so why are you a dudeist?

[ozzy85]

The heavy influence of Taoism helped as well.

I don't feel that I became a Dudeist, it just gave me a convenient name to give everyone who needed a label to "understand" for their way of looking at the world. (not that I need a label because I have just been me for years now).
[/quote]

That's pretty good there.

After trying a few different things, as well as agnosticism, I've kind of setted somewhat into Taoism.  My Mom (a lapsed Christian) handed me a copy of the Tao several years ago, and something clicked.  Interesting.

Dudeism (to me...) is a good cross of Taoism and ... just being me.  It doesn't have to be that hard.  Life will throw you enough curveballs on its own.

...And maybe a bit of Zen.

[Nekonix]

I've always been a bit of what I call a rational hedonist. Many use hedonism as an excuse to just do whatever the feel like, but there are certain things that if you choose to do them, will bring about "a world of pain".  So I try to just enjoy my life doing the things I like, but also realizing the reality of the world that I live in. And so I strive for balance. There are times I am a slacker and other times that I am not.

I had looked into various religions at different points in my life and none of them really felt like me. I had just chosen to use the label agnostic, because people feel more comfortable when they can label things, especially things they don't quite understand. What I like about Dudeism, is that it really cuts through the unnecessary bullshit and gets to the heart of the matter in it's simplicity. Because there is no need for it to be any other way. And as I read I kept thinking over and over again, "this is totally me".

While I am a big fan of TBL (it is one of my all time favorite movies) I wouldn't say I am a Lebowskiist in that it isn't the main reason I'm here or chose to be ordained. I am here because philosophically this is how I try to live my life.

[BillZ]

The heavy influence of Taoism helped as well.

I don't feel that I became a Dudeist, it just gave me a convenient name to give everyone who needed a label to "understand" for their way of looking at the world. (not that I need a label because I have just been me for years now).

That's pretty good there.

After trying a few different things, as well as agnosticism, I've kind of setted somewhat into Taoism.  My Mom (a lapsed Christian) handed me a copy of the Tao several years ago, and something clicked.  Interesting.

Dudeism (to me...) is a good cross of Taoism and ... just being me.  It doesn't have to be that hard.  Life will throw you enough curveballs on its own.

...And maybe a bit of Zen.
[/quote]

Most excellent vibes by all posted here but I like this one the best because I have been enmeshed in my own personal journey.  Most recently withdrawing from the Baptist church because if I told them what I was really thinking they would heave my body from the baptistry as a heathen and lock the doors, sorry to say.

Actually, I have been reading and studying a lot of material lately so I find this conversation somewhat timely in the spiritual harmony of everything.  I was raised Catholic and have study Lutheran as well as some Methodist.  I was reading on the Unitarian/Universalist church/group/people.

I joined the Dudeist church and chose to be ordained because I have some pretty crazy ass ideas that I continue to research, most of which would get me locked up in an asylum if I said any of it out loud.  The creed of the Dude allows me to be my normal self, which includes all the crazy shit I can come up with, and not be judged as any more of a loon that the rest of y'all.

Since there is no real definition of "normal" because we are all equally cracked, I feel right at home.  I do believe some crazy stuff and it fits well with the cornerstone of the Dudeist system of just abiding.

I think, therefore, I am, a  Dude.

[Zen Dog]

It's kinda like the way I been heading since reading the Messiah's Handbook
I used to have issues with the amount of fuckups I made over the last 33 years.
Now I don't worry

[cckeiser]

Why I prefer Dudeism to Buddhism!
( or, What the duces are you blathering about?!)



Dudeism doesn't give a fuck about dogma!
Yeah, it makes a big deal out of The Dude and the movie The Big Lebowski, but it's all a good natured farce. The tie in to TBL is just to get your attention.
Dudeism doesn't try to sell you "Enlightenment", or even some kind of path to attain it.
Dudeism doesn't really care what else you may believe in. A Dudeist does not have to drink White Russians, or even smoke...anything at all.
If you can quote a line from the movie...you're pretty much anointed "One of Us"!
Dudeism doesn't attempt to solve any of the great mysteries of "Life, The Universe and Everything"...all that's just way to complicated. Life is too short to worry about all that shit.
Like dude, the purpose of life is to live it. You want Ataraxia? Just take 'er easy, abide and do no harm.
Now there's an Ethos I can dig!

