How does one 'choose' a religion, spiritual path, etc?

[qvrmy11vz]

While talking to a Bhakti-yoga practitioner today, I couldn't help but notice the many similarities between the way these practitioners (Hare Krishna folk) live their life compared to Buddhist and Taoist teachings.

Basically, and unsurprisingly, religion and/or spirituality share many common principles. But how does one hone in on one school of thought? For example, if I choose to become a Bhakti practitioner, I feel like I would be missing out on a whole other world, namely, Buddhism and Taoism.

 

Anybody here 'migrated' from one religion or spiritual path to another or encountered this question along their own path?

 

Thank you for your time to read this

[RiverSnake]

Picking a valid internal practice and practicing daily....... is more important than adopting a set of beliefs that may or may not be true......IMO. Being part of a religion is not a pre-requisite to having a relationship with spirit.

 

My 2 cents, Peace

Edited April 17, 2014 by OldChi

[Chang]

Picking a valid internal practice and practicing daily....... is more important than adopting a set of beliefs that may or may not be true......IMO. Being part of a religion is not a pre-requisite to having a relationship with spirit.

 

My 2 cents, Peace

I agree very much with OldChi. Most are simply born into a religion and the rest of their religious life they spend on their knees. Far better in my opinion to develope a practical philosophy for life with internal practice which will develop mind, body and spirit.

 

However, if you want to be a God Botherer thats OK as well. The problem is that practitioners of the Abrahamic religions, most especially Christians and Muslims, want to subject the rest of us to their beliefs whether we want it or not. This can present problems.

Edited April 17, 2014 by Chang

[Rara]

While talking to a Bhakti-yoga practitioner today, I couldn't help but notice the many similarities between the way these practitioners (Hare Krishna folk) live their life compared to Buddhist and Taoist teachings.

 

Basically, and unsurprisingly, religion and/or spirituality share many common principles. But how does one hone in on one school of thought? For example, if I choose to become a Bhakti practitioner, I feel like I would be missing out on a whole other world, namely, Buddhism and Taoism.

 

Anybody here 'migrated' from one religion or spiritual path to another or encountered this question along their own path?

 

Thank you for your time to read this

I was born into Christianity and subtley (due to not wanting to make my parents worry too much about me burning in hell) distanced myself from it.

 

I quit religion indefinitely and explored until I came across something which made sense to me.

 

This was the philosophy of Taoism, which I found by accident. Or perhaps it was calling me. The word "Tao" just kept popping up and it resonated with me.

 

This lead me to explore a lot more eastern religion, philosophies and occult teachings. I cherry picked some things that appear true, but have discarded a lot.

 

Like Chang says, some just don't get a say in the matter!

 

My concern is the fact that religion brainwashes, and many people live in a bubble of total insanity because of it.

[Dr_D]

While talking to a Bhakti-yoga practitioner today, I couldn't help but notice the many similarities between the way these practitioners (Hare Krishna folk) live their life compared to Buddhist and Taoist teachings.

 

Basically, and unsurprisingly, religion and/or spirituality share many common principles. But how does one hone in on one school of thought? For example, if I choose to become a Bhakti practitioner, I feel like I would be missing out on a whole other world, namely, Buddhism and Taoism.

 

Anybody here 'migrated' from one religion or spiritual path to another or encountered this question along their own path?

 

Thank you for your time to read this

 

Pick the one that make your heart sing.

 

Do not get involve in religion (politic).

 

In the higher stages of training we all do almost the same thing we just use different correlation, this correlation are cultural base.

 

In the mean time do the right thing because is right.

 

Hope you find the path that make your heart sing and you can touch many souls.

 

In light,

[Yascra]

Hi there,

great question

Anybody here 'migrated' from one religion or spiritual path to another or encountered this question along their own path?

Been there

• Started influenced by Christianity, but more as an atheist,
• then became a Christian, practiced intensively for some months and ended up with realization of what Jesus had described as "the kingdom of the father is everywhere, yet you don't see" and was thereafter called a servant of the devil by some fellow Christian as he didn't understand me anymore,
• then took some break, ended up with bad things happening and re-discovered supernatural things, which led me to Western magic, searching for laws of the world my former paths hadn't taught me anything about,
• then found that buddhism offers further teachings, maybe those teachings which I couldn't find in Christianity, and ended up taking refuge officially, but never really got close connections with the religious part of it, as I feel I'm done with blind belief,
• and now got also interested in other Asian ways, like Daoism at the moment.

