I’ve been on the fence about religion of any type since I was a young teen, and have called myself agnostic since then. However, my personal morals seem to closely align with those of Buddhism and I’m becoming more and more interested in it.
I’ve done some research and have found that The Middle Path is close to what me, as a layperson (as opposed to a monk), would be comfortable with.
Any Buddhists here? Any advice or information?
Your location is Calgary, is that right? I would look up a local meditation center and go and learn some basic sitting techniques. My wife and I are heavily part of a local sangha and to all Buddhists meditation and mindfulness is the single biggest factor in this ancient tradition.
Do you currently meditate? Have you ever sat with a meditation instructor? Look into any Shambhala Centers near where you are, that way you can get a good view of what we do. This is not a religion by the standard western definition. Ancient Wisdom Tradition is a little more accurate.
Your view will hone down as you meditate and learn more about being present. Center on the most fundamental belief and Breathe. If you have more pointed questions I am willing to answer what I can.
As long as you let him call you grasshoppah.
Here you go: Calgary Shambhala Center
ETA: That would be Yong Grasshoppah. 
All I can tell you is that after living in a Buddhist society for years and years, I find the Buddhist religion as disappointing as Christianity. I don’t mean to be snarky, and I try not to go on religious rants here for fear of deeply offending too many people, but I’ve honestly found that Buddhism’s appeal to Westerners seems largely to stem from its novelty in the West or an image they have from the movies. Many are quite disappointed in the reality once they set foot over here.
But then again, many are not disappointed. I’d say if the meditation aspect appeals to you and seems to do you some good, then fine, although I’d not recommend getting into it as a religion per se. But I do readily admit that Buddhists are easier to be around than Christians, because the former are never trying to convert you.
I don’t see why you would need to take the whole of Budhism. I’m an atheist and can say that The Art of Happiness completely changed my life. I took a lot from that book, and while buddhist philosophy has largely shaped my worldview, I didn’t see any need to take on the whole thing. Buddhism isn’t like Christianity where you have to take all or nothing–you can use its lessons for personal growth.
By all means, learn about it. Read a billion books. Take from it what you want, but to just become a Buddhist? Because 90% of the ideas sound good, you might take the 10% you’re not sure of? I don’t get it.
**Siam Sam **is right, many in the western world like the image of a sitting buddha but upon practice find it very hard to sit for any length of time. I see this in my gradual path towards leading a buddhist life. Many people come in with a new zafu and a new zabutan, yoga pants, and shirt a water bottle and they only last 2 weeks. It’s interesting to watch people when the finally tap into their own mind…some don’t like what they find.
Myself, I was horrified when I first sat for any length of time, but then I came to realize what I was feeling was not being tied to my breath, and the more I concentrated on breathing the less severe the meditations got. 
Yeah, from talking with hardcore Buddhists in Japan I’d say that it’s really quite similar to Christianity outside of the proselytizing aspect. Which is to say that it says so many different things and can be interpreted so widely that really you can support any sort of outlook in it.
Or as I used to say, where Christianity descends into minutiae, Buddhism disappears into abstraction.
I suspect that the similarity of the two beliefs is what has made it be so approachable by people raised in a Christian society.
I think there’s sound psychological basis in the meditation side of Buddhism.
I see Buddhism more as an ancient form of psychological therapy than as a religion.
I am a Buddhist dabbler. By that I mean I have some interest and I read about it quite a bit. If there were a religion that I could embrace it would that one.
But at this time I am not ready to devote myself to it and will remain on the sidelines.
Good luck in your quest!
Thanks guys! Great advice. I do plan on going to the local center this Thursday for meditation and tea.
I’m more interested in certain aspects of Buddhism rather then the ‘religion’ of it. My morals, such as being a kind and loving person, avoiding anger and jealousy, meditation and mindfulness, align with many of their core values, however I I don’t agree with 100% of what is involved. For instance, I’m in a committed non-marriage relationship and we’ve lived as a married couple for years. I’m certainly not going to give THAT up!
I don’t anticipate devoting my entire life to it, but I am looking to delve a little deeper into certain aspects of it, such as meditation.
Who says you would have to give up any marriage? You are talking about following buddhist principles not becoming a monk or nun right?
Read Pema Chodron she resides at the linked Gampo Abby in Nova Scotia. Her books are wonderful, as are those of Trungpa Rinpoche.
p.s. my wife and I both enjoy the lifestyle in as much as we have become closer with ourselves and therefor with eachother.
Thanks for the fantastic advice, Phlosphr! I have to stop by Chapters this afternoon!
