Old vs. Young Buddhists

[groovemaster]

Hey guys.. Im new to this forum.. Im pretty young and I feel like younger peoples take on buddhism is different than older peoples.. In a sense that buddhism has kind of become a pop culture sensation... What do you think are the differences in the practice of buddhism between the younger and older generations?

[Thug4lyfe]

It's always better to start da practice while young!

[Dechen Norbu]

Hey guys.. Im new to this forum.. Im pretty young and I feel like younger peoples take on buddhism is different than older peoples.. In a sense that buddhism has kind of become a pop culture sensation... What do you think are the differences in the practice of buddhism between the younger and older generations?

Difficult to say... in the West at least.

[nirmal]

[quote=" What do you think are the differences in the practice of buddhism between the younger and older generations?[/quote]

My pretty young friend,
The old who follow tradition are usually treated as fools.It was just like when Milarepa's sister and his fiancee came to visit him in his cave.They said,"On the way, we saw those famous lamas walking in prosession through the street.They have so many houses, so many attendents,so much beautiful property,so many beautiful girls around them.They drink, have free sex and enjoy their lives.But look at you.You live in this cave.You are so poor that you don't even have trousers.What a foolish man you are!"
Nowadays where can we find such a one like Milarepa?But there are many people like his sister and his fiancee around. Should we take their advice? I'm just feeling ashamed for not being able to be like Milarepa completely

Buddha is also the knower of three periods.He has already seen all the three times including the future.Can the young be more modern than the Buddha to take on Buddhism as a pop culture?

[Kyosan]

Hey guys.. Im new to this forum.. Im pretty young and I feel like younger peoples take on buddhism is different than older peoples.. In a sense that buddhism has kind of become a pop culture sensation... What do you think are the differences in the practice of buddhism between the younger and older generations?

Many of the older Western Buddhists have become Buddhist when they were young which means that they were Buddhists for a long time. They probably have a serious reason to be Buddhist and see value in it.

If people become Buddhist because they think it's the "in" thing to do, and never go beyond that, they probably won't stay Buddhist for long. But some of the people who become Buddhist for that reason will, after they start practicing, see value in it and stick with it.

Is Buddhism a "pop culture sensation"? Well people seeing actors and singers who are Buddhist might influence them. But is Buddhism popular in the US for example? No, because according to the CIA World Factbook, only 0.7% of the US population is Buddhist. And that includes the Asian immigrants.

Is there a difference in the way the younger and older generations practice? I think it has more to do with how long, how earnestly one practices and how far one advances spiritually than the age. When persons advance spiritually they see Buddhism differently and the practice is different.

[kirtu]

Im pretty young and I feel like younger peoples take on buddhism is different than older peoples..

In what way?

In a sense that buddhism has kind of become a pop culture sensation... What do you think are the differences in the practice of buddhism between the younger and older generations?

What do you think?

On of the similarities is that both young and old are ensnared in afflictions, negative thougths and negative emotions.

Kirt

[Josef]

A lot of the young Buddhist that I know are much more serious and orthodox than their boomer-generation counterparts.

[Kyosan]

A lot of the young Buddhist that I know are much more serious and orthodox than their boomer-generation counterparts.

Maybe I should clarify what I mean above. I don't mean to say that the older Buddhists are more serious than the younger Buddhists. I'm saying that if some become Buddhists for some silly reason like they think it's an "in" thing to do, they are not serious. But, I think that there are few, if any, people becoming Buddhist for that reason. I'm disagreeing with the original poster. I don't think that Buddhism is a pop fad.

[Thug4lyfe]

I suppose the oldies are attached to the whole hippy thing. Although in Asia that doesn't apply.

[Quiet Heart]

Hey guys.. Im new to this forum.. Im pretty young and I feel like younger peoples take on buddhism is different than older peoples.. In a sense that buddhism has kind of become a pop culture sensation... What do you think are the differences in the practice of buddhism between the younger and older generations?

--------------------------------

I don't think any difference has to do with age...but experience.
I do find that for many young people there is that aspect of Buddhisim being the "trendy" thing to do.
Not that I'm criticising...that's how I started back in 1964, at 18 years old.
( I bet now your saying MY GOD, he's OLD.)
I 'd hope, too, that by my age a Buddhist would not be looking for answers to simply be accepted and believed, but for questions to ask.
(If you don't understand what I meant by that last statement...look below at what it says after I post this.)