My conlcusion so far is that, what you'll be able to work with, is not a question you could answer with your head; it's about your karma, and your karmic connection to things, paths, people. Maybe you have some close connection to a great practicioner who is a Muslim right now, then you might be influenced by him or her and feel yourself attracted to that religion as well; maybe thereby being largely influenced by it's teachings. This way you'll favour this teachings; anyway, the goal is the same and has to be the same no matter which path you're working with. There is only ONE absolute, it must be like that, otherwise it would not be the absolute; and what life is all about is to realize THIS, completely.
It does not really matter which road you choose, as long as it has the potential to lead you to realization of this.

Now, have all religions the potential to lead you to that aim? - well, I don't have detailed memories of ALL of them, but I've lived a lot of lives, and most of them in different religions. Most religions offer at least methods for you to realize THAT ONE, absolute; anyway, I personally found that Christianity doesn't offer much to lead you any further than that; buddhism and related religions that teach more about karma and wisdom are more prone to this.
As long as you don't have that realization, anyway, it is not THAT important whether one particuluar religion has the potential to reach the END-goal of perfect, complete realization of the Tao or of enlightenment; as without that very first realization you won't be able to really progress in spiritual terms at all.

Monotheist religions have the advantage that they are not too complicated; having just one god to pray to, and to concentrate on, is more easy than having to ask yourself whether one deity is the "real one", or at least the "real one for you", which I found to be a great problem in e.g. Tibetan buddhism. Finally, for the beginning you should stick to things that teach virtue, for without virtue you can't succeed anyway. I myself can just state that I lack the wisdom to clearly discriminate what can be okay and what not in every case.

phew, think I should come to an end for now, it's getting too long for a comment maybe, but actually I could write some things more about it.

Final suggestion is that you won't miss too much as long as you lack some basic realization yourself; so I'd advise you to stick to something of which you feel that you can really appreciate it as the greatest holy thing you've ever seen.
Most religions also contain dirt, superfluent rules etc. which you'll all have to sort out later, so you'll have to purify that dirt anyway; but that can happen to you either way. The problem with non-virtuous ways is that you'll accumulate a lot of negative karma that way, and cultivating and realizing non-duality if you are in hell, were you'll end up if you accumulate too much of that bad karma, is really an advanced level that will make it more difficult for you.
As mentioned, I found some great teachings in buddhism that I found lacking in Christianity, so I can just recommend to establish a connection to that wisdom way - but really the wisdom way, not the religious part of it. But that might be difficult if you lack some initial realization, so if you feel that what you REALLY regard as being holy and of highest virtue is what is presented to you in Christianity or Islam (just as examples), my suggestion would be to first work with that.

Basically, and unsurprisingly, religion and/or spirituality share many common principles. But how does one hone in on one school of thought? For example, if I choose to become a Bhakti practitioner, I feel like I would be missing out on a whole other world, namely, Buddhism and Taoism.

As mentioned, as long as you can concentrate sufficiently on one path to reach some initial realization of emptiness, you won't miss much anyway, for for a beginning there is not much "more" any religion could offer to you.
Afterwards, what I am doing at the moment, you still have the option to fill in whatever gaps you find, concerning wisdom teachigs, knowledge etc. ...

Finally, so many words just to agree with OldChi: Find a path which you feel you have a connection too, and then STICK to that and practice

All the best to you

Edited April 17, 2014 by Yascra

[Seeker of Wisdom]

...Basically, and unsurprisingly, religion and/or spirituality share many common principles. But how does one hone in on one school of thought? For example, if I choose to become a Bhakti practitioner, I feel like I would be missing out on a whole other world, namely, Buddhism and Taoism.

 

Anybody here 'migrated' from one religion or spiritual path to another or encountered this question along their own path?...

So long as you are always willing to change your view, and do some sort of practice you will wind up heading towards truth.

 

I was an atheist, then I sort of had an OBE. That led to a confusing year or so before I ended up with Buddhism. My view shifted until it seemed right for me to take that tradition as my foundation.

