Katy Perry A Buddhist?
Buddhism is said to be one of the fastest growing religion in the West. Although Buddhism was first brought into the West 150 years ago when the Chinese migrated to the west, it was only 50 – 60 years ago when Buddhist temples and centres started to establish themselves by great scholars from all schools of Buddhism.
While I was growing up in the America, I have seen and experienced how difficult and competitive life is for everyone. Of course it is the same everywhere in the world, but many westerners are more open minded, and have an adventurous nature to try out this eastern religion. We see the many variations of Western Buddhists, some keep their original faith while applying Buddhist methods to improve their lives; while others decide to embrace Buddhism as a whole. With it’s rapid growth and reputation of giving one peace and calm, it is no wonder that many notable Western Celebrities have also picked up Buddhism as their new faith.
The most recent celebrity that was reported to have shown some interest in Buddhism is Katy Perry. People often think being a celebrity is wonderful, but behind all the smiles and the beauty, there is much suffering and pain… We have seen it many times, and celebrities who fail to cope with the stress and public pressure often take up dangerous habits or suicidal. I’m not claiming that I know of Katy Perry’s life and difficulties, but as long as we are all in samsara, we are all subjected to suffering.
I hope that by discovering Buddhism, Ms Perry will find much happiness and peace within herself and share it with others just like how she discovered Buddhism through her partner, Orlando Bloom. I wish the both of them much success in their spiritual journey to enlightenment.
Tsem Rinpoche
Katy Perry Converting to Buddhism After Struggles Over Convent Purchase
by Chanel Adams
Katy Perry could be giving up her religion. The former Christian singer is rumored to have an interest in Buddhism due to her blossoming relationship with Orlando Bloom.
The “Dark Horse” singer is considering converting to the religion, claims British tabloids. Katy Perry asked both her friends and her boyfriend, Orlando Bloom, to join her along in some Buddhist sessions at Coachella earlier this month. According to a report, via The Mirror, Perry and Bloom have already started their own group that includes grunge rocker Courtney Love. The group regularly gets together to meditate and chant mantras of enlightenment.
Orlando is a practicing Nichiren Buddhist, while Katy grew up in a strict evangelical household. Sources revealed that Katy is so in love with Orlando that she’s considering converting over to the faith for him.
“Katy is very opened minded and loves trying new things. Orlando is very into Buddhism and has been encouraging her to practice. At Coachella, they gathered a group of people together and it was clear that Katy had practiced the verse before. It’s a very upbeat and positive practice so she really enjoys it. She has got so involved that she may even convert for good.”
But the pop star has always had a spiritual side to herself. Back in 2013, Katy Perry revealed to Marie Claire magazine that she practices meditation every morning. The kind she practices is “Transcendental Meditation,” which involves 15 to 20 minutes of both meditation and mantras.
”I start the day with transcendental meditation. It puts me in the best mood. I wake up and just prop myself up in bed for 20 minutes. It’s the only time my mind gets absolute rest. When I’m asleep, my subconscious mind is switched on and, when I’m awake, I’m alert.”
She revealed more details about her morning routine, including the vitamins she takes. Perry took to Twitter to post a photo of herself holding a large Ziploc bag of vitamins and supplements.
”Like everyone I have a four o’clock slump. I take vitamins after lunch and they give me an energy boost. I have iron, vitamins B, C, and D, and probiotics, which help with my digestion.”
Then in 2010, Katy Perry and ex-husband Russell Brand got married in a “private and spiritual” ceremony in northern India. Although the ceremony was conducted by a Christian minister, the ceremony was held outside the Ranthambhore tiger sanctuary. Both Perry and Brand were dressed in traditional Indian garb.
Orlando Bloom first took on Buddhism back in 2004. In an interview, he explained his choice.
“The philosophy I’ve embraced isn’t about sitting under a tree and studying my navel, it’s about studying what is going on in my daily life and using that as fuel to live a bigger life.”
