. Buddhism is coming to terms with who you really are and what life here in the world is really about. Ultimately, however, I wanted the truth, with a capital T and buddhism kept telling me there was none. i felt as though it were preparing me for a relationship with something it said didn't exist.
Finally, when I opened the bible after years of training in Buddhism, I had the eyes and ears for what it was trying to tell me. I was floored. I realized that most Christians go around with an "idea" of Christ, an"idea" of God and because ideas are just a bunch of thoughts dancing together, they will ultimately disappear, you cannot build a faith on them. I realized that God is Truth and truth is god. I could know this because Buddhism allowed me, trained me to make the distinctions between truth and "things that are true" , between knowing and "things that you know" with out these distinctions we can confuse emotions, will, or thinking for truth and faith. Buddhism is a tremendous exercise in who we really are in this world.
For this I am grateful to Buddhism. it was like a course in pre-Christianity

Interesting. My story is the opposite. I came to Christ through Buddhism. I grew up as an episcopalian, but it never really touched me, it was just a family activity done on Sundays. As a teenager Christianity dimly occurred to me as a hypocrisy that proclaimed declared obedience in a higher authority of "good" until some other
priority reared its head, like money, power, desire, anger, whatever.
Then the Christian morality disappeared like a house of sand in the high tide. I turned to Buddhism because it was all about exposing and lighting up those things Christians love to keep in the dark, their selves. Buddhism is about yourself. Buddhism is coming to terms with who you really are and what life here in the world is really about. Ultimately, however, I wanted the truth, with a capital T and buddhism kept telling me there was none. i felt as though it were preparing me for a relationship with something it said didn't exist.
Finally, when I opened the bible after years of training in Buddhism, I had the eyes and ears for what it was trying to tell me. I was floored. I realized that most Christians go around with an "idea" of Christ, an"idea" of God and because ideas are just a bunch of thoughts dancing together, they will ultimately disappear, you cannot build a faith on them. I realized that God is Truth and truth is god. I could know this because Buddhism allowed me, trained me to make the distinctions between truth and "things that are true" , between knowing and "things that you know" with out these distinctions we can confuse emotions, will, or thinking for truth and faith. Buddhism is a tremendous exercise in who we really are in this world.
For this I am grateful to Buddhism. it was like a course in pre-Christianity

I'm a non-Taoist. Small world.

Also, to correct your glaring error above regarding the Mayahan school...

Their are two major schools of Buddhism, Mahayana and Theravada. They both agree upon and practice the core teachings of the Buddha, and are to be understood as different expressions of the same teaching of the historical Buddha.

I would point out that the God of the Abrahamic traditions was guilty of mass genocide on a planetary level, and on several occasions asked one of his subjects to kill their offspring or spouse as proof of their fidelity him.

This seems to me closer to a culture of death than anything in Buddhism.

I think that Therevada Buddhism is basically a culture of death. The Abrahamic religions all recognize the importance of family and children- basically, the elements of life. By contrast, in Buddhism, as soon as children are old enough to experience life for themselves, the ones who go to monasteries are sent out to beg. What kind of life is that for a child? I think that the joy experienced by Buddhists is the joy of those who are completely narcissistic and self-centered. That is a version of evil. The only redeeming features of Buddhism are those which have come about as a result of inputs from other indigenous religions which existed before Buddhism; the so-called Mahayana school.

It's not so much about the form as the function. You may want to have strict lineage based teachings and all that, but these things matter a heck of a lot less than what you do, how you act, and the person you chose to be.

Making choices with mindful intent is more important than the dressings that surround it.

I don't believe you can "be" a Buddhist. What the Buddha taught was impermanence and nonattachment and no-self. "Being" anything is about permanence, attachment and ego. You have beginner's mind and I understand that the people who are wise in these things recommend that. All of this is why "practice" is such a great word. You practice Buddhism, like a budding musician practices scales.

Sorry Dustin,

Aum Iowa is such an entrancing name that I
thought of it as your name.

If I get to the point where I want to reinforce a development or change in my identity, I may start calling myself "Aum Vermont"*.

*Several years ago a Vermont judge, over the objections of the Coca Cola compoany, approved a man's petition to change his name to Coke-is-It.**

**Vermont's state motto is "Freedom and Unity".
We believe in that, including public nudity (no law against it), and other idiosyncratic things, such as carrying concealed weapons (no permit required).