 

Do spiritual practice first and foremost, only choose a tradition when it's main points simply are the way you see things. It shouldn't actually feel like a choice, it should feel like 'I agree with so much of this it would be silly to not go with it'. Even then, don't think 'I'm X now so I have to accept...'. Separate truth from superstition and things said to fit in with the culture.

 

I remember listening to a talk by Alan Wallace saying about how when he was a Buddhist monk he wanted to try yoga. He asked his teacher if that was OK because yoga is Hindu, and his teacher laughed, saying, 'Alan, if you do that it will be Buddhist yoga!'. So Alan went and learned yoga in a Hindu temple while lodging in a Christian centre! Only the (exoteric forms of the) Abrahamic religions say that other ways lead to damnation. Other traditions often encourage using whatever's helpful.

 

However, bear in mind that different traditions aren't identical. You can't say that (exoteric) Christianity leads to the same place as Taoism, because the underlying philosophy and practice is very different.

 

Some traditions posit a God, some an impersonal absolute such as Brahman, and others such as Buddhism have no absolute at all. People of all those views could practice Bhakti, but would have to adapt it skilfully to suit their aims.

 

Bernadette Roberts started practising Bhakti with the first view, and progressed through to the second with shifts in the way she practiced: http://thetaobums.com/topic/33012-bernadette-roberts-christian-contemplative-view-on-buddhism/.

Edited April 17, 2014 by Seeker of Tao

[C T]

The core principle in Bhakti Yoga is devotion to wisdom and compassion, as a non-dual outflow that gushes out from the heart-centre. This source is nameless, and no path can lay exclusive claim to its secret work.

Edited April 17, 2014 by C T

[silent thunder]

I didn't choose my path. It grew naturally, yet not always contentedly.

I liken it to the realization that I never had a moment where I chose to be attracted to women.

For me, these things grow, they are not chosen.

[Rara]

I liken it to the realization that I never had a moment where I chose to be attracted to women.

For me, these things grow, they are not chosen.

Yup. Too true! I didn't choose to be born here on earth in this current era.

 

That's my way of getting around statutory law hehe.

[RiverSnake]

Yup. Too true! I didn't choose to be born here on earth in this current era.

 

Only as far as you know.

 

My 2 cents, Peace

[Unseen_Abilities]

I spent a while looking at different religions, even up until quite recently - nothing fit properly, so I've given up on any "religion" other than my own lifestyle, and I'm freer and better off for having done so.

 

De-conditioning from the World is an ongoing task, however...

Edited April 17, 2014 by Unseen_Abilities

[GrandmasterP]

Spiritualist here.

Born and raised.

Still active at our local centre, filling in whenever mediums can't make it ( due to ' unforeseen circumstance' usually).

Spiritualism under one name or another underpins most faith paths so I tend to feel at home most anywhere 'faith- wise'.

The only times we've ever been picketed was by fundamentalist Christians and that many years ago.

They seemed to have calmed down these days.

Our centre is in England's first ' non white majority city' with the largest Indian community outside of India. We also have two universities and a huge student population in term time.

Hence we get all sorts at our centre, Jains, Hindus, Parsees, Sikhs, Buddhists, Taoists.

You name it they've attended.

Most of the local members are either born Spiritualist of came into it from very nominal Christian upbringing.

We don't get many Pentecostalists or evangelical types attending but lots of Roman Catholics.

Edited April 17, 2014 by GrandmasterP

[doc benway]

As silent thunder implies, the right path chooses you.

It's good to explore what captures your attention.

Take what makes sense for you, discard the rest.

Like Old Chi says, the most important thing is to practice, and not just on the cushion or in the temple, but in your every thought and action.

Enjoy the process because there is no real goal.

[Rara]

Spiritualist here.

Born and raised.

Still active at our local centre, filling in whenever mediums can't make it ( due to ' unforeseen circumstance' usually).

Spiritualism under one name or another underpins most faith paths so I tend to feel at home most anywhere 'faith- wise'.

The only times we've ever been picketed was by fundamentalist Christians and that many years ago.

They seemed to have calmed down these days.

Our centre is in England's first ' non white majority city' with the largest Indian community outside of India. We also have two universities and a huge student population in term time.

