Buddhism and missionary work

A forum for discussion of Buddhist ethics.
Post Reply
User avatar
Alastair
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Sep 17, 2020 9:00 pm

Buddhism and missionary work

Post by Alastair »

Hi all!
I am reading "Mind Training" by Ringu Tulku Rinpoche at the moment. At page 151 he writes:
"To try and acquire worldly gains for those who are near and dear to you but not to bring them to dharma is mistaken caretaking."

so why have I never noticed Buddhists doing missionary work? Do Buddhists do that?

I wish my boyfriend could see the benefits of dharma practice. He has so many problems and sees himself and his life as total failure because he is to depressed to finish his academic studies and to depressed to do any other work. And that even though he has been in therapy for 10 years but he says it didn't help him at all.

I really appreciate the book I am reading, Mind Training. It's so good! And I think it could help him a lot too, even though his mindset is very contrary at the moment.
But is it okay to try to "make him a buddhist"? he shows no interest so far. Well, he stopped killing flies because of me... at least.
Malcolm
Posts: 42974
Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2010 2:19 am

Re: Buddhism and missionary work

Post by Malcolm »

Alastair wrote: Sat Jan 16, 2021 6:17 pm
so why have I never noticed Buddhists doing missionary work? Do Buddhists do that?
Because, you can't convert people to Dharma. All you can do is hold it up as something they might be interested in, the rest is up to them.
User avatar
PadmaVonSamba
Posts: 9440
Joined: Sat May 14, 2011 1:41 am

Re: Buddhism and missionary work

Post by PadmaVonSamba »

It’s my understanding that while Buddhists make every effort to make Dharma teachings, study, and practice available to everyone, (building temples, publishing texts, creating websites, etc) and so on, that (with some notable exceptions) the reason why actively trying to convert others is avoided is because, for the most part, the Buddha himself only gave teachings when asked.
The Buddha did, in fact, tell his followers to scatter and spread the teachings (which they did, obviously) but again, I think, unless asked about who they were or why they were holding a begging bowl and wearing robes, or seen meditating, I don’t think the practice was to just start preaching. There are some sutras in which the Buddha discusses the conditions under which the Dharma teachings may be given, but I don’t recall which sutras.
EMPTIFUL.
An inward outlook produces outward insight.
User avatar
Kim O'Hara
Former staff member
Posts: 7064
Joined: Fri Nov 16, 2012 1:09 am
Location: North Queensland, Australia

Re: Buddhism and missionary work

Post by Kim O'Hara »

Alastair wrote: Sat Jan 16, 2021 6:17 pm ... even though his mindset is very contrary at the moment.
But is it okay to try to "make him a buddhist"? he shows no interest so far. ...
Hi, Alastair, perhaps you could look at this from a slightly different angle, i.e. what helps us is not "being a Buddhist" but learning the dharma, and we can do that without going through any sort of religious conversion experience. In fact, we can be helped by Buddhism-without-Buddha, which is basically where MBSR comes from. (Look up Jon Kabat-Zinn if you don't know it.) (Most of us would say it isn't as good as the real thing, but it's really good for people who automatically reject anything "religious".)
So ... saying to your friend, "This exercise could be really helpful," and "These meditation classes always leave me feeling so happy - you should come along," and so on, could be the way to go.

:namaste:
Kim
avatamsaka3
Posts: 879
Joined: Mon Apr 08, 2019 6:11 am

Re: Buddhism and missionary work

Post by avatamsaka3 »

so why have I never noticed Buddhists doing missionary work? Do Buddhists do that?
The answer depends on exactly what you mean by doing missionary work. If we're talking about people going to areas where Buddhism isn't established from areas where it is, and establishing centers there and "rolling the dharma wheel", then there are a number of historical examples. The most prominent probably is the missionary activity of King Ashoka. He sent out missionaries to (what he regarded as) all corners of the known world to introduce people to the dharma. Sri Lanka became a Buddhist center as a result, and this island eventually sent its own missionaries out to spread its teachings in Southeast Asia. Other examples: the spread of Buddhism into Tibet in various waves from India, the spread of Buddhism into the US from various schools in modern times, the spread of Buddhism into places like South America and Europe. These days, we're pretty much living up in our heads; whereas, in an older age, people were much less cerebral and much more willing to accept on faith (for better or worse). So it's considerably harder to spread dharma in spite of opposing worldviews.

We simply can't "fix" others before we help ourselves. If we try to, we're like two sick plants. One has one kind of infection, the other has another (speaking metaphorically here). If one of them is able to grow a vine out to the other to save them, then both plants end up getting both infections. They both end up going brown faster. Does this mean we can't do anything? Well, no, we can give the gift of fearlessness or harmlessness. And the way to do that is to actually practice the dharma. And that's extremely hard. Also, we can sustain this by cultivating metta (which is not the same as sugary sweetness). The best way to help others is to be true practitioners.
narhwal90
Global Moderator
Posts: 3509
Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2016 3:10 am
Location: Baltimore, MD

Re: Buddhism and missionary work

Post by narhwal90 »

Back in the day in Nichiren Shoshu I particpated in streetcorner campaigns introducing people to the practice, handing out leaflets, talking about how the practice helps- all the usual lines. Some of the Nichiren schools are fairly notorious for this, at least in the past. In SGI these days the streetcorner stuff hasn't been done since about 1990, the method now being face-to-face discussions about it, if people are interested.

That said, I know of a Nichiren guy and some Zen folks who participate in prison ministry, demonstrating the practices and talking to people on the inside.
User avatar
PadmaVonSamba
Posts: 9440
Joined: Sat May 14, 2011 1:41 am

Re: Buddhism and missionary work

Post by PadmaVonSamba »

Propagating Buddhism is like setting out a bowl of water for the cat or dog. If they are thirsty, they will come and drink from it. If not, they won’t. So, Buddhists try to make the Dharma available to everyone, even though most people have no thirst for it.
EMPTIFUL.
An inward outlook produces outward insight.
cjdevries
Posts: 598
Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2015 8:06 pm

Re: Buddhism and missionary work

Post by cjdevries »

I found this passage from a Tenzin Wangyal book:

"Showing, not Telling...Many of us have a deep desire to help others. Parents often ask me how they can teach meditation to their children. I've learned from experience that whenever I try to explain something to my nine year old, he is not particularly interested. It works far better to show than to tell. I used to get up very early to do my morning meditation practice, but now I practice after my son wakes up. He loves to sit nearby, watch me, and listen to the Tibetan chants I play as I'm doing prostrations. Sometimes when I am in mid prostration he jumps on my back. That makes it hard for me to stand up again, but I don't see it as a disturbance - I look at it as an opportunity to teach him prostrations. He is observing me, listening to me, connecting with me. One day he exclaimed, "I love this chanting!" He is hearing and feeling the prayers, but no one is making him listen to them. Learning can happen spontaneously when we simply allow connection- even while someone is jumping on us!"
"Please call me by my true names so I can wake up; so the door of my heart can be left open: the door of compassion." -Thich Nhat Hanh

"Ask: what's needed of you" -Akong Rinpoche

"Love never claims, it ever gives. Love ever suffers, never resents, never revenges itself." -Gandhi
Post Reply

Return to “Ethical Conduct”