[Dechen Norbu]

I think it was trendier a few years back. These days it's all about consumerism...

[nirmal]

I think it was trendier a few years back. These days it's all about consumerism...

Nowadays even some young Lamas do not follow the correct sequence nor do they have enough practice in hermitages to get realization.They prematurely advise their students to do meditation in action(fourth initiation).They try to meditate in sexual intercourse but cannot hold their semen from discharging.This is only animal sex and not the Vajra Love practice.Such activity deepens the bondage of lust, causing their students to fall. In the name of the Adamantine Vehicle,the Vajrayana,the most profound and direct path of complete enlightenment, they sell garbage.They even open up restaurants to serve the nectars of Vajrayana to their students at cut throat prices, but what they serve is only excrement..They delude their students as it is actually all about consumerism... :lol

[Thug4lyfe]

Isn't that sexaul tantra stuff suppose to be "secret practices" for the very best?

[kirtu]

Well we should all uphold morality and do as many positive deeds and as much retreat as we can (the retreat part can mean different things for different people in different schools - pilgrimage for example can be part of what I mean by retreat).

Kirt

[Paul]

I don't think that Buddhism is a pop fad.

I agree. I've heard this a lot over time, but is there any actual evidence it's ever been a fad?

[nirmal]

Well we should all uphold morality and do as many positive deeds and as much retreat as we can (the retreat part can mean different things for different people in different schools - pilgrimage for example can be part of what I mean by retreat).

Kirt

We should keep our brighter side wide,
To tick our darker whole,
There's always Jekyll and Hyde,
Found in each and every soul.

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[Dechen Norbu]

I don't think that Buddhism is a pop fad.

I agree. I've heard this a lot over time, but is there any actual evidence it's ever been a fad?

I don't know. Lot's of people joining since the 60's, but only a small few actually studying and practicing for decades seems to be the case with Buddhism in the West. People naming themselves Buddhist when actually they knew very little about it. Yet they flocked around lamas, roshis, monks, you name it, but their interest was not that profound or so people say. They could end up in Buddhism, Hinduism, Hare Krishna, etc. Many couldn't tell the difference. Can we call this a fad? I haven't lived through the process neither did any research, but I've heard stories. I guess someone older who has lived through this can say something more accurate. I was born in 75. We may have Buddhists in this board who converted earlier than that.
I'm not sure if evidence was rigorously collected, but my intuition (so its worth is limited) tells me that the fad has passed (about 10, 15 years ago) and nowadays less and less people are becoming interested in Buddhism, but those interested tend to apply themselves harder than the average Buddhist from the 60's-90's period (note the word average, please). I suspect it has something to do with the "Generation Me" ideals, as J. Twenge coined it, and the abandonment of the spiritual quests which was more usual in the baby boomers. People became more and more consumerists and Buddhism (or spirituality in general) was replaced by Spas. These days being a Buddhist is no longer fashionable. It's becoming something rare. If we look at many sanghas (this is not difficult... just go through a lot of sites and see the photo albums) we can notice that most are comprised of middle age/ senior people and only a few members have less than 30. I think in the old days it was the opposite. A lot of young people and a few seniors.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong. This is just my perception of how things are, but I don't have solid data to confirm this. Just my impression from what I see and hear here and there.

[mint]

I don't think that Buddhism is a pop fad.

I agree. I've heard this a lot over time, but is there any actual evidence it's ever been a fad?

Visit Asheville, NC.

[Thug4lyfe]

we can notice that most are comprised of middle age/ senior people and only a few members have less than 30. I think in the old days it was the opposite. A lot of young people and a few seniors.

That indeed seems to be the case sir

[kirtu]

Well we should all uphold morality and do as many positive deeds and as much retreat as we can (the retreat part can mean different things for different people in different schools - pilgrimage for example can be part of what I mean by retreat).

Kirt

We should keep our brighter side wide,
To tick our darker whole,
There's always Jekyll and Hyde,
Found in each and every soul.

If we transform ourselves into Milarepa then there is no Jekyll or Hyde left.

Kirt