Hence we get all sorts at our centre, Jains, Hindus, Parsees, Sikhs, Buddhists, Taoists.

You name it they've attended.

Most of the local members are either born Spiritualist of came into it from very nominal Christian upbringing.

We don't get many Pentecostalists or evangelical types attending but lots of Roman Catholics.

Are you somewhere in the midlands?? I want to visit one day!

[GrandmasterP]

Are you somewhere in the midlands?? I want to visit one day!

 

Always welcome.

I have PM'd you our centre website.

There's something on most days and evenings every week with free parking which is a bonus for Leicester city centre.

Let me know when you're coming and I'll meet you there and make you a cuppa.

[soaring crane]

"How does one 'choose' a religion, spiritual path, etc?"

 

By asking the Yijing, of course.

 

You could formulate the question thusly:

 

"would I be making the right decision if I choose to follow the path of the ________ religion?" or, "what would await me if I choose to follow ____________ ?"

 

[GrandmasterP]

"How does one 'choose' a religion, spiritual path, etc?"

 

By asking the Yijing, of course.

 

You could formulate the question thusly:

 

"would I be making the right decision if I choose to follow the path of the ________ religion?" or, "what would await me if I choose to follow ____________ ?"

 

 

Yep.

Good call.

I heard that's how they chose this latest Pope.

 

:-)

Edited April 17, 2014 by GrandmasterP

[Captain Mar-Vell]

...

 

The core principle in Bhakti Yoga is devotion to wisdom and compassion, as a non-dual outflow that gushes out from the heart-centre. This source is nameless, and no path can lay exclusive claim to its secret work.

 

Yes.

 

That is a most marvellous expression of truth.

 

I always seek to devote myself to wisdom and compassion.

 

Seek wisdom forever.

 

Just be good forever.

 

Simple.

 

It ain't you know what.

 

...

Edited April 18, 2014 by Captain Mar-Vell

[DreamBliss]

While talking to a Bhakti-yoga practitioner today, I couldn't help but notice the many similarities between the way these practitioners (Hare Krishna folk) live their life compared to Buddhist and Taoist teachings.

 

Basically, and unsurprisingly, religion and/or spirituality share many common principles. But how does one hone in on one school of thought? For example, if I choose to become a Bhakti practitioner, I feel like I would be missing out on a whole other world, namely, Buddhism and Taoism.

 

Anybody here 'migrated' from one religion or spiritual path to another or encountered this question along their own path?

 

Thank you for your time to read this

 

I have not taken the time to see what the others have posted to share something in context. I just read your first post, and I will give you my opinion.

 

I was a Christian. I have told this story, part of "my story", many times here. I found Christianity to essentially not be enough. Things were left unanswered, things did not make sense, the Bible had many inconsistencies but didn't cover everything, and the Christian view of God made no sense.

 

For example, why did God allow Satan to torture Job? If Heaven and Hell are separated by some uncrossable chasm, how did Satan cross it? Why would God let him come into Heaven in the first place, after casting him out? And how did Lucifer and 1/3 of the angels find sin in Heaven, which is supposed to be a perfect place? Also how does Heaven fit in with others have seen when they have died and returned? And why would I want to stay on once place for all eternity?

 

Furthermore, how come a Buddhist monk, like Thich Nhat Hanh, would be consigned to eternal damnation in hell simply because he was/is a Buddhist, and not a Christian? I had read a few of his books, and I had never found anyone in my Christian faith even remotely as demonstrating the love that pours off the page's of this monk's teachings.

 

It was this last bit about Thich Nhat Hanh that was the straw which broke the camel's back, for me. Combined with everything else, I renounced my faith. Then I went through the process of seperating my idea, my image, my identity, from my religion. Before I used to say, in answer to, "who are you?" "... and I'm a Christian." Well what the hell am I now?

 

Be warned!

Do not make your religion a part of your identity. It is better that you have no religion, so that you are open to all teachings, while remaining attached to none. But if you must choose a religion or path, do not make that a part of who you consider yourself to be! If you do you place yourself in the position of having to defend your religion whenever you have to defend your identity.

 

This is how all religious wars have started and will ever start. When followers of one religion, one spiritual path, must fight the followers of another religion, another spiritual path, in order to defend their identities, their sense of self.

