What is New Age Buddhism?
score:2
I know more about Buddhism than new age, but I'll take a stab and listing the contrasts:
New age is radically eclectic and blends all sorts of religions and para-religious concepts. New age has a very porous boundary. Buddhism is syncretic-- it picks up new ideas as it moves into a new cultural area, but then becomes institutionalized again an one generally can recognize what its boundaries are.
New age practices that clearly overlap with Buddhism would include meditation, belief in reincarnation, sympathy towards monism and nondualism, something akin to the 2 truths principle you see in Buddhism (that there is ordinary reality and then another layer on that).
New age Buddhism would be distinguished by all the other concepts drawn into it. For example, the Buddhist temple not far from where I live is a sort of New Age Buddhist temple, with an impressive crystal display. The temple is run by a woman who was mostly New age before she was recognized as a tulku.
Personally I think it is a useful concept/tag, it help keep straight when people are looking for answers that might involve who knows what, from UFOs to Nostradamus and Edgar Cayce or Helena Blavatsky and Auras and so on.
Upvote:0
Good question! An interpretation, based on the Terma tradition. New Age Buddhists accept Animated Emptiness (Primordial Buddha) as the enlightened, unborn, unconditioned ruler presently on earth and possibly elsewhere, who knows? Humans have yet to discover sentient life elsewhere but that doesnt mean it doesnt exist in this universe or other dimensions. Sublime imagination first took the elemental form of a primordial Buddha on earth( circa a quarter to a half a million years ago ) with essential feminine aspects including several Bodhisattvas which are recognised as equal to Animated Emptiness.
Upvote:0
A thirst to justify every misfortune anyone befalls.
You can work out the rest (if you suffer you are evil, etc.)
Upvote:0
New Age Buddhism allows marriage. Millions converted to Buddhism in Nagpur India. It was a Buddhism as taught by B R Ambedkar. This Buddhism is soft on marriage. Only bans adultery. Buddha told his followers to leave family and meditate in forest. That was true Buddhism. These days it is very difficult to find a true Buddhist.
Upvote:8
I think we should differentiate Buddhism from New Age movements, they may share some goals (happiness), some tools (meditation) and some teachings, however they are very different in some key aspects, usually the ones related to money, intoxocants, sexuality and "enjoying life" (generally speaking)
There are new age gurus and teachers trying to reconcile the Buddha's teachings with our modern society and other believes, some of them attract a lot of people, I do respect them, but I don't see it as "New Age Buddhism", I see it as "New Age movements with some Buddhists teachings inside".
More post
- 📝 First Effort in "Right Effort"
- 📝 What is Buddhism "for" (in favor of)?
- 📝 Is it possible to fly?
- 📝 Do the 31 realms physically exist or is it a state of mind?
- 📝 Zen's concern with "reality" vs. being in the present
- 📝 Can a person without any of the five physical senses attain arhatship?
- 📝 Is suffering dependent on aging & death? If so, how is suffering experienced before & after death?
- 📝 Where is the description of the vow and the Bodhi tree?
- 📝 Most effective meditation techniques to develop empathy, love and compassion for others?
- 📝 Can you quickly explain "everything is impermanent"
- 📝 Buddha's night before enlightenment
- 📝 Why do I get a feeling on my forehead as if someone is touching it during meditation?
- 📝 Mention of Saraswathi river in Buddhist scriptures
- 📝 Find Sutta: eat first before hearing the teaching
- 📝 Practice of Dhamma and loss of masculinity
- 📝 Does the Buddha's concept of Citta contradict the Mahayana doctrine of emptiness?
- 📝 Cessation of suffering is the main goal of Buddhism, but is cessation of suffering the end goal or does Buddhism pursue Joy beyond end of suffering?
- 📝 Possible to intentionally kill without "intention"?
- 📝 Where did the belief about monks' mothers going to heaven come from?
- 📝 Objectification in Buddhism
- 📝 After Enlightenment - 7 Weeks (Sath Sathiya)
- 📝 What are the suttas in which the Buddha provides instruction on how to meditate?
- 📝 Good is not different from Bad?
- 📝 Where did the Buddha say that Teachings that don't contain the Noble Eightfold Path cannot lead to Enlightenment?
- 📝 What's the difference between having a view and clinging to a view?
- 📝 Different Reasons of Dhamma's Decline
- 📝 Question about Dana
- 📝 What is the difference between Satipatthana and Vipassana?
- 📝 Is generating intention necessary?
- 📝 Are Buddhists against abortion?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 What is New Age Buddhism?
- 📝 How to explain what Buddhism is?
- 📝 What teachings do all schools of Buddhism share?
- 📝 What are the differences/similarities in the concept of faith as used in Buddhism and Christianity?
- 📝 What does Buddhism literature and tradition say about transgender folks?
- 📝 New to Buddhism
- 📝 What are the differences between "Nirvana" in Buddhism and "Moksha" in Hinduism?
- 📝 What is ignorance in Buddhism and what are examples of ignorance?
- 📝 What does Buddhism say about boredom?
- 📝 What kind of mistakes can a new meditator in his/her early 20's avoid?
- 📝 What does buddhism say about bodybuilding (and weights training)?
- 📝 What is the object of Faith in Buddhism
- 📝 What does Buddhism say about how to manage other people's anger?
- 📝 What does Buddhism say about dealing with negative people?
- 📝 On what basis does the 'right' in Buddhism come from?
- 📝 What does Buddhism say about creativity and spiritual development?
- 📝 What does Buddhism teach about fear of success?
- 📝 How does buddhism describe what exactly, or where exactly, or how exactly, consciousness exists?
- 📝 Vajrayana Buddhism relies on a teacher-pupil relationship. What in tradition or the literature explains how to find the appropriate teacher?
- 📝 What does Buddha and Buddhism say about fighting against enemy of dharma?
- 📝 Ordination procedure in Theravada Buddhism - What are grievous crimes?
- 📝 What are the teachings in Buddhism for good social Social Health?
- 📝 What does Diamond Way Buddhism say about obstacles at times of becoming more conscious?
- 📝 What was the reason behind the fall of Buddhism in India?
- 📝 What does "Namaste" mean in Buddhism context and why is it even associated with Buddhism?
- 📝 What distinguishes Japanese Shingon Buddhism from other types?
- 📝 What is the relationship between the New Kadampa Tradition and Tibetan Buddhism?
- 📝 Why our mind always live in habits? Why we are always making new habits? What will happen if habits are not formed?
- 📝 What is "Pattichha Samuppadha" in buddhism
- 📝 What does Buddhism teach about energy?