But that's like just my opinion man.

[ispamforfood]

Because 1. TBL is one of the most awesome movies ever.... 2. I can perform marriages... 3. I like the notion of "just taking it easy".... Honestly, the world is very stressful.... We'd have a lot less heart disease and what-have-you if people in the US would just take it easy.... We're all in a rush to do everything, and it's killing us.  What better way to practice a more healthy lifestyle than religifying it? :-p

[CamusDude]

I have so much to say about this topic, but fuck, man, I am just too baked to take the effort right now. For me, tt has to do with being a very religious person ending up studying theology and philosophy, seeing some new shit come to light and coming to some personal conclusions. Studying ancient Greek philosophy (especially Epicureanism and Cynicism) and the books of Jennifer Michael Hecht and Albert Camus (as my name shows), along with Creedence and a shit ton of other music (e.g. Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The White Stripes, The Black Keys, Lady GaGa, Tool, Marilyn Manson, Amanda Palmer, The Dresden Dolls, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Coleman Hawkins...shit many, I could on forever about bands that I love!), at last developing a smoking habit, all helped. The movie itself is a work of genius, and about Dudeism I love the parody aspects of "real" religions (I myself have an Invisible Pink Unicorn tattoo symbolizing my devotion the Invisible Pink Unicorn, peace be upon her, may her hooves never be shod, as well as a Star Wars Rebel Alliance symbol, and a tattoo of the chaos symbol (symbolizes to me my favorite Nietzsche quote: "One must have still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star."), but fuck I'm rambling again. The parody appeals to my abiding love of irony, but also the Dude is just so real, and you know, you just watch out for your beverages, man, and your fucking lady friends and be Dude, smoke a j, down a Caucasian....that's what it's all about to me. Just taking life easy, as it comes, no fear, just not being un-Dude, you know?

[CamusDude]

I have so much to say about this topic, but fuck, man, I am just too baked to take the effort right now. For me, tt has to do with being a very religious person ending up studying theology and philosophy, seeing some new shit come to light and coming to some personal conclusions. Studying ancient Greek philosophy (especially Epicureanism and Cynicism) and the books of Jennifer Michael Hecht and Albert Camus (as my name shows), along with Creedence and a shit ton of other music (e.g. Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The White Stripes, The Black Keys, Lady GaGa, Tool, Marilyn Manson, Amanda Palmer, The Dresden Dolls, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Coleman Hawkins...shit many, I could on forever about bands that I love!), at last developing a smoking habit, all helped. The movie itself is a work of genius, and about Dudeism I love the parody aspects of "real" religions (I myself have an Invisible Pink Unicorn tattoo symbolizing my devotion the Invisible Pink Unicorn, peace be upon her, may her hooves never be shod, as well as a Star Wars Rebel Alliance symbol, and a tattoo of the chaos symbol (symbolizes to me my favorite Nietzsche quote: "One must have still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star."), but fuck I'm rambling again. The parody appeals to my abiding love of irony, but also the Dude is just so real, and you know, you just watch out for your beverages, man, and your fucking lady friends or your special lady (if you should be so lucky [I recently have become so lucky]) and be Dude, smoke a j, down a Caucasian....that's what it's all about to me. Just taking life easy, as it comes, no fear, just not being un-Dude, you know?

