[Kilaoksrsa]

Just out of curiosity - is it only Westerners who have difficulty in making their minds up about what Buddhist tradition to follow or are there any members who were born into Buddhist families, in Buddhist countries who have wondered whether or not to change traditions?

Are there any Theravada Buddhists among the Tibetan exile community, for example or any Zen Buddhists living and practicing their religion in Sri Lanka? Is what we mean by Buddhist really a Western concept - a kind of religion, a kind of philosophy, a kind of culture?

[dicemets]

I think in some Buddhist countries people in rural communities don't have any exposure to other traditions, so there isn't that option.

[Sandra_18X]

Is anyone else drawn to aspects of both Mahayana and Theravada? Only until the understanding ripens will our minds be drawn to this or that tradition, choosing and picking whichever aspect seems to fit at that time. After the understanding has ripened, the appropriate tradition will be drawn to our mind.

[MondayBlues]

Just out of curiosity - is it only Westerners who have difficulty in making their minds up about what Buddhist tradition to follow or are there any members who were born into Buddhist families, in Buddhist countries who have wondered whether or not to change traditions?

Are there any Theravada Buddhists among the Tibetan exile community, for example or any Zen Buddhists living and practicing their religion in Sri Lanka? Is what we mean by Buddhist really a Western concept - a kind of religion, a kind of philosophy, a kind of culture?

Buddhists born in Buddhist countries probably choose traditions the same way Christians in Christian countries choose their traditions/churches.

There are Theravada, Tibetan and practitioners of other Buddhist traditions in Taiwan, which I would say is predominately humanistic Buddhism at this point. The number of practitioners for these other traditions might be small, but they do exist.

[unishisse]

Each has its merits. Unfortunately, over the past couple of years, I have observed more inter-vehicle rivalry than I could have imagined from Buddhists. This came as an unwelcome surprise to me. The Buddha's teachings are non-sectarian, as embodied in the Atthakavagga of the Sutta Nipata, among the oldest threads of discourses by the historical Buddha. It has been of great help to me to use these teachings as guidelines for my own practice.

I come from a non-religious upbringing and I'm currently a student of cognitive science, so my perspective has, for the most part, been of a secular bent. I practice with a Zen group offline, but in my individual practice I gravitate toward the Pali Nikayas. Yet this is not to say I don't study the teachings of Linji or Nagarjuna, nor that I dismiss the Prajna Paramita Sutras or other later teachings. Where they are consistent with the historical Buddha's advice, I find much of value in them. Where they are not, I set them aside.

It might help to visit some sanghas in your area to better understand how they put the Buddha's teachings into practice. When I first started to learn about Buddhism, it was through Tibetan teachings. As I learned more about the practices of Tibetan Buddhism, I discovered it was not at all for me. Although I disagree with aspects of their practice, the Tibetans I know are sincere in their dedication to the bodhisattva ideal. Their means of getting there, however, are not well-suited to my disposition. Now, after three years with a Zen sangha, I feel at home with the simplicity of zazen practice. I would still like to visit some Theravada sanghas to get an idea if this could be a route even more conducive to my practice. Ultimately, it is helpful to keep in mind that Buddhism is not about winning converts. The choice is yours to make freely.

[bromgeksan]

I would like to visit some Sanghas, but there is only one within driving distance and it is a Tibetan one and no offense meant to any Tibetan Buddhists, but I know it isn't for me.