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Author Topic: can i incorporate elements of buddhism into wicca?  (Read 3815 times)

xxmoonxraverxx

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can i incorporate elements of buddhism into wicca?
« on: November 25, 2013, 10:01:39 pm »
i was wondering if that's possible because i kind of believe both, but i don't want to have to choose.


Faemon

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Re: can i incorporate elements of buddhism into wicca?
« Reply #1 on: November 26, 2013, 12:14:13 am »
Quote from: xxmoonxraverxx;130686
i was wondering if that's possible because i kind of believe both, but i don't want to have to choose.

I guess it depends on the lineage. Lately I've been hearing that Wicca is a closed, initiatory religion, so you would have had to choose it enough that you would know what it even is. Of course, the sort of Wicca that I was introduced to came off as a very open religion, probably the most open, that incorporated everything from Native American shamanism regardless of specific tribes or regions, to Celtic and Welsh pantheons, to Greek and Roman, Kemetic, Hindu...so, why not Buddhism? Other than the criticisms (that came later) of cultural appropriation--but if you chose both Wicca and Buddhism (which you can--enough, as I said, to know what's what) then it's not between you and other people anyway. It's between you and your gods.

Just throwing in that I also somehow get the impression that bodhisattva devotionals might be more compatible with polytheism? If you can find a way for the philosophy to fit, sure, but it's not always "Buddhism is a philosophy, not a religion" that I keep hearing. The underlying currents of animism in Wicca could make it "a philosophy, not a religion" but the generalization just personally annoys me. Just throwing that in there, I'm not yours or anybody's high priestess, so you just figure it out in the way you're comfortable with.
« Last Edit: November 26, 2013, 12:20:48 am by Faemon »
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MadZealot

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Re: can i incorporate elements of buddhism into wicca?
« Reply #2 on: November 26, 2013, 04:09:18 am »
Quote from: xxmoonxraverxx;130686
i was wondering if that's possible because i kind of believe both, but i don't want to have to choose.


Ditto to what triple_entendre said, and to add...
... if what you're practicing is eclectic Wicca, and especially if you're solitary, then you have some wiggle room.  I guess the main question is which specific elements of buddhism are you looking to incorporate?  Are they bits of ritual, dogma, or philosophy?  Why are they of value?  Do they supplement, replace, or contradict anything in your Wiccan practice?  Lots of other things to consider too, about cultural appropriation, magpie syndrome etc, just read this article.
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Jack

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Re: can i incorporate elements of buddhism into wicca?
« Reply #3 on: November 26, 2013, 11:04:15 am »
Quote from: xxmoonxraverxx;130686
i was wondering if that's possible because i kind of believe both, but i don't want to have to choose.

 
I dunno, can you?

/9th grade science teacher

But seriously, do you feel they're compatible? What areas of overlap are you seeing? What possible conflicts are you worried about? If you're just looking for permission, we can't give you that. But I've had peanut butter Buddhism in my chocolate paganism for years now, so if I know where you're feeling nervous about it I might be able to help.
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Micheál

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Re: can i incorporate elements of buddhism into wicca?
« Reply #4 on: November 26, 2013, 03:24:37 pm »
Quote from: xxmoonxraverxx;130686
i was wondering if that's possible because i kind of believe both, but i don't want to have to choose.

 Something that's continually discussed all too often is that Wicca, traditionally as mentioned, is an initiatory orthopraxic mystery tradition. That means that emphasis is placed on practise, and not belief. Technically(though not ideal), one doesn't have to believe anything as long as they properly carry out the tradition and perform the rituals right. Due to that individual Wiccans may possess many diverse beliefs.

Now later derivations commonly called Eclectic, Solitary, Un-lineaged, Neo, e.t.c Wicca are highly individualistic personal spiritualities based on beliefs formed from Wicca's publicly known outer-court. There are many misconceptions on what these beliefs entail as they can often genuinely not mirror traditional Wiccan praxis, however as a personal spirituality it leaves a lot of room for the individual, therefore only you'll be able to answer that question.

Wicca doesn't prohibit one from practising other religions, but part of the tradition is the importance of polarity, and acknowleding duality of deity. Just something to think about, and maybe compare to your own world-view. Technically it is possible to do both, and there are Eastern influences in Wicca, but mixing both is something only you can figure out. Traditionally it's core praxis can't be altered, and doing so would make it NOT Wiccan, but in the Eclectic scheme, I guess it's what works for you.
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xxmoonxraverxx

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Re: can i incorporate elements of buddhism into wicca?
« Reply #5 on: November 28, 2013, 02:06:42 pm »
Quote from: MadZealot;130719
Ditto to what triple_entendre said, and to add...
... if what you're practicing is eclectic Wicca, and especially if you're solitary, then you have some wiggle room.  I guess the main question is which specific elements of buddhism are you looking to incorporate?  Are they bits of ritual, dogma, or philosophy?  Why are they of value?  Do they supplement, replace, or contradict anything in your Wiccan practice?  Lots of other things to consider too, about cultural appropriation, magpie syndrome etc, just read this article.

 
I don't have any specific concerns, just wondering if that's a thing that people do and if it wouldn't be considered "bad"... I guess it's just the Catholic background coming out...
I wanted to follow the Buddhist rules and way of life, and try to achieve enlightenment as a philosophy, but religiously, I do Wiccan rituals and spells. I guess it goes along with my Wiccan beliefs, because the Buddhist rules are pretty much the same as what I was going to do before I started reading about it, so there's no contradiction.


Faemon

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Re: can i incorporate elements of buddhism into wicca?
« Reply #6 on: November 28, 2013, 08:49:42 pm »
Quote from: xxmoonxraverxx;130963
I don't have any specific concerns, just wondering if that's a thing that people do and if it wouldn't be considered "bad"...
As Jack said, if you're looking for permission, none of us can give you that. And none of us can prevent you from that, either, even though Eclecticism will be criticized. Hel, paganism must be criticized and considered "bad" by someone out there. The only course of action that I can confidently advise is to grow a spine :)

Edit to add: That eclecticism article MadZealot linked is good reading, there!
« Last Edit: November 28, 2013, 08:56:26 pm by Faemon »
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Medulla

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Re: can i incorporate elements of buddhism into wicca?
« Reply #7 on: November 29, 2013, 05:05:31 pm »
Quote from: xxmoonxraverxx;130686
i was wondering if that's possible because i kind of believe both, but i don't want to have to choose.

 
I believe it depends on what you want to combine from both and what specific branches you're trying to follow within each, if any.

I'd start by asking myself why they seem compatible. Surely if you're currently believing in both, there are similarities you can see that make it compatible in your head, or you'd be in a much more troublesome situation of trying to do something that is right by one religion but wrong by the other. Make a list. Make a list of things you consider to be similar or at least compatible.

There are various branches and sets of beliefs within both, so maybe explaining which ones you're looking into would allow people to give you more specific answers.

I also think it's important to be respectful while you do so. Words mean things. If you're mixing them up and you end up with something that isn't recognizable as either, or which is Buddhism with Wiccan elements for example, then maybe you should find another word to label yourself and don't try to represent your practices as being a pillar of Buddism, at the risk of hurting the feelings of people who follow those paths or starting drama for yourself. Likewise, you might want to consider your reasons for wanting to retain elements of both, and check if they're really good reasons or just trying to collect shiny stuff from both. ;)

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