Welcome to the Buddhist Boot Camp Podcast. Our intention is to awaken, enlighten, enrich, and inspire a simple and uncomplicated life. Discover the benefits of mindful living with your host, Timber Hawkeye.
In Southern California, there is a church across the street from a Jewish temple, and once a month, the rabbi gives the sermon at the Christian fellowship, and the minister addresses the synagogue with the important message that though they may be located across the street from one another, they are not enemies. There is a lot of confusion about Buddhism, as well: whether we worship idols, if it's a philosophy, or a way of life?
So, please allow me to clarify that Buddhism is not a religion. It is a practice just like yoga, which can be practiced by anyone regardless of their religion, race, age, gender, shape, or size. The Buddha himself was not a god. He never claimed to be a god, the son of god, or even a messenger of god. He was a flawed man just like the rest of us, who simply gained clear perspective of the world through nothing more than human effort.
We do not worship false idols or statues. We are merely inspired that someone woke up to our interconnectedness and interdependence, to tell us that anyone can be a Buddha, which is just a title that means: Awake. What he mastered was his own mind. When we say he reached Nirvana, or was Enlightened, it is something anyone can do. That's perhaps what's so accessible about it. The actual origin of Buddhism itself is not only secondary but, dare I say,
completely irrelevant. The reason Buddhism isn't in conflict with organized religion is because it doesn't busy itself with tales of creation and the universe. Like any philosophy, however, there are, perhaps inevitably, now over 800 different schools of Buddhism. And yes, some of them are in direct conflict with one another, and even with the Buddha's teachings. Which is why you might find someone who insists that Buddhism IS a religion, or even refers to Siddhartha as Lord Buddha.
But, as even the Dalai Lama continually tells us, "Do not try to use what you learn "from Buddhism to be a Buddhist, use it to be a better whatever you already are." That is to say to be Christ-like, for example, rather than Christian. There is no heaven or hell, per se, just consequences: Action and a subsequent reaction. A cause and a subsequent effect.
There is no Satan on whom to blame everything negative in the world, but rather a darkness within each of us that can drive us towards greed, hatred, and ignorance. But we can overcome that darkness by being a light. Failure to do so would leave you in the dark, so we are essentially responsible for saving ourselves. That's why there is no such thing as a "Bad Buddhist," so to speak. There are no rules
to follow, just invitations of things to try. And if they resonate with you and work in your life, then great, but if they don't, then leave them for now. Not all Buddhists are vegetarian just because the first precept invites us to contemplate the suffering caused by the destruction of life and then vow to minimize it. Just like not all Christians are pacifists, and some are even hunters or carnivores,
even though the Bible specifically says: Thou shalt not kill. Buddhist beliefs themselves are open to change if or when any of them are proven to be untrue. This is why many Christians and Jews practice Buddhism; it actually strengthens their existing faith without requiring them to change their belief in God. Buddhism is made up of many non-Buddhist elements, and so it surpasses labels and segregation to be inclusive of everyone. That's why when someone asks me
if I'm a Buddhist, I don't quite know how to answer. Because I am a lot of things and not one of them defines me. I hope this clarifies a few things for you or serves as something you can share with people in your life when they are worried you are converting or joining a cult. If you find these podcast episodes inspirational, motivational, useful, or reassuring in any way whatsoever, please do show your support
on Patreon.com/BuddhistBootCamp. This podcast is available without any commercials thanks to listeners just like you, who donate just one dollar a month on Patreon.com/BuddhistBootCamp. Please visit BuddhistBootCamp.com to see a list of upcoming events in your area, or to sign up to receive my monthly email. If you have any suggested topics or questions, please feel free to contact me through the website, and I'll be sure to share it on this podcast and in the Buddhist Boot Camp
YouTube channel. So don't concern yourself so much with being a Buddhist, but Buddha-like, or Christ-like, or whoever-inspires-you-like. Timber Hawkeye is the bestselling author of Faithfully Religionless and Buddhist Boot Camp. For additional information, please visit BuddhistBootCamp.com, where you can order autographed books to support the Prison Library Project, watch Timber's inspiring TED Talk, and join our monthly mailing list.
We hope you have enjoyed this episode and invite you to subscribe for more thought-provoking discussions. Thank you for being a Soldier of Peace in the Army of Love. 🙏