I am thinking of studying buddhism, is buddhism compatible with autism?
Does anyone know about buddhism and whether it's a good idea, I am thinking of switching from Christianity to become a buddhist or atheist because some people in the christian faith think that people with autism are inferior and need to be healed instead of accepted and accommodated.
Hi Clintos,
Really wanted to weigh in on this as I was in a similar position to you, except I was born and raised athiest.
The first thing I need to say is "yes" it is very compatible, the second thing I need to say is... Don't feel you have to choose/switch.
I started exploring Buddhism because I had a misconception that it was a magical, spiritual way of life that would solve my problems and make me happy. A few weeks in I had my mind blown... because I was wrong... but in a really good way.
What I discovered by exploring this religion is how, unlike the teachings of some of the western faiths (Christianity, Judaism, Islam etc) the dharma of Buddhism is actually intended to be deconstructed, picked apart and questioned - then applied to a modern context.
The Buddha was a teacher, in a way like a modern day life coach, so he actually encourages doubt and disbelief. It was the original "try before you buy".
There's no deity, no heaven, no hell. There's no cosmic force looking over you to punish or reward you. It's a way to see the world as it is and cope with it in a way that brings you fulfilment. Also known as enlightenment.
With that in mind, you can study and even follow Buddhist teachings alongside other religions or belief systems. It is designed to be manipulated not for self interest but for compatibility with real life.
I really recommend the course I took through Harvard University's edX programme but whatever one to do study just try and look at it objectively and don't think that you need to dress in orange and shave your head. You can take as much or as little from the teachings as you want.
These are the key things that stood out to me and made the biggest impact on my life:
1. All life is suffering. There is absolutely no way to avoid it. Even blissful ignorance is painful eventually. You need to accept that life is hard, life is painful and life is suffering. We will all experience sickness, we will all experience aging and we will all experience death. It happens so accept it.
2. Life is finite. It will end. It may end in 5 minutes, it may be 100 years from now, but you will die and there is no second chance. Regardless of whether you believe in reincarnation or even heaven, in this time and place you only get one chance to be you, so make it count - remove the negativity and see the beauty in every moment.
3. There is no universal right or wrong, good or bad, etc. Life is more complicated than that. So don't judge others and don't push your beliefs on to them. Instead, have compassion for them. If they believe the world was created by one man in seven days then that's their right, perhaps it brings them comfort to believe in God and the structure that provides, perhaps the belief in heaven gives them purpose in their life and makes them less afraid to die - that is their reality.
4. Karma is... not at all what Hollywood would have you believe. It's not a cosmic reward and punishment system. It's a fundamental belief that if you live you life with good intentions, that you are kind to others and you respect yourself and the world around you, then your life will be better. Not magically better - cancer will still exist, death will eventually catch up with you, Trump will still become president, etc... But you will limit the the chances of bad things happening because you are not doing bad things. I prefer to call it common sense rather than Karma.
5. Don't let material goods hold you back. It's nice to have stuff and it's especially nice to have a safe home, food, etc. But if something isn't necessary then don't hold on it to. Whether it's material goods or relationships. There's a story of a man and a raft. He built a raft to cross the river and continue his journey... The raft was really useful and he wanted to keep it, but it no longer served a purpose on dry land and would have just held him back. So focus on what YOU want and don't be held back.
I learned a lot more than that but that was it in a nutshell. Ironically it seems you can only achieve true happiness if you accept you cannot have true happiness but it makes sense eventually.
I hope you enjoy your spiritual journey.