Is Buddhism a discipline?

[an anarchist]

Upon reading the Dhammapada, this was my conclusion; Buddhism is a discipline. A friend of mine who read it came to the same conclusion. He said one day, “I’m not religious, but I read this book.” He began to describe the Dhammapada, and I got excited and asked him if he was talking about this book. He said yes, but knowing I’m a religious fellow, he reiterated that he was not religious, but Buddha was his teacher. We talked and agreed that Buddhism was a discipline before it was a religion.
I am a Christian. I use Buddhist disciplines to practice my religious faith, Christianity. I meditate, replacing Buddha’s name with the name of Christ. I believe in Buddha’s goal of ending the collective suffering for all of mankind. I believe that this is something that we can strive for and achieve. I am a religious Buddhist, however, it is also my discipline.
Am I correct in my description that Buddhism is a discipline?

 

[JustGeorge]

I think it could be used as a discipline. It is, of course, a religion, but one could take the teachings of Buddhism and apply them just about anywhere.

I used to attend a Buddhist group once a week. I did this as a Pagan, and I found that Buddhist practice greatly enhanced my path. Most of the guys in the group were secular, though they never took exception to the fact I wasn't. A Christian woman popped in from time to time. Another regular was rather eclectic. Within Buddhism, there didn't seem to be any problems with any of it. For most of the attendees, they were there to discuss philosophies and practices.

In this case, yes, it was a discipline.

 

[shunyadragon]

Upon reading the Dhammapada, this was my conclusion; Buddhism is a discipline. A friend of mine who read it came to the same conclusion. He said one day, “I’m not religious, but I read this book.” He began to describe the Dhammapada, and I got excited and asked him if he was talking about this book. He said yes, but knowing I’m a religious fellow, he reiterated that he was not religious, but Buddha was his teacher. We talked and agreed that Buddhism was a discipline before it was a religion.
I am a Christian. I use Buddhist disciplines to practice my religious faith, Christianity. I meditate, replacing Buddha’s name with the name of Christ. I believe in Buddha’s goal of ending the collective suffering for all of mankind. I believe that this is something that we can strive for and achieve. I am a religious Buddhist, however, it is also my discipline.
Am I correct in my description that Buddhism is a discipline?

Buddhism is not a discipline it is a religion with practices that may be called disciplines like in all religions.

 

[Valjean]

A psychotherapeutic modality.

 

[Sirona]

Buddhism originally denies the existence of God(s) and of a (permanent) soul, AFAIK it started out as a kind of psychology trying to decompose the soul into factors that explain things like perception and consciousness.I think therefore it falls short to an Abrahamic definition of "religion".

I think "disciplines" with a purpose to calm the mind can be found in most religions, such as keeping silence or using prayer beads, for example.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Upon reading the Dhammapada, this was my conclusion; Buddhism is a discipline. A friend of mine who read it came to the same conclusion. He said one day, “I’m not religious, but I read this book.” He began to describe the Dhammapada, and I got excited and asked him if he was talking about this book. He said yes, but knowing I’m a religious fellow, he reiterated that he was not religious, but Buddha was his teacher. We talked and agreed that Buddhism was a discipline before it was a religion.
I am a Christian. I use Buddhist disciplines to practice my religious faith, Christianity. I meditate, replacing Buddha’s name with the name of Christ. I believe in Buddha’s goal of ending the collective suffering for all of mankind. I believe that this is something that we can strive for and achieve. I am a religious Buddhist, however, it is also my discipline.
Am I correct in my description that Buddhism is a discipline?

Buddhism barely qualifies as a religion.

Discipline plays a role no doubt, but I think its better to say for the greater part, Buddhism is a way of realization.

 

[JustGeorge]

Buddhism originally denies the existence of God(s)

Does it? I thought some branches honored deities. (I'm not terribly knowledgeable here.)

 

[Martin]

Does it? I thought some branches honored deities. (I'm not terribly knowledgeable here.)

Yes, that's right, for example in the Tibetan schools. Buddhist deities - Wikipedia

It's worth noting that like "Hinduism", "Buddhism" is a diverse collection of schools, and so it is quite difficult to give generalised answers to questions like this.
It's also worth observing that all religious traditions incorporate disciplines and practices, so Buddhism isn't unique in that sense.

 

[Martin]

A psychotherapeutic modality.

I think that might apply to Secular Buddhism, and Mindfulness-based disciplines like MBSR, but I'm not clear how it would apply more widely across the Buddhist schools. Could you elaborate?
For example, I don't think attaining Nirvana would be seen as a "psychotherapeutic" goal.

 

[Martin]

Buddhism originally denies the existence of God(s) and of a (permanent) soul, AFAIK it started out as a kind of psychology trying to decompose the soul into factors that explain thinks perception and consciousness.I think therefore it falls short to an Abrahamic definition of "religion".

I think "disciplines" with a purpose to calm the mind can be found in most religions, such as keeping silence or using prayer beads, for example.

Yes, though Buddhism is a Dharmic tradition, so comparisons to the Abrahamic religions are going to problematic anyway.

 

[Secret Chief]

Does it? I thought some branches honored deities. (I'm not terribly knowledgeable here.)

