Choosing a sect when studying Buddhism

　When I reviewed my innate personality and behavior using age 30 as a separator, I recognized my own weakness of heart, weakness, and greed. In particular, I'm really disgusted by the strong desire for approval and jealousy.

When I thought that I would continue to walk through a life confronted with various afflictions in the future, I thought that acquiring Buddhist ideas would be a good prescription. This is because there was a person who had similar problems and was philosophized 2000 years ago.

I belong to some denomination, and I want to deepen my learning of Buddhism little by little, but which denomination should I choose? I'm puzzled because I don't understand at all what point of view I should take when choosing.

You should probably choose a place that sympathizes with the ideals of the sect, but since I am a beginner in Buddhism and its history, I am afraid to choose the right one. Also, if restrictions on precepts (including ideological and spiritual aspects) are also involved, the choice becomes even more complicated. However, I feel that visiting a nearby temple close to my home is somewhat disrespectful.

So the question is, what kind of ideas should I use to select a denomination? Also, for reference, on what basis did the monk choose the current denomination? I would appreciate it if you could tell me.

3 Zen Responses

I think it's a relationship

Hello.

I think this kind of thing is a relationship after all.
I was born and raised as a child in a temple of the Soto sect, and I'm a Soto sect monk, but I'm glad I joined the Soto sect. Monks from every denomination say, “I'm glad it's my denomination.”

Is there a bodhi temple? The temple of the family is the temple where your ancestors lived. First, I think it would be a good idea to use that as an entrance. Also, you won't lose respect for going to a nearby temple. I think it's a great relationship.

If you really want to choose your own denomination, I think there is also a way to read the biographies of several monks and knock on the gate of the same sect as the monks who think “I want to live this way.”

Simply studying Buddhist knowledge cannot be expected to change your mind

I'm sorry for Asatte's answer, but Buddhism is about experiencing the reality of Buddha. However, by learning knowledge, you can't expect much change in your own mind. (If so, all Buddhist scholars must have attained enlightenment, right?)

Incidentally, if you are interested in experiences, there are also places like this. http://taosangha.com/school_buddha/

The homepages of each denomination

Why don't you take a look at each denomination's website?
Why don't you take a look at the 13 major denominations in Japan and Terawada Buddhism?

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