A Good Buddhist?

[RedLantern]

A good Buddhist should ever seek the opportunity to do deeds of mercy,kindness,and charity.He should be keen on helping those less fortunate than himself.When practicing giving,however one should give with discrimination.
A good Buddhist should set apart a few minutes everyday to review the day's happenings,and to see whether or not he has strayed from his guru's teachings.If so, he should inquire why he has done so in order to avoid a future repetition.Methiodical reading on the dharma will also help to put the whole life into the right perspective.By getting into the habit of reading daily an inspiring discourse of the Buddha will help one to forget  one's trifling worries and troubles,to clarify one's thinking.and to recall the ultimate values and truths upon which one should build one's life.
As religion withers the world over,more and more attention is paid to empty rites,ritual and ceremonies,while little or no attention is paid to the actual practice of the principals of religion as they bear on real life.
So how can this be done to be good Buddhists? Are we good Buddhist?

[Tenzin K]

If you don’t do Buddhism

don’t worry,

you’re not going to hell.

*You’ll just endure countless lifetimes of cyclical suffering.

1. We’re not really a religion. As the Dalai Lama said, if Buddhism and Science disagree, go with science. As the Buddha himself said, don’t believe anything I say unless it matches with your experience.

We are however a path: there are teachings, meditation practices, rituals with meaning…but it’s all centered on one point. Wake up. Be kind. Be present. Be genuine. Be generous to others.

2. We don’t go to war, much. Historically, when we’re attacked, our anemic joke-of-an-army fights heroically while the rest of wherever we’re at flees, gets burned, looted, raped, pillaged. No fun for us, but at least we don’t fight others in order to spread our religion.

3. Buddhism works. If we meditate, and we meditate some more, and we study, and we work with our mixed bag of a (difficult, incompetent, sycophantic, insecure, kind, generous, gentle, eco-minded, tolerant) community, we’ll naturally begin to soften, and straighten, and enjoy life, and help others enjoy life more, too.

4. Buddhism doesn’t believe in anything. Any Buddhist who tells you to believe in reincarnation or anything that can’t be proven is caught up in superstition, and should be forcibly sent to remedial Buddhist meditation camp, which sounds like a fun camp.

5. Buddhist teachers are transparent. The greatest Buddhist teacher I’ve ever known was utterly human: full of “mistakes,” full of wildness and sweetness, open about just about everything. If Buddhist teachers aren’t transparent...on to number six.

6. Buddhism is non-theistic. In Buddhism, we’re taught to bow with mutual respect, and self-respect. You aren’t any better than me except to the extent that you serve me and others better than I do. Serving is leadership.

Our hierarchical triangle is upside down. To lead is to serve. To lead without serving is selfish and useless and silly. If a Buddhist teacher leads out of arrogance or selfish privilege, they will be slapped in the face, with a grin. It’s happened.

7. Buddhism doesn’t say other religions are wrong or anyone’s going to hell and doesn’t advocate judging others “nonbelievers” from afar, let alone sending them to some sort of eternal damnation. In the Buddhist view, we’re all damned already by our happiness-desiring egos, but luckily we’re all fundamentally aok, and we just can relax and (through meditation, study) begin to be ourselves, and serve others in suffering. And then the joke is we’ll start being happy.

8.Buddhism is of the world. It is wildly enthusiastic about money, sex, family, business, sports, books, education, politics…as long as these things are being used to help us and others wake up and be of benefit, it’s all good.

Buddhism is not laissez-faire New Ageyness. While Westerners who embrace Buddhism as a lifestyle may be irritating Portlandiaish parodies of a type, like yours truly, Buddhism is all about tradition, about being a good, dues-paying member of society, about decorum and giving back and the arts.

[Midakpa]

A good Buddhist is one who practises the three ethics. In the Theravadan tradition, the three ethics are: "abstain from wrongdoing, collect virtue and purify your mind." In the Bodhisattva path, the three ethics are: "abstain from wrongdoing, collect virtue and work to benefit all living beings." Whichever tradition we belong to, we must be mindful to keep our vows. Those who have taken refuge vows must avoid the ten non-virtues and practise the ten virtues. Basically, a good Buddhist is one who keeps his/her vows.

[eyesoftara]

I agree with Midakpa.
Also, I think a good buddhist should not just practice charity. A good christian can also be a good buddhist if that is the case. A good buddhist should always aspire to seek good rebirth, liberation or enlightenment depending on individual goals and aspiration. A good buddhist believe in the law of karma and act according to it 24/7. From these basis, a good buddhist should follow the path of his/her aspiration.
So a good Buddhist should accumulate merits and wisdom practice the three high training and/or the three principal aspect.

[metta girl]

A good Buddhist takes care of his health, to bring true happiness to one's family, to bring peace to all, one must first discipline and control one's own mind. If a man can control his mind he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him.
Buddha

[Positive Change]

Well... I think, we should all start by being a good person... be it Buddhist, Christian, Muslim. Jewish, Hindu, Atheist, etc.

We should celebrate the similarities in all train of thoughts and that is to be the best person you can be without harming others. That I feel is the essence within us all whichever path we choose. A wonderful New Year to all!