# Life Philosophy Dep't: Buddhism and the Dope? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 13, 2007, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-philosophy-dept-buddhism-and-the-dope/403929 "2007-05-13T15:08:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c4cdca/32.png) [@Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quiddity_Glomfuster)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2007, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-philosophy-dept-buddhism-and-the-dope/403929/1 "2007-05-13T15:08:26Z")
A search of threads did not reveal very many at all about Buddhism. Is it that there are few/no Dopers who study buddhism? Or that there are, but they don’t/won’t discuss it on the Dope? Or at all? Or they discuss it elsewhere? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2007, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-philosophy-dept-buddhism-and-the-dope/403929/2 "2007-05-13T17:37:24Z")
I don’t find many Buddhists gettin’ in my face like I do Christians and, more through the media than in person, Muslims and Jews. So I don’t whine about them. Nor do I care about them – but I don’t care about them any less the Cs, Ms and Js. There all pretty crazy to me, just more or less thorns in my side and/or pustules on civilizations. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2007, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-philosophy-dept-buddhism-and-the-dope/403929/3 "2007-05-13T17:57:42Z")
I started one yonks ago about “freedom from desire” and the resulting release from suffering being a desire in itself, and does this constitute a paradox - but that thread has been lost to the wilds of non archiving. Me, as I said [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=8561472&highlight=buddhism#post8561472), I think Buddhist philosophy has a lot to teach us, even if you don’t believe in the reincarnation/Nirvana stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2007, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-philosophy-dept-buddhism-and-the-dope/403929/4 "2007-05-13T19:36:14Z")
There are Buddhists on the Dope, and people like myself who are more Buddhist than any other acknowledged religion, but this is not a very welcoming place for discussions of things like mindfulness and meditation and acceptance. This is skeptics paradise here, where all the skeptics can be all cynical and bitter together in the knowledge of their absolute correctness. In my opinion, of course. That would be, uh, choice 3 from your OP, I guess. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Litoris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9f8e36/32.png) [@Litoris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Litoris)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2007, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-philosophy-dept-buddhism-and-the-dope/403929/5 "2007-05-13T23:15:30Z")
Heh…never noticed the lack of Buddhist discussion on the Dope. I guess I just unconciously chalked it up to Buddhism (being a non-religious religion) not really being something that requires much discussion. Either you _get it_ or you don’t. I recently (only half-joking) started a thread about how one would go about becoming a Buddhist monk. I have often considered fully diving into the whole thing headfirst, but always remember that it is just…I donno…too much _work._ On a slight hijack, I am always tickled at people who cannot understand that Buddhism is not one and the same as Hinduism. One of my husband’s (moronic) friends claims to be Hindu, but is constantly quoting Buddhist scripture (hmmm…would it be scripture, really?) and talking about how she has learned so much from Buddha – I dislike her enough that I don’t even want to correct her, I just enjoy watching her show her ignorance. I guess it is better than the xtians with whom I work that have asked me if I am a “devil worshipper” because I keep Neitsche (dammut, never can spell his name), Buddha’s teachings, the Koran, the I Ching and the Bhagavad Gita (damn, spell that one??) on my desk for light reading when the phones are slow. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2007, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-philosophy-dept-buddhism-and-the-dope/403929/6 "2007-05-13T23:53:07Z")
[QUOTE=Quiddity Glomfuster] A search of threads did not reveal very many at all about Buddhism. Is it that there are few/no Dopers who study buddhism? Or that there are, but they don’t/won’t discuss it on the Dope? Or at all? Or they discuss it elsewhere? [/QUOTE] I became a Buddhist when I was 16 (I’m 29 now incidentally). I always liked that insight should come from experience rather than blind faith. None of that really answers your question. I can’t really speak for all Buddhists, but I personally don’t really like talking about it. There are few people in my life that actually know that I am a Buddhist. If someone asks I’ll tell them, but that is about as far as it goes. I’m also an atheist. ---
**Author:** ![Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c4cdca/32.png) [@Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quiddity_Glomfuster)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-philosophy-dept-buddhism-and-the-dope/403929/7 "2007-05-14T01:40:07Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] I started one yonks ago about “freedom from desire” and the resulting release from suffering being a desire in itself, and does this constitute a paradox - but that thread has been lost to the wilds of non archiving. [/quote] Pity - it must’ve been interesting. > [@](#): > > Me, as I said [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=8561472&highlight=buddhism#post8561472), I think Buddhist philosophy has a lot to teach us, even if you don’t believe in the reincarnation/Nirvana stuff. Thanks for the link! [QUOTE=featherlou] There are Buddhists on the Dope, and people like myself who are more Buddhist than any other acknowledged religion, but this is not a very welcoming place for discussions of things like mindfulness and meditation and acceptance. This is skeptics paradise here, where all the skeptics can be all cynical and bitter together in the knowledge of their absolute correctness. In my opinion, of course. [/QUOTE] Careful with those opinions; they can get you in no end of trouble 'round these parts. 