[CamusDude]

I have so much to say about this topic, but fuck, man, I am just too baked to take the effort right now. For me, tt has to do with being a very religious person ending up studying theology and philosophy, seeing some new shit come to light and coming to some personal conclusions. Studying ancient Greek philosophy (especially Epicureanism and Cynicism) and the books of Jennifer Michael Hecht and Albert Camus (as my name shows), along with Creedence and a shit ton of other music (e.g. Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The White Stripes, The Black Keys, Lady GaGa, Tool, Marilyn Manson, Amanda Palmer, The Dresden Dolls, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Coleman Hawkins...shit many, I could on forever about bands that I love!), at last developing a smoking habit, all helped. The movie itself is a work of genius, and about Dudeism I love the parody aspects of "real" religions (I myself have an Invisible Pink Unicorn tattoo symbolizing my devotion the Invisible Pink Unicorn, peace be upon her, may her hooves never be shod, as well as a Star Wars Rebel Alliance symbol, and a tattoo of the chaos symbol (symbolizes to me my favorite Nietzsche quote: "One must have still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star."), but fuck I'm rambling again. The parody appeals to my abiding love of irony, but also the Dude is just so real, and you know, you just watch out for your beverages, man, and your fucking lady friends or your special lady (if you should be so lucky [I recently have become so lucky]) and be Dude, smoke a j, down a Caucasian....that's what it's all about to me. Just taking life easy, as it comes, no fear, just not being un-Dude, you know?

Notice the small change from the original post. So high don't know why there are two posts, apologize mans!

[jjvicars]

My dad was reading the Seth books (Jane Roberts) when they were new so I grew up with a very different perspective from mainstream America. Always had a thing for stories that change the reader/viewer's perspective. About a dozen years ago I found Mary Henderson's book STAR WARS: THE MAGIC OF MYTH which details the influence of Joseph Campbell and the monomyth of the Hero's Journey on the STAR WARS storyline (before the prequels which are closer to Faust, another story). From there I found Joseph Campbell's last work, in effect a summary of his life's work, THE POWER OF MYTH with Bill Moyers and suddenly it all clicked into place for me.

"All religions are true when interpreted as myth," Campbell wrote. Our stories, folklore and religion are guideposts on our individual journey. They were never intended to be historical fact, which is the worst way to interpret them. Modern stories are seriously lacking. STAR WARS is one of the few exceptions. I dug THE BIG LEBOWSKI and after particular events a couple months ago saw a mythological parallel or two. When I found Dudeism it dawned on me that any religion (and it's mythology) is a framework by which we stay on course. I was stressed out big time and it was getting the best of me. Here's a contemporary framework from our time and place similar to Zen; stay centered and maintain your composure. The center of the wheel. Dudeism, yeah, we have a new myth for our times. Very cool...

[Rev. Gary (revgms)]

I was raised Catholic by a Protestant and an Atheist, with Catholic grandparents. No matter how I tried, I just couldn't make Biblical philosophy work for me. It got to the point where I became a some what militant atheist, but during that phase I started to use Tao/Buddism to contrast Biblical atrocities, so I was researching those concepts and started to see that they made sense, and closely mirrored how I already saw reality. Once I started to see Eastern philosophy with out the filters left over from Christian thinking, I started to study it not just as ammo, but really drawn in by it's Zen concepts .
Well from there, anything I start to write about my thoughts and experiences would quite closely resemble many of those posted by others. I read this whole thread, and kept saying, "I was gonna say that", and I get a strong sense of kinship.
I guess once you have found the right rug to tie the room together, then you feel at home with your life.
Namaste and happy abidings.

[cckeiser]

Well yeah,...all that plus low standards and even lower expectations.

[Tolstoy]

I've enjoyed the movie since I saw it and watched it maany times in past years. Then I found out about the book- I'm a Lebowski, you're a Lebowski, from where I found interview of Oliver Benjamin, or the Dudely Lama as it's written in the stars. Dudeism sounded very easy going and I started reading more about it.

Most of the time I'm very undude with my behaviour, stressing out and being depressed all the time and shit, so I thought Dudeism could provide me some quidelines on taking it easy. Personally I don't consider Dudeism so much as a religion but as a view of life.

My books are in  the Lutherian church, but I consider myself as an agnostic. No, today as a Dudeist Kind of realised the world is an absurd place to live in, so what else can you do than abide?

This was my first post here, so take it easy on me.
A big fucking A for you dudes from Finland!

[forumdude]

Welcome to the forum (and the church) Tolstoy. The bar's over there man. Pull up a rug and hang out a while. Nice to have a Finn - haven't had too many here yet.

[cakebelly]

Why am I a Dudeist? I guess everyone needs a hobby.