 

Choosing one religion, one path, one set of beliefs, will leave you close-minded to anything that opposes, and someones that which is said or seems to oppose is not even based in your faith. For example as a Christian I had adopted the belief of other Christians around me, that homosexuality is wrong. But there is, to my knowledge, nothing that directly says so in the Bible. The same for masturbation, something I still struggle with today. Yes, I am being completely authentic and honest with you here.

 

I should also mention, in the spirit of honesty, that being what others call "spiritual, not religious" is no walk in the park either. When you have a chosen religion or path, things are clear. You follow those teachings. You disregard everything else. Any religion, not just Christianity, is a "straight and narrow way."

 

But if you are "spiritual, not religious" then all teachings are available, and it becomes a very wide, serpentine, maze-like path. What is the Truth? What is true? I read this in one book, but this author says something different. This is what I am dealing with now. I am feeling very confused and lost. Apparently this is a good state to be in, this "I don't know" state. But I hate it!

 

Still your experience may be different, or you may enjoy the state of "not knowing." If that is so then a path of no religion is the best choice for you. Your best bet to start is to pick up the texts or listen to the teachings that speak to you, where you are now. If you are in tine with your intuition things that are true for you will click with you. As your mind is open the world opens up to you. You really feel like anything is possible.

 

And the afterlife? Well now it can be an adventure! You don't have to stay in one place for all eternity or reincarnate. You don't have to worry about karma or sin, judgement or punishment. You can have any afterlife experience you choose! Also you can define God how you choose. Is it a He or a She separate from you? Or are you connected to Him or Her? Or are you one with Him or Her? Or are you, inside, in some way, Him or Her?

 

Or is God an it, simply an energy? This is my idea of God. An energy that is above all human duality. Not critical, not judgmental, neither hates no loves, somehow, in some way I don't understand, it is beyond that. But certainly not the Christian idea of God as some old man in a throne somewhere who seems to suffer from human duality.

 

Duality, for the record, as I understand it, is extremes of hate/love, judgment/acceptance, bad/good, right/wrong. Apparently there is some state outside of this that allows all extremes yet is beyond them. Someone more experienced in their spiritual journey can explain this better.

 

The easy way is the way that Christians say few find. But I think its the easy way that everyone finds, and Christians don't have this right. I think the hard way is the way few find, and the hard way is to step off the path of a chosen religion, a chosen set of beliefs, and make your own way. The easy way is to become a Buddhist, Taoist, Christian, Jehovah's Witness, Muslim, etc. To follow one path, to follow one set of teachings. The harder way is to open yourself to all religions, taking what speaks to you on a moment by moment basis as you proceed, as you grow spiritually.

 

One last warning here:

Hold your beliefs loosely. That is practice being ready to drop them at a moment's notice whenever they prove to be false, when they no longer serve, when they are holding you back. Do not make your beliefs or belief systems a part of your identity, any more than a religion. You are not what you believe or what religion you follow. Nobody dies and enters the afterlife a Buddhist, Christian or Muslim. The sooner people realize this, the sooner we grow up enough as a species to throw religion out the door.

 

Because when you die all that is left is who you really are, beyond your physical body, and who you really are has no religion it subscribes to, no beliefs, set, single or system. You can't take anything from this world with you when you die, and that may even include your memories, although I am not sure of this, or any of this. Consider this a theory for now.

 

Something else I wanted to mention that I have been thinking about the last few days. A theory or thought is developing. That is that humans need to stop giving power, or energy, to things outside themselves. We give belief energy into a religion, an idea of God, the scientific method, the law of gravity, and a bunch of other things. But just because something by all appearance is right or working does not mean that it is the only way, the only possibility, completely infallible, or 100% true!

 

We also give power to people or things outside us. We give power to the president to keep us safe, and now America is not a true democracy, because laws are being passed no American had opportunity to vote for. We are a "representative democracy." That just means we have decided to let others make the tough decisions for us, and now Americans are very sheep-like, just cattle moving along in herds in traffic on the highways.

 

We give power to our mates, or companions, or friends, to make us feel loved, to complete us, to keep us from being lonely. We call ourselves husband, wife, lover, friend. Yet when the other leaves, what are we? We have made this relationship a part of our identity, and given power to someone to do something that they can not do.

