Ask a secular jewish buddhist (Buddhism, atheist, bible, quote)

[ranchoparque]

Well, I did have one college level course in religion.

In high school I had a Bible as Literature class which was interesting....but I never could take Yahweh seriously after that.

If you ask me if I believe in God or not my reply would be: "What do you mean by "god"

I read an Alan Watts book when I was 18 which talked about some basic ideas found in Buddhism/Hinduism which talks about the illusion of the sense of a separate self.....that we are all in a sense "god"

I don't really know how I would define myself.......a nondualist?

Best spiritual book I have read recently is "Silence of the Heart" by Robert Adams.

I guess I am a mystic but I loved reading the latest Christopher Hitchens book. Dogmatic religions seem silly to me.

[june 7th]

How do you reconcile, (in your own mind) the Buddhist conception of self? Alan Watts attempted to address this himself in his book "Psychotherapy East and West." Since we bring our Western, Judeo-Christian mindsets to anything we think or do, what do you make of this notion that there basically is no ego, no self? (Who, therefore, are "we" in what we do? What is the "I" that is asking you this question?)

As well, what school of Buddhism do you like/adhere to, or identify with the most? Mahayana, Zen, etc?

Thanks in advance!

Take gentle care

[ranchoparque]

Thanks for your thoughtful response. This was my first original post (of a new thread) in this forum. I think I was looking for a discussion that departs from the usual "atheist vs. believer" thing.
As far as reconciling the buddhist conception of self with the Western mindset....I think that is the million dollar question. I don't really think there is a final reconciliation...it is an ongoing process because that mindset is so much imbedded in our language and society that we have to use that mind set just to function.....I think the thing is to not totally buy into that way of thinking because on a deeper level it is an illusion.
I've had some experience with Zen, Tibetan and Vipassana meditation and have attended a number of retreats. I don't think that would really make me a buddhist. I used the label in the post to provoke discussion. Buddhism and Vedanta make the most sense to me on an intellectual and spirtitual level. If I had to "pick a religion" it would make the most sense to pick something like Buddhism. In recent years I have sat with a meditation group that draws on Buddhism and Advaita Vedanta without identifying with a particular school.

[june 7th]

Originally Posted by ranchoparque

I've had some experience with Zen, Tibetan and Vipassana meditation and have attended a number of retreats. .

Have you ever experienced the absence or loss of ego/self while meditating? (I'm more or less referring to the Zen practice of shikantaza...) However, I am wondering whether anyone else has experienced this.

Take gentle care