Question: “I’m 16 and I was born catholic. I don’t believe it though. Recently I have practiced buddhism, meditation and kindness and since I’ve started I’ve felt at peace. It feels amazing. I’m nervous that this is just a thing I’m going through though. How do I know if I should stick to Christianity or not?”
I never encourage people to become Buddhist. I do quite the opposite actually. If you’re Christian, then stay Christian! Christianity is a beautiful religion. Catholicism has a lot of Buddhist aspects to it; they have the holy trinity, we have the three jewels; they have Jesus as their teacher and the Virgin Mary as a saint, we have Sakyamuni Buddha and Avalokitesvara; they have adopted a Buddhist monk’s robes and rosary; they have confession, we have repentance; they have the ten commandments, we have the precepts. All the major religions, especially Christianity, Judaism and Islam all have very similar beliefs (one god, no violence, caring for one another, etc.). It’s just unfortunate that those core beliefs have changed radically through time. All religions are beautiful, it’s just about how you practice it.
A lot of Catholics and Jews come to my temple. In fact, we had a Catholic couple have a Buddhist wedding yesterday! It’s not about being Christian, Jewish, or Buddhist, it’s about how you treat yourself and the other people. As long as you have love, compassion, and no anger and hatred in your heart, you’re part of every religion that teaches that.
Being Christian, Jewish or Muslim and studying/practicing Buddhism won’t make you a Buddhist – it will make you a better Christian, Jew or Muslim. Buddhism isn’t a “religion.” It is a practice that needs a label, so it’s labeled Buddhism. This practice is simple; do good, do not do bad, and tame your mind.
Smile and be well!