It's a good place, with many self-identified Buddhists.

Best wishes to you.

Sorry Dustin,

Aum Iowa is such an entrancing name that I
thought of it as your name.

If I get to the point where I want to reinforce a development or change in my identity, I may start calling myself "Aum Vermont"*.

*Several years ago a Vermont judge, over the objections of the Coca Cola compoany, approved a man's petition to change his name to Coke-is-It.**

**Vermont's state motto is "Freedom and Unity".
We believe in that, including public nudity (no law against it), and other idiosyncratic things, such as carrying concealed weapons (no permit required).

It's a good place, with many self-identified Buddhists.

Best wishes to you.

I've followed a number of the same steps in getting acquainted with Buddhism that Aum Iowa did.

I've concluded than an American interested in Buddhism should cast out from his thinking every bit of the oriental and historical baggage of traditional Buddhism that he encounters.

Don't be enslaved by thinking that you must agree with or accept what has been traditionally taught to novices, along the lines of "You must have a teacher-mentor-guru or you'll get nowhere." 'Tain't so!

You don't need to be a practiced meditator to progress on the path, though some experience is useful.

Understand the centrality of compassion; that nothing in the world of relative truth has an inherent identity; that everything is the product of causes and conditions; that all sentient beings at their core are the same, similarly situated and equally valuable; work at being fully present in the present moment; and try to practice compassion and equanimity.

Then you'll have achieved enough for this lifetime.

More will follow.

Like Aum, I don't call myself a Buddhist. I say I'm agnostic (about Buddhist beliefs and all other belief systems) and have Buddhist sympathies.

As an undergraduate I took a course in eastern religions and one of the religions we studied was Tibetan Buddhism or Vajrajana Buddhism. We had to read the The Life of Milarepa and I remember feeling so inspired by the language and narrative of the story.

As a practicing Unitarian Universalist, I draw wisdom and knowledge from many traditions in order to travel along my own spiritual journey and remain authentic to myself, which I believe is all that really matters.

Buddha hated the concept of religion. He probably doesn't even like the term, Buddhism. To paraphrase his words, (because my memory sucks...)

"Theories about God are numerous, and worthless. Nonetheless, you have been given everything you need to know God."

It ain't about studying, or gurus or old documents. And frankly, the more one gets lost in cultural baggage and silly traditions, the more lost and confused one gets.

Buddhism is a state of being and a state of mind. I hope it doesn't get mired in all the "do this, don't do this" garbage of the other religions, particularly Judaism.

Buddha hated the concept of religion. He probably doesn't even like the term, Buddhism. To paraphrase his words, (because my memory sucks...)

"Theories about God are numerous, and worthless. Nonetheless, you have been given everything you need to know God."

It ain't about studying, or gurus or old documents. And frankly, the more one gets lost in cultural baggage and silly traditions, the more lost and confused one gets.

Buddhism is a state of being and a state of mind. I hope it doesn't get mired in all the "do this, don't do this" garbage of the other religions, particularly Judaism.

The essence of Buddhism, or to be a Buddhist, is not to think about whether YOU are technically a Buddhist or what. It is all about having an absolute peace of mind to deal with the sufferings in the world - to transcend. It is to follow the goodness of your conscience and treat all living beings with kindness. (No killings in the name of God whatsoever!)

If you love all living beings and treat them with kindness and use your conscience as a guide, then you are a Buddhist. Forget about the incense and the candles and thinking the non-thinking. All that is superficial and is contrary to what Buddhism is about.

Think of a sweet baby - that's what a true Buddhist is.

The essence of Buddhism, or to be a Buddhist, is not to think about whether YOU are technically a Buddhist or what. It is all about having an absolute peace of mind to deal with the sufferings in the world - to transcend. It is to follow the goodness of your conscience and treat all living beings with kindness. (No killings in the name of God whatsoever!)

If you love all living beings and treat them with kindness and use your conscience as a guide, then you are a Buddhist. Forget about the incense and the candles and thinking the non-thinking. All that is superficial and is contrary to what Buddhism is about.

Think of a sweet baby - that's what a true Buddhist is.

The essence of Buddhism, or to be a Buddhist, is not to think about whether YOU are technically a Buddhist or what. It is all about having an absolute peace of mind to deal with the sufferings in the world - to transcend. It is to follow the goodness of your conscience and treat all living beings with kindness. (No killings in the name of God whatsoever!)

