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**pharmablogger** · 11-26-2011, 05:08 PM

Hi Dave,

Tradition hopping is very common, even among monks. If you want to practice Zen (or whatever) later you can definitely do that.

I can see why you're eager to take refuge -- I'm thinking you're probably desperate to get away from the nasty Christianity you grew up with, and officially joining a different tradition might make a big difference for you, yes? So, I'm not discouraging it. However, please remember that you almost certainly will bump into more doctrines you don't immediately agree with while exploring Buddhism in depth.

Brad Warner, an American Zen Buddhist monk who ordained in Japan, practiced for 15 years before taking refuge. He still doesn't call himself a Buddhist. Neither do I, by the way. Makes things a lot easier for me. For others like yourself it might be different, of course.

I've posted so many videos already, but if you wanna hear Brad's take on it, search for "brad warner how do i become a buddhist" on YouTube.

I think someone like you could really benefit from spending time with a real Buddhist community, by the way. I say this because certain so-called Christians consider Buddhists agents of satan and you're likely to run into a lot of harsh criticism and outright hatred for your beliefs. It's good to be surrounded by other like minded individuals. I suggest you investigate what's available in your area. There's Buddhism all over the US today.

11-26-2011, 05:08 PM	#22
pharmablogger Join Date Nov 2005 Posts 453 Senior Member	Hi Dave, Tradition hopping is very common, even among monks. If you want to practice Zen (or whatever) later you can definitely do that. I can see why you're eager to take refuge -- I'm thinking you're probably desperate to get away from the nasty Christianity you grew up with, and officially joining a different tradition might make a big difference for you, yes? So, I'm not discouraging it. However, please remember that you almost certainly will bump into more doctrines you don't immediately agree with while exploring Buddhism in depth. Brad Warner, an American Zen Buddhist monk who ordained in Japan, practiced for 15 years before taking refuge. He still doesn't call himself a Buddhist. Neither do I, by the way. Makes things a lot easier for me. For others like yourself it might be different, of course. I've posted so many videos already, but if you wanna hear Brad's take on it, search for "brad warner how do i become a buddhist" on YouTube. I think someone like you could really benefit from spending time with a real Buddhist community, by the way. I say this because certain so-called Christians consider Buddhists agents of satan and you're likely to run into a lot of harsh criticism and outright hatred for your beliefs. It's good to be surrounded by other like minded individuals. I suggest you investigate what's available in your area. There's Buddhism all over the US today.
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