Egbert have brought up some of the things I wanted to say, but he worded it better than I could so I’m not going to repeat things that have already been said.

I’m happy that people take the initiative to get initiated into Esoteric Buddhism. To participate in it’s depth and possibilities for you as a practitioner. However, getting into Esoteric Buddhism should be done on its own terms, as a Buddhist you place the doctrine on the top of your hierarchy. That is emptiness, impermanence, compassion for all sentient beings and so on, and only secondary can we be concerned with giving life to what remains of Pagan Europe.

We shouldn’t turn to the Dharma just to use it as a tool to justify Paganism, to resurrect the religious customs of the worldly aristocrats, commoners and peasants of ancient Europe. As if Buddhadharma were to be left behind once you have the paganism that you desire, which would be a foul insult to a very rich ancient religious tradition that have persisted through countless hardships and trials.

We can only make serious efforts with syncretism once we have years if not decades of mastery in the tradition we wish to use as a means by which we can give life to Pagan Europe.

Debate with Egbert Moray-Falls on Dharmic worldview, Paganism, Folk culture, and theism. A continuation and elaboration with answers to my Rant: Buddhism =/= Life denying, Atheistic, anti-Local culture. Hammer and Vajra

This may be hard for some followers on here to follow along with, especially if Buddhism isn't something you are strong in. However, I figured some of you might enjoy the discourse, and the rest might enjoy my take on how to bring folk religion up within a dharmic approach. This is all in the spirit of debate and no insult is intended toward any party. I highly suggest people actually follow these channels for Dharmic understanding. I thank all of those involved for challenging me and bringing up great points for debate whereby we all may learn.
https://www.tgoop.com/EgbertMorayFalls
https://www.tgoop.com/vajrarastra
https://www.tgoop.com/vajrazoomer
https://www.tgoop.com/MosMithraici

The religious right-wing have to ask themselves if what they want is merely a mundane sense of identity, or if they want spiritual nourishment and ultimately illumination?

More aesthetics 🔱 🕉️

I agree with the sentiments of both Hammer and Vajra, and Elders: Buddhism can absolutely work harmoniously with folk religion, folk interests and the various pantheons of gods, but Buddhism should be thoroughly understood on its own terms, especially if one takes ordinations and initiations, such as Refuge and Abhisheka.

Buddhism is clear: in order to attain the unsurpassable, utterly perfected, complete awakening, one must develop total renunciation of the ordinary activities, and ordinary gods of samsara.

Where people misunderstand is in thinking that renunciation ultimately means rejection, this is not so.

First, one has to understand that Buddhism posits at the very outset total personal responsibility for one's entire experience of all phenomena.

That's tough.

Everything wrong with the entire universe is your personal responsibility.

So what are you going to do?

The Hinayana teaches you to take refuge in a qualified guide, the Buddha, an effectual path, the Dharma, and the Order of committed brethren who have likewise undertaken the same path. Having done that, you learn the precepts in order to create space between you and the stimuli of your negative behaviours, and in that space to begin to study and practice.

The Mahayana teaches that, once you have some stability inside yourself, you can no longer disengage from samsara but must learn to engage as a Bodhisattva: with wisdom and love. By practicing the six paramitas you learn the benefits of putting others before yourself, and come to understand the empty nature of phenomena directly.

Emptiness requires study and practice to understand. It is not intended to be taught to those without inner stability and devotion towards the Buddhadharma. It is not nihilism, it does not deny that things exist. It is the recognition of interdependent arising, and the two levels of truth. The relative truth is established by perception and convention, the ultimate, while possessing experiential qualities, has no definable essence, and is thus beyond concept. The later Mahayana sutras also make it clear that this can be seen as fundamental Buddha nature, as it is the very realisation of non-dual emptiness that gives rise to the Buddhas with their wonderous qualities.

The Vajrayana teaches that based on love and emptiness, you can perceptually transform any and every experience that exists into the nature of enlightenment. This is by no means easy, which is why it is the most esoteric path, requiring initiation and guidance of a qualified Guru.

In this way, you don't actually need to part from daily life, nor do you deny the existence of gods, spirits, heavens, hells, but you see through and past them.

You can interact with gods, with families, clans, races, and local traditions, but, as a Bodhisattva, a hero, your goal is not to enthrone outer forms of tradition, but to transcend them, and benefit all beings in doing so.

The discipline of Hinayana, the expansive love, and view of emptiness, of the Mahayana, and the transformation of body, speech and mind of the Vajrayana, are all methods to actually reach the goal and become the Supreme Conqueror of all phenomena. They are not dogmas. They are not attacks on paganism born of sectarianism.

Buddha explicitly stated that his teachings should not be taken on blind faith, but should be investigated and considered by those who wish to understand. It's up to you whether you decide to take this path or not, but try to investigate it honestly, rather than trying to plunder what you can to serve a personal ideology.

So you love your people, that's fine, help them, but don't be partial and don't be attached. So you love the gods, fine. Respect them, make offerings to them, but don't take them as your guides to enlightenment without first fully investigating their qualifications.

So you don't want to be Buddhist, fine, but don't be surprised when faithful Buddhists want to present their forthright understanding of their own doctrine, according to their study and practice of the traditional scriptures and methods.

This was Elders OC

"You may pursue worldly fame and gain, but unless you follow the teachings of the Buddha, such activity will only be the cause for throwing you back into further samsara. So adhere to the teachings of the Buddha!”

"You may gather wealth and possessions, but only the two accumulations can be enjoyed after death. So gather the two accumulations as much as you can!”

"You may consume all kinds of delicious food, but unless you adhere to the nectar of the innate nature, it all turns into a heap of filth. So drink the nectar of the profound instructions!”

- Guru Rinpoche

I thought I should write something on the subject of animal sacrifice and Buddhism.

I personally don’t have an issue with animal sacrifice, in the sense that you dedicate the life of the animal to something greater. It is more ethical and inclined towards Dharma unlike the modern meat and diary industry.

I think the issue lies in the theology of the one conducting the animal sacrifice, if you believe that the deity would need the blood from countless lives to be satisfied then you’re worshiping demons. No deity will need offerings to sustain themselves, only demons and spirits would demand sacrifices to be made for them.

Although the consumption of meat and animal products is not forbidden, it is suggested that we should refrain from killing. It is a virtuous aspiration to eat that which doesn’t demand the killing of another sentient being, but meat consumption is still widespread in countries where Buddhism is prevalent or is the dominant religion.

"Animal sacrifice is trad and based!!!"

Although this pic is applied to Hindu practices in Nepal and India, something similar also took place in Ancient Europe. There are accounts of horses being buried alive with the fallen warrior and cats being buried alive for the purpose of getting a guardian for your property.

End notes on the subject of Animal Sacrifice.

I'm perfectly aware that my wording and examples are a bit exaggerated. I just want to prevent TG mfs from thinking they're qualified and have what it takes to take the life of another sentient being just because they have read about religion and culture in pre-christian Europe or seen HBO Vikings or whatever.

Life is a precious thing, dont take it lightly.

I think its safe to assume that both kinds of sacrifices occurred in ancient Europe, one that is a cruel display of power, and another where you simply dedicate the life of the animal to the divine and use what you can.