Despite Perry’s changing faith, she still has her eyes on a convent from The Archdiocese of Los Angeles. She was close to purchasing the property, but the nuns won’t grant Perry permission to buy it. They hit back saying that the news of a judge allowing Perry to purchase the convent was a “bogus ruling” that was based on a mistranslated Vatican decree.
The nuns argued that Katy’s lawyers mistranslated a document that was originally written in Latin. When and if the document is properly translated, Katy could lose out on the $14.5 million property located near Los Feliz. Mike Hennigan, an attorney for the Archdiocese, also released a statement on behalf of the five sisters.
“The translation was a proper, verified translation. This motion appears to be an effort to delay the Court’s finding that the Hollister transaction was invalid.”
Meanwhile, a representative for Perry said that the singer is feeling “confident in the judge’s ruling and do not believe that there are any grounds to support any change to the decision.”
A representative for the Vatican has not responded to the media for comment. It seems like this fight between Katy and the nuns will be ongoing. If the rumors are true about Katy converting over to Buddhism, then she may give up on her interest in purchasing the convent.
[Photo by Mike Windle/Getty Images]
[Source: http://www.inquisitr.com/3046702/katy-perry-converting-to-buddhism-after-struggles-over-convent-purchase/#iSMVMz5K7sHEj2eQ.99
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Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this article about Katy Perry. It is always nice to see people from all around the world practicing Buddhism. I hope there will be more people that will embrace Buddhism as it really helps us in our daily lives. Every single obstacles that come to us is a practice for us. We have to go through it ourselves. Same goes for sickness. It is based on our own Karma. So, we have to bear the consequences ourselves.
With folded palms,
Vivian
I think Ms Katy Perry is a global success and her songs have pervaded the airwaves on more then one occasion while I am in my automobile. It is very interesting that she is tapping into spiritual nature type of practices to live optimally, as per her daily transcendental meditation. One may even go as far as saying it is now seen as profitable and optimal to tap into the spiritual side of ourselves.
I rejoice for Katy Perry for her interest in Buddhism. Although due to her boyfriend, Orlando Bloom being a Buddhist, may Katy find the relevance of Buddha’s teachings in her life. I do agree that being famous increases the stress level of being perfect or keeping up the ratings. Therefore with the dharma, the famous may be able to understand better the cause of their unhappiness and gain a better peace of mind.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this article on Katy Perry.
To me I believe the reasons that people are converting to become a Buddhist is because the philosophy of Buddhism does make sense.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this post. And I don’t know about Orlando bloom are together! I only heard about Katy is Christian, but a Buddhist, no. so thank you for the update
Buddhism is spreading all around the world. And it has been for a long long time. And by many celebrities choosing to follow or convert to Buddhism it further contributes to the spread. This is because many people all around the world look up to many celebrities all around the world as role models, someone to follow and set new trends. So by many celebrities practicing Buddhism, they are encouraging others to do the same. A fine example of this is Katy Perry.
Katy Perry is a world known artist and has created quite the image of herself. I am sure that many people have already converted to Buddhism after hearing about how it helped get through her problems. I hope that many more celebrities do the same as Katy Perry has done here.
I’m happy to hear that more and more people in westernized society, even celebrities, are turning towards Buddhism and finding benefits. If Katy Perry is one of them, I wish her a lot of success, that she establishes a consistent practice, that she reads and learns the dharma holding them dear to her heart, is close to teacher and teachings, gains realizations and success, becoming a beacon of influence to friends and fans to aspire the same. _/\_
I have always been a fan of Katy Perry, she is direct and bitchy, in a good way. It’s good to hear that Buddhism has helped or benefited her in some way. Orlando Bloom has been a very famous Buddhist, his deep interest in Buddhism is a known fact.
Katy is a pretty lady, and not only that, she’s talented and highly intelligent, definitely not one of those celebrities who have zero talents. I rejoice for the fact that they have decided to take on the spiritual journey, I wish them great success.
I’ve always liked Katy Perry for two reasons – first, although she comes across as a hypersexualised bimbo, she’s actually highly intelligent. I’ve heard her speak in interviews and she’s not your typical starlet who doesn’t have a head on her shoulders.