😉 [QUOTE=Litoris] On a slight hijack, I am always tickled at people who cannot understand that Buddhism is not one and the same as Hinduism. One of my husband’s (moronic) friends claims to be Hindu, but is constantly quoting Buddhist scripture (hmmm…would it be scripture, really?) and talking about how she has learned so much from Buddha – I dislike her enough that I don’t even want to correct her, I just enjoy watching her show her ignorance. I guess it is better than the xtians with whom I work that have asked me if I am a “devil worshipper” because I keep Neitsche (dammut, never can spell his name), Buddha’s teachings, the Koran, the I Ching and the Bhagavad Gita (damn, spell that one??) on my desk for light reading when the phones are slow. [/QUOTE] Oh, ow. Yeah, that’ll be you going straight to hell for being open-minded. I wish there was a law forbidding people from calling themselves ‘christians’ when they behave like anything but. [QUOTE=drm] None of that really answers your question. I can’t really speak for all Buddhists, but I personally don’t really like talking about it. There are few people in my life that actually know that I am a Buddhist. If someone asks I’ll tell them, but that is about as far as it goes [/QUOTE] . Because people will think you’re a devil-worshipper? ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-philosophy-dept-buddhism-and-the-dope/403929/8 "2007-05-14T01:45:16Z")
No, it’s just personal and I’m naturally quite a private person. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-philosophy-dept-buddhism-and-the-dope/403929/9 "2007-05-14T01:48:59Z")
It’s probably because in many cases Buddhists are forbidden to try to convert others, it’s not the way you get there. I am a Buddhist and attend a temple every week. ---
**Author:** ![Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c4cdca/32.png) [@Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quiddity_Glomfuster)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-philosophy-dept-buddhism-and-the-dope/403929/10 "2007-05-14T02:00:44Z")
[QUOTE=elbows] It’s probably because in many cases Buddhists are forbidden to try to convert others, it’s not the way you get there. I am a Buddhist and attend a temple every week. [/QUOTE] Oh gosh, I’m not talking about ‘conversion’! It would be worthwhile to me to find out how people incorporate buddhism into their daily lives. I can go elsewhere for that kind of discussion; just thought some might be found on SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-philosophy-dept-buddhism-and-the-dope/403929/11 "2007-05-14T02:17:57Z")
I used to post a Buddhist daily meditation thread on a couple of boards. Some of the m were pretty dense, but on the whole there was plenty that people could try and incorporate into their spiritual lives, as I have (Methodist by trade but leaning away slowly…). ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-philosophy-dept-buddhism-and-the-dope/403929/12 "2007-05-14T04:44:47Z")
I don’t venture into GD much, and don’t enjoy the fights over religion, so I tend to answer questions related to Jewish practices but don’t talk much about my beliefs, which are more aligned with atheistic Buddhism. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-philosophy-dept-buddhism-and-the-dope/403929/13 "2007-05-14T11:52:42Z")
There are also a lot of flavors of buddhism, buddhism as a philosophy, buddhism as a way of life, buddhism as a way of life in a buddhist country versus a nominally buddhist country, etc. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-philosophy-dept-buddhism-and-the-dope/403929/14 "2007-05-14T14:36:53Z")
So what did you want to discuss? Have you visited a temple? What is your exposure to Buddhism? Read any good books lately? I just finished, The Diamond Cutter by Michael Roach and I adored it! ---
**Author:** ![Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c4cdca/32.png) [@Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quiddity_Glomfuster)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2007, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-philosophy-dept-buddhism-and-the-dope/403929/15 "2007-05-15T00:10:02Z")
[QUOTE=elbows] So what did you want to discuss? How to develop and foster metta, especially given the troubles and woes on the planet and man’s inhumanity to man. More, how to detach from all that - or ought one? > [@](#): > > Have you visited a temple? No. I don’t know that I want/need to be immersed to that degree. > [@](#): > > What is your exposure to Buddhism? Mostly personal study; part of World Religions studies and then various readings over the years. > [@](#): > > Read any good books lately? 😃 > > I just finished, The Diamond Cutter by Michael Roach and I adored it! It looks interesting 🙂 Appreciate the suggestion. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2007, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-philosophy-dept-buddhism-and-the-dope/403929/16 "2007-05-15T00:13:41Z")
As a discussion of why Buddhism is not discussed here, IMHO is an appropriate forum. For discussion of Buddhism, I would suggest opening a new thread in GD. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2007, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-philosophy-dept-buddhism-and-the-dope/403929/17 "2007-05-15T00:18:16Z")
I don’t know about Buddhism but there isn’t much discussion about \*any \*religion here outside of the Big Three (Christianity, Islam, Judaism. As if anyone didn’t know!) I have tried to have some discussions on Hinduism with mixed success. I am not really qualified to discuss any other religion…to be honest, I’m not exactly qualified to discuss Hinduism either, but I have lived it my whole life!