Interview Questions

Buddhism
Date: October 7, 2014
Location: Shambhala Center in Lexington
Length: [00:05:49]
Interviewee: Bob
Interviewer: Noah Estes

Interviewer: Did you grow up being a Buddhist? When did you associate yourself with this
culture?
Interviewee: I was not born a Buddhist. I was, have been doing this for about, I dont know
exactly when I received meditation instruction, but it was several years ago. I actually began, I
remember this one day, and on September 1996 I came here and did Shambhala training levels.
Its weekend retreats and there are, you do level one, level two, and level three. But it was about
20 years ago when I became a Buddhist. I have actually taken vowels. There are actually few in
the United States born a Buddhist.

Interviewer: What are the primary values in Buddhism that set it apart from other
groups/cultures?
Interviewee - Working with your own mind. Everyone is connected and that our minds connect
us with everyone.

Interviewer: What is the culture like?

Interviewee: It started in India, then spread to China then Japan. Buddha was a man who taught
a path to enlightenment from his own experience. It is very similar to Christianity as it went
through, as it spread throughout India and went to other countries, these countries already had a
religion, a culture, and maybe even several religions.

Interviewer: How do you become a member?

Interviewee: You must take several vows.

Interviewer: Have you ever faced discriminated?

Interviewee: Have I?
Interviewer: Yes.
Interviewee: Um, Ive never been um, I think some people, um are a little bit, um Im not sure of
the word, Im not sure I can say I have ever been discriminated. Nobody has said I cant be here
or a part of something. But I feel like some people dont want anything to do with me because I
am a Buddhist.

Interviewer: Is there any specific diet you go by?

Interviewee: No.

Interviewer: What are the scriptures you read and practice?

Interviewee: Well, I would say there are certain scriptures, I guess you could call scriptures, um,
certain teachings that have been taught by Buddha or are still being taught. Now Buddhism is
sort of a, its a living tradition and different teachers actually take these teachings and sort of
make them applicable to today. The times were different from when Buddha lived. There were
no air planes, no cell phones. So things have to be applicable to today. And um, some of the
teachings would be like the four noble truths, the four karmas, the four reminders, those would
all be things that pretty much were, that Buddha taught. They are taught today, the examples, the
stories told, to help you understand them.

Interviewer: If you could tell someone one thing about being Buddhist what would it be?
Interviewee: Buddhist is not about concepts. Its about being open, and curious. That we believe
in two things, practice and study.

Interview Questions
Buddhism
Date: October 7, 2014
Location: Shambala Center in Lexington
Length: [00:04:20]
Interviewee: Donna
Interviewer: Noah Estes

Interviewer: When did you become Buddhist and what made you want to join?
Interviewee: Three years ago. And well I was doing meditation practice on my own and I
decided I want to do it in a community. I decided to do it in a community with a group of
people. So I decided to look into this and it fit perfectly. Then it became a support group
where other people were doing it and we could talk about it.

Interviewer: So you have taken vowels, like Bob has?

Interviewee: Yes.

Interviewer: Um, have you ever faced discrimination?

Interviewee: Has anyone discriminated against me, you mean in terms of my practice of
meditation?
Interviewer: Yeah, just being Buddhist in general.
Interviewee: No I have not.

Interviewer: If you could tell someone one thing about being Buddhist what would you tell
them?
Interviewee: That its very much, um, about compassion, and it opens your heart. The more
you practice meditation it burns out your humanity, I think that, compassion for yourself, and
it naturally expands out to others.

Interviewer: What are the primary values that set you apart of any other groups or cultures?

Interviewee: Well its working with your own mind, and how you are in the world, and
recognizing, that in the ultimate end there is no self. That we are all connected. Our minds
separate us from other people. We build these stories that separate us from other people.