 

We give power to money to buy our happiness. Yet when the money runs out, when our positions disappear in a flood of water, a mudslide, or are destroyed in a tornado, fire or earthquake, where is our happiness? We used to say, "I am a homeowner." Well what are you now that you are living on the street?

 

We don't question enough where we put our power. So we become addicted to things, we seek things, we look outside for whatever it is we are seeking, giving power to that thing to be the answer, the solution, that thing that completes us. By giving our power away we imprison ourselves, in a cage of beliefs, a religious trap, or a web of relationships.

 

I read that what I am seeking is really myself, who I really am, that presence that has been within me since I was a child, which is a part of God, or one with God, or something. I call God the Source, as I view it as an energy, not an entity. I do not know if I buy into this. That all I need is right inside me. I am still working through this. I can only say that I see the logic that seeking things to make me happy, or complete me, or release me, or anything else, outside of myself, will bring me suffering.

 

So whatever you choose to do, work on your inside, see if you are seeking, be honest with what you are experiencing, this moment. Admit, allow, accept. Fighting against something gives it power over you. Better to go limp in the jaws of whatever has got you, or you will suffer.

 

There is more here I should say but I need to go to bed. You may PM me if you have anything you wish to ask of me and my experience, or any questions, or if you just want to talk.

Edited April 18, 2014 by DreamBliss

[GrandmasterP]

Nice post.

The trouble we have if we have trouble is that for most of us there's nowhere much to meet up with likeminded folks on a regular basis. Churches tend to be open most Sundays and have some social activities on during the week too.

Temple Buddhism is pretty social as well.

Taoism though...

Very little west of Suez and where it happens it tends to be encultured.

There's one Longmen sect English- born Taoist priest working in the UK.

That's it.

The remainder tends towards martial arts- peripheral or academic interest and that sporadically.

Edited April 18, 2014 by GrandmasterP

[ChiForce]

Before I offer my own ways to my Dharma Gate with my own personal experiences, I say you should allow your personal affliction to guide you. Things and events in the world that really cause suffering and confusion and darkness in your own life....your karmic affinity. After all, you don't seek out a path unless you aren't on a path. You don't seek out to ease suffering unless you are suffering yourself.

[GrandmasterP]

+1 to that especially the suffering bit.

Spot on.

People do move from one path to another though and I reckon that's healthy.

I can think of a western PL cultivator who went across to Tibetan and a New Kadampa who went the other way into western PL.

We get regular- denomination churchgoing folks coming to our spiritualist centre.

There's maybe more freedom nowadays for people to be a bit more 'fuzzy' in their 'faith path' adherence.

Posted elsewhere about the Wild Goose Zen sangha in the UK.

That is led by practising Roman Catholic priests who are also zen lineage holders.

Edited April 19, 2014 by GrandmasterP

[PLB]

I am a pilgrim so there is only my journey.

I want to understand more but there is only my body.

I don't know what the body is, there is only my experience.

My experience is not given to me but reveals itself to questions.

I have resolved to always be a question and that is my practice. A connection between past and future that doesn't presume to understand the connection.

 

I look up and see my brothers and sisters on the same path.

We mostly disagree when we speak.Our eyes fixed on the things we look at.

Words are not the problem but they aren't the solution either.

 

I hope this makes some kind of sense.

[Captain Mar-Vell]

...

It made a very great deal of sense.

 

We all suffer for our errors.

 

Can we see and know our error so thoroughly, that avoiding it becomes second nature?

 

It is not an easy thing.

 

Always seek to resolve your karma

 

By which I mean simply the attitudes and actions which have led to the suffering in your life.

 

Many of these actions are an unconscious result of habit condititioning.

 

I adopt a monkish habit.

 

Sometimes it's a heavy load.

 

I didn't choose.

 

I resolved to study as many different schools of philosophy,religion and spirituality as I could.

 

To find the single eternal secret within all.

 

Difficult to speak of is the operation of the inconceivable origin.

 

But we label it DAO, this activity.

 

It is the very action of LIFE itself.

 

That only do I serve.

 

LIFE itself.

 

Proto Shaman I only.

 

Most primitive I.

 

Sophia my only love.

 

Call me Philosopher always.

...

Edited April 21, 2014 by Captain Mar-Vell