This raises the question–is Buddhism any less authentic or valid a spiritual tradition in its current incarnation in the West? I don’t feel I have to live in a largely Buddhist society to feel like I’m properly Buddhist. Buddhism of all traditions would have respect for the many manifestations and changing nature of itself. Frankly the way Buddhism is often practiced in the East, as an organized religion infused with local beliefs and full of as much corruption as any other organized religion… well, that’s unappealing and disappointing for sure. But I don’t think it’s fair to say that’s the ‘‘true’’ Buddhism, or that there is a ‘‘true’’ Buddhism. Is Christianity in Rome more authentic than Christianity in the U.S.? I think one of Buddhism’s merits as a spiritual tradition is that it blends so easily with a number of different cultures and societies, including those of the West. What better place to bring Buddhist ideas than a land where consumerism and unfulfilled desire run rampant and narcissism is more prevalent than ever? I think there’s a reason Buddhism has grown in popularity in the West, and it’s not just the novelty.
EmAnJ, I’ve been a Buddhist for 6 years and I don’t meditate nearly as often as would be beneficial. The discipline required to really have a meaningful meditation practice is a bit of a challenge. Meditation can be boring, uncomfortable, sometimes painful and frequently frustrating. It took me close to a year of reading about Buddhism to begin to grasp what it was about, because it was an entirely new way (for me) of looking at the world. Then one day I finally sat down on the meditation cushion and I remember thinking: ‘‘Oh.’’ :smack: I learned in 20 minutes what I had been trying to understand for a year. If you do it often enough you do get to the point where you can have mindfulness and a more peaceful and contented outlook in every day life. Meditation, and awareness of impermanence in particular, has helped me cope with a lot of chronic mental health issues.
Let me know if you have any questions. I’m no expert but I’ll do my best to help out.
By the way, the celibacy thing as I understand it is not a rule for laypeople, it’s a rule for monks. Laypeople don’t really have that many rules, and what rules exist are pretty much common sense.*
*Of course this all depends on what denomination you’re talking about… there are many different sects of Buddhism and all of them see and do things a little differently.
I definitely agree with you there. The analogy I like to compare it to is cooking: you can read cookbooks all day, but if you don’t roll up your sleeves and actually do it you’re still going to be hungry. Without actually practicing mindfulness and concentration, you will not reap the benefits.
What are you trying to achieve? There is no point in taking up a religion just because it’s the one that seems the least offensive to you. For sure look into it and do what feels right. But no need to slap labels on things at this point. If you start having deep epiphanies then maybe it’s time to start aligning with an organization.
I’m not religious, but I always thought the the (what I understand to be) Hindu take on this question was a good one. Basically, if we are looking for some kind of truth it’s best to start with our own traditions and cultures. Not because any one culture owns any one religion. But rather there is truth to be found everywhere, and we are more likely to find it in the set of religious metaphors that we are familiar with and live around. While we have a lot to gain by studying and understanding other traditions, heading full-long into it is likely to be so distracting and complicated that we lose a lot. Not that nobody can change religions. Just that it’s kind of taking the convoluted path to the same point.
I’ve been practicing more-or-less since about '88. I agree with what Olivesmarch4th had to say (Hey Olives. I didn’t know you were also a Buddhist, but I’m not surprised.) Meditation is hard work. When you get it- when it clicks- it really does make you look at the world in a better way.
Most of the rules for laypeople are variants on ‘don’t be a jerk’, and the rules on sexual practice pretty much say don’t do anything harmful to yourself or others, and don’t let sex be an obsession. Some Buddhist saints were married - Layman Pang and Marpa both had wives and children.
A view I’ve found helpful is: “Since nothing is permanent, and we are reincarnated, for now I’m just trying to do a good job with this lifetime. My ultimate Buddhahood may be many lifetimes away, so I don’t necessarily have to be Buddha now.” In other words, do the best you can, take from Buddhism what you can.
Feel free to get in touch with me, also.
I’ve no interest in religion, but a deep interest in relieving everyday anxiety (in many forms and sizes). To help this, I’ve dabbled with meditation for a couple of years now. Once, lying in my dark bedroom, I truly reached a meditative stage and it was wonderful, easily one of the top ten moments in my life. All thoughts, hopes, fears, excitement, tension, sense of time vanished, my body felt weightless, I could feel my senses heightened without any effort, I just was, like, I believe, an animal is when not hungry or under attack. Truly wonderful. Dozens of minor half-visits since then, but not the big one (and I’ve lately dropped meditation for no real reason. Gotta start again. )
Hmm. I’ve seen such different variants of Buddhism and what it means for someone to consider themselves Buddhist that I am not sure how it can be talked about as if it’s a cohesive entity any more than ‘Christianity’ can, so I guess in that sense it’s no different than Christianity. I would encourage you to explore the philosophies and practices of several different traditions before deciding if it’s the right path for you, or which Buddhism is the right path for you.
I once had a philosophical crises, that I thought only Buddhism would be able to pull me out of. I really, really thought I got it, and that it was for me. I was mad zen about the whole moment that I thought it dawned on me that it was my path. But I *could not *get past the idea of the 5 precepts. Could not get past that.
So I came out of that crises still loving me some Buddhism, but not willing to call it myself a Buddhist.