If you love all living beings and treat them with kindness and use your conscience as a guide, then you are a Buddhist. Forget about the incense and the candles and thinking the non-thinking. All that is superficial and is contrary to what Buddhism is about.

Think of a sweet baby - that's what a true Buddhist is.

The essence of Buddhism, or to be a Buddhist, is not to think about whether YOU are technically a Buddhist or what. It is all about having an absolute peace of mind to deal with the sufferings in the world - to transcend. It is to follow the goodness of your conscience and treat all living beings with kindness. (No killings in the name of God whatsoever!)

If you love all living beings and treat them with kindness and use your conscience as a guide, then you are a Buddhist. Forget about the incense and the candles and thinking the non-thinking. All that is superficial and is contrary to what Buddhism is about.

Think of a sweet baby - that's what a true Buddhist is.

Many of us do not feel a need to "be" anything, but enjoy spiritual strength anyway. Buddhism accepts even us. "Bookstore Buddhism" is enough for me.

So mote it be, Not important...

Personally, I think a lot of Westerners who embrace Buddhism get a bit attached to non-attachment, but there's a lot to learn in good company from these guys. :)

Personally, I think it's a fully-compatible worldview with all manner of others, ...in Pagan terms, we sometimes wonder, "What's your hurry about getting off the Wheel if it ain't no thing?" :)

So, we're not the biggest kids in the multiverse, you want big, go big, you don't, apparently the universe we're in will accomodate. :)

Probably there's something in our natures right now that says, 'This Must Be Mother-lovin' Important, Or Else It's Not Real, Only Our Idea Of Unreality Could Be Real Enough...' but I figure that's just a matter of scale.

I've never been sorry I share a world with these guys. :

To be or not to be a buddhist, in my opinion, is still very egoistic. Treating oneself as very important, as if our final acceptace of being a buddhist has a bearing on buddhism. It might on the number of people who accept buddhism, and that is the purpose of my comments.

According to what I have read, 2500 years ago Buddha said don't get mired in successes and failures, whether there are a lot of believers or few. But be mindful of your own practice. If we are able to do that it will bear fruit for us and others.

I am thankful to the writer for talking about a journey that we are all traveling, whether we are a buddhist or of another belief or trying to figure out what we really believe. It brings to focus the need to be strong willed and avoid doubt on the path of discovery. Buddha said, "be a light unto you". Let's try and follow Buddha's words.

Nice post, and thank you for sharing. As for myself, from childhood I have never believed in the "God" referenced in North American culture. Introduced to Buddhism in an undergraduate philosophy course, my conviction now is both as atheist and in your science-of-mind stuff.

Buddhism is a fabulous model of the human experience and framework to understand one's perception of the world and one's own self. But, after studying Buddhism for a few decades I now realize that the mere practice of zen and buddhism is everything. So, it seems that I know nothing from my poor studies but have learned to appreciate a good practitioner. Hmmm....but I have no school, lineage or teacher (to echo your words)but sit as you. But if I practice and take refuge, and follow the four seals of Shakyamuni, does that not make me a Buddhist? Yes, likely so....and perhaps thus so are you.

So, to paraphrase the Nike commercial: don't talk labels, just do it --- be the practice!

Good luck, best wishes, wishing you enough of all that you need in your life!

Dan
St. Paul, MN

Dustin,

Thank you for you essay. I believe there are many people in this country with a story similar to yours. I did not grow up in and evangelical setting, and was not religious at all growing up, but when I first found Taoism, then Zen Buddhism, I knew I had found deep wisdom that had the potential to change my life, and the world.

I often tell people that Buddhism (at least Zen) is not a religion, but rather, a "science of the mind", and is completely atheistic (various cultural influences not withstanding).

To me Buddhism is religion come of age--a much more mature way of viewing the universe, and how one should treat the living beings in it, than any religion, which places worship of deities at the top of the priority list.

I suppose I'm also a wanna be Buddhist, but I don't think there's anything wrong with that. I'm on the path at least, and the direct and practical wisdom that Buddhism provides is a source of deep nourishment to me.

I encourage all readers, regardless of religious affiliation, to explore the teachings of Buddhism, if for nothing else than to improve one's own mental health.