And they are not immortal either

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Upon reading the Dhammapada, this was my conclusion; Buddhism is a discipline. A friend of mine who read it came to the same conclusion. He said one day, “I’m not religious, but I read this book.” He began to describe the Dhammapada, and I got excited and asked him if he was talking about this book. He said yes, but knowing I’m a religious fellow, he reiterated that he was not religious, but Buddha was his teacher. We talked and agreed that Buddhism was a discipline before it was a religion.
I am a Christian. I use Buddhist disciplines to practice my religious faith, Christianity. I meditate, replacing Buddha’s name with the name of Christ. I believe in Buddha’s goal of ending the collective suffering for all of mankind. I believe that this is something that we can strive for and achieve. I am a religious Buddhist, however, it is also my discipline.
Am I correct in my description that Buddhism is a discipline?

It's a discipline 100%. It's what you do not what you believe. It's actions not faith.

The common christian citation "we're not saved by works"... if to translate that in Buddhism in christian 'language:' "we Are saved by works." Stark contrast.

I don't know if I'd call it Buddhism, though, if I were christian using buddhist practices. Christianity and Dharma don't correlate but nothing wrong with meditation and things like that.

 

[shunyadragon]

It's a discipline 100%. It's what you do not what you believe. It's actions not faith.

The common christian citation "we're not saved by works"... if to translate that in Buddhism in christian 'language:' "we Are saved by works." Stark contrast.

I don't know if I'd call it Buddhism, though, if I were christian using buddhist practices. Christianity and Dharma don't correlate but nothing wrong with meditation and things like that.

By this logic ALL religions are disciplines. In virtually all religions the believers practice forms of disciplines and meditations.

 

[Vinayaka]

Upon reading the Dhammapada, this was my conclusion; Buddhism is a discipline. A friend of mine who read it came to the same conclusion. He said one day, “I’m not religious, but I read this book.” He began to describe the Dhammapada, and I got excited and asked him if he was talking about this book. He said yes, but knowing I’m a religious fellow, he reiterated that he was not religious, but Buddha was his teacher. We talked and agreed that Buddhism was a discipline before it was a religion.
I am a Christian. I use Buddhist disciplines to practice my religious faith, Christianity. I meditate, replacing Buddha’s name with the name of Christ. I believe in Buddha’s goal of ending the collective suffering for all of mankind. I believe that this is something that we can strive for and achieve. I am a religious Buddhist, however, it is also my discipline.
Am I correct in my description that Buddhism is a discipline?

I think it's more accurate or as equally as accurate as the word 'religion'. 'Religion' is a western word, and denotes a certain set of practices, of which not all are included in the dharmic faiths. As well, some practices in the dharmic faiths would be outside the definition of 'religion'.

Personally, I use 'religion' mostly for convenience and understanding reasons. Why have to explain it over and over. If you say, "I follow the discipline of Buddhism' regular folks might look at you oddly, but if you say, 'with regard to religion, I'm Buddhist' they won't bat an eyes. Sometimes I think it wise to sacrifice accuracy for convenience.

 

[Vinayaka]

I thought the OP was referring to this definition of discipline ...
a branch of knowledge, typically one studied in higher education.
"sociology is a fairly new discipline"

Maybe @Xavier Graham SA can clarify.

 

[Martin]

It's a discipline 100%. It's what you do not what you believe. It's actions not faith.

The common christian citation "we're not saved by works"... if to translate that in Buddhism in christian 'language:' "we Are saved by works." Stark contrast.

I don't know if I'd call it Buddhism, though, if I were christian using buddhist practices. Christianity and Dharma don't correlate but nothing wrong with meditation and things like that.

It's a little more complicated than that.
Faith in Buddhism - Wikipedia

 

[Sirona]

Yes, that's right, for example in the Tibetan schools. Buddhist deities - Wikipedia

IMHO, those gods are not "God(s)" in an Abrahamic sense (especially not immortals). They're just sentient beings in one of those half a dozen realms (gods, humans, animals, hell etc.) where you can be born in. If their "karma account" is finished off, they die and are reborn as something else, just "like the rest of us".

I asked a Tibetan Buddhist about a deity which looked like the Hindu god Ganesha to me. He explained to me that the Hindu gods can take refuge in the Buddha, too, so they surrender their "omnipotence" to him.

 

[Martin]

IMHO, those gods are not "God(s)" in an Abrahamic sense (especially not immortals). They're just sentient beings in one of those half a dozen realms (gods, humans, animals, hell etc.) where you can be born in. If their "karma account" is finished off, they die and are reborn as something else, just "like the rest of us".

I asked a Tibetan Buddhist about a deity which looked like the Hindu god Ganesha to me. He explained to me that the Hindu gods can take refuge in the Buddha, too, so they surrender their "omnipotence" to him.

See also here:
Five Tathāgatas - Wikipedia

 

[crossfire]

Buddhism originally denies the existence of God(s) and of a (permanent) soul, AFAIK it started out as a kind of psychology trying to decompose the soul into factors that explain things like perception and consciousness.I think therefore it falls short to an Abrahamic definition of "religion".

I think "disciplines" with a purpose to calm the mind can be found in most religions, such as keeping silence or using prayer beads, for example.

Actually, Buddha was said to be a teacher of the devas, and the king of the devas, Sakka (associated with Indra) was an avid student of Buddha.
Sakka-pañha Sutta: Sakka's Questions

 

[metis]

I am a Christian. I use Buddhist disciplines to practice my religious faith, Christianity.

Ditto.

BTW, are you familiar with Thomas Merton?