Why are many Westerners who convert to Buddhism not as interested in the religious aspects and trappings of it?

Jack (Catholicism is the Truth): Why are many Westerners who convert to Buddhism not as interested in the religious aspects and trappings of it?
Instead, they mainly seem to focus on the meditati, philosophy, and psychology aspect of it. I’m primarily interested in those things as well, more so than the religious and devotional practices, but I don’t want to totally throw them out. I also want to include them as well. Are there are any other Westerners who do the religious and faith based aspects of Buddhism too?

Answers and Views:

Answer by Pittsburgher -Age of Aquarius-
You should realize there are many different types of Buddhism. Not all buddhists have a God or gods and therefore have no religious worship aspect to their path of enlightenment.

Answer by Karl P
Escaping reality and accountability! Period!

Answer by Something Smells Fishy
I’m much more into the philosophical side of it. The rest just seems like more dogma.

There are lots of different sects in Buddhism though. Some are more philosophy, others more religion.

I had a roommate once was a devout Buddhist, and he practiced all the religious aspects too. So at least some westerners are into that aspect of it.

Answer by protoplasmicreversion
It is crucial to understand and connect to the meaning of devotional practices. If we do not study properly, we will not understand what the purpose is. The recitation of sadhanas for example is incredibly profound. They are essentially guided meditations for connecting to holy beings, accumulating powerful virtuous karma, purifying negativity, and gaining many types of realizations.

As for faith, there are 4 types: blind, admiring, wishing, believing. By admiring the good qualities of something, we develop a wish regarding it. Believing faith is different from blind faith because it is based on thorough logical reasoning and personal experiences that come from training the mind. Without faith in something, we will not find it interesting or pursue it.

I have practiced since the early 90’s, done a 3 year retreat, and studied on various programs with different Lamas. There are many different types of Buddhist practice, and not all involve formal devotional rituals. For some people, formal ritualized stuff functions more as a block thatn as a bridge, while for others, such things are a bridge to connect to realization. Each person has to find their own dispositions. It is important to know though, that the more religious aspects of Buddhism have incredible meaning and they are meant to be a doorway, a passage into the profound.

Answer by Ryunyo
Yes! Yesyesyesyesyes! Tendai and Jodo Shinshu! The ritualistic aspects are powerful psychological tools for change, as are the visualizations of symbolic personifications often confused with deities. The religious aspects are some of the most profound psychological tools, but the westerners often think they are the same as other religious traditions (“Brand X”).

Besides that, after more than 2500 years of popularity, many local customs and superstitions have come to be taught alongside the real techniques, and those we can do without. But lets make sure they aren’t important before we get rid of them.

Answer by kaileym
the buddha as well as HH Dalai lama have said not to just have blind faith and not just believe what someone tells you merely because it sounds good. Instead, you must chew on it digest it and really contemplate if it makes sense to you or not. Bam! that’s enough for me to want to listen:0) The Dalai Lama has also been asked if one could prove against reincarnation would buddhism still believe in it. His answer was ” of course not.” There is some what of a faith and religious aspect that I battle with from time to time. (cyncial cindy here) and what I’m told is to decide if the practices work or not. If they are working then there is my proof . The other point is that the religious aspects are merely inspiration and aspiration to our own nature so the bodhisattva of compassion is represented to inspire our own nature of compassion. Yes, I think that the Vajrayana buddhism is very much both the practice as well as faith based buddhism.

Answer by ommanipadmehum777
I am a Western Buddhist and I do recognize what you are talking about. I try to put emphasis on concepts like compassion, lovingkindness, cessation of dukkha, etc and do not follow any of the metaphysical concepts that have been tacked onto Buddha’s teachings. After all, I have never found any Buddhist text to state that enlightenment requires a belief in reincarnation or a literal sense of karma. I know few Buddhists who are like me but it is very refreshing when they come around. For any Western Buddhists, I would suggest focusing on the aspect of Buddhism that you value the most and you will attract others like you.