I was taking a shower this morning and was thinking about what this actually means.
To be of One Taste with the Dharma.
Of course it is cultural likely to the Tibetans or any other group of people who might say this.
But I was trying to think of where this kind of thinking comes from.
It is about intimacy with the Dharma like when two people get married and have children.
The Dharma becomes a part of your family and a part of your relationship with your friends.
Then I thought of how French Kissing is people tasting each other which often is the symbol for them of their intimacy or commitment or both. Only this would be in a European Context of Intimacy which might be different than a more Asian Context for intimacy.
But, either way it is about being one with a large spiritual practice that encompasses 300 to 500 million Buddhists around the world.
However, what is interesting to me is that Christians for Example don't believe that Buddhism is a religion but instead see it as a philosophy (maybe like Confucianism instead?). So, because of this many people and ministers and Priests of the Christian Faith are also Buddhists because there is no conflict between religions being both Christian and Buddhist. I am one of the examples of being both Christian and Buddhist at the same time as a mystical Christian in the way that I was raised by my parents and I combined that with the Compassion for all life in the universe of Tibetan Buddhism which works for my mind stream and being to do this.
So, being of one Taste with the Dharma is to be a part of the Dharma as a part of your family which I believe is a good thing.
By God's Grace
So, from what I gather here the amount of Buddhists on earth equals around the total population of the United States on a worldwide basis or more.
Begin quotes:
- Demographic Data: Formal demographic analyses, such as data from the Pew Research Center, estimate the global Buddhist population at approximately 324 million people.
- Broader Estimates: Wider cultural and regional estimates range up to 500 million or more because many practitioners blend Buddhist traditions with local folk religions or do not claim a single formal religious identity.
- Population Trends: Most users on Quora agree that tracking numbers is difficult due to non-formal adherence, and formal studies note a slight decline in numbers over recent decades driven by shifting demographics in East Asia.