Her choice of partners also made an impression on me. Most notably, she was married to Russell Brand (before she began dating Orlando Bloom). I used to follow Russell Brand’s YouTube series Trew News which covered alternative news and gave a different perspective on topics covered by traditional media. From the way he speaks and thinks, you can see this is an extremely intelligent person who engages in a great deal of self-examination. And of course, we know Orlando Bloom as a devout practitioner of Nichiren Buddhism.
Since both her notable significant others are also known to be spiritual people, it’s clear that Ms Perry herself is a spiritual person. I wish her all the best in her exploration of Buddhism. Based on whatever I assume about her history, she will find that there’s a lot in common in the teachings of Buddha with her personal philosophies.
As said, Buddhism offers the means to free oneself from delusions – a path that eventually leads to freedom from all sufferings and to the bliss of enlightenment. As a buddhist, it is said that the more one comes to understand the Buddha Dharma, or the Buddha’s teachings, by applying this understanding to daily life will gradually transform the mind. A very high Lama once said that the activities of this World are like ripples in a pond. When one disappears, another emerges; there is no end to them. Worldly activities don’t stop until the time of death. We should try to search for a time within our own daily lives to practise the Dharma, when we have this precious form and to have deep good faith in it. It will be difficult for us to undertake its practice in future lifetimes, when we will not have such conditions or opportinities! Nevetheless, I take this opportunity to congratulate Katy Perry on her new found faith in Buddhism. May she be blessed with much peace, Joy and happiness, and may she also be granted blessings that her outer and inner hindrances all be fully pacified.
Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom as a couple is new to me. Well, I am glad that the couple is embarking on a spiritual journey together. Having the same values and sharing the core belief are 2 important elements to sustain a relationship in the long run. While it is not ideal for one to convert one’s religion because of a relationship, because as we all know relationships don’t last; but it is certainly good to start somewhere. Having to live and breathe in the pressure cooker of Hollywood, embracing Buddhism is probably the best antidotes to their daily stress. And hopefully from there, she will gain realization of the core of the religion. I like it that Katy Perry had already been practicing meditation and chanting of mantra since 2013. I am optimistic this will lead her to more dharma practice.
Thank you Rinpoche for this blog sharing.
Humbly, bowing down,
Stella Cheang
I rejoice to hear that stars like Orlando Bloom or Katy Perry discover the benefits of Buddhism and Meditation. They are living on the fast lane of life having to handle a lot but also enjoying all the priviledges of a celebrity.
It seems a bit odd to me to buy a convent without knowing the nuns and making friends. So, by learning Buddhism and the truth of our suffering in Samsara, Katy might get to know about impermanence and our goal in life, benefiting others.
It is a great example to have Katy Perry becoming more dharmic as she sets an example for many young and not so young people and she can influence them for the better.
Thank You Rinpoche for always sharing inspiring news, to help us doing more and making better decisions.
Humbly,
P. Antoinette
It makes me feel relief to see that Buddhism becomes a haven for these supposedly “perfect” people who are expected to be always beautiful, nice, influential, oozing with talent and over flowing with inspiration to perform creatively. Like Rinpoche said, it is really not that glamorous and wonderful to be a celebrity. The fame and wealth that is the pursuit of stardom are the very source of every celebrity’s suffering if they get lost in the race to be rich and famous.
Buddhism is a great addition for a world where everything only feeds on the three poisons of ignorance, ego and anger. One Buddhist star who is my all time favorite is Keanu Reeves.
Thanks for this post. May Buddhism become a haven for more and more people who are living and almost stuck in the inertia of the fast lane in life.
Being a celebrity is not easy because they are constantly watched and judged. At the same time, they are bombarded by so many distractions from interviews, to parties, to events, to paparazzis. There is often little time to reflect and ground oneself. That’s why we hear of many celebrities who turn to alcohol and drugs to numb their unhappiness, emptiness and listlessness.
Buddhism offers an opportunity and various methods to explore within ourselves so that we gain clarity and insight to our existence. If Ms Katy Perry practices Buddhism consistently, she will not get sucked into the endless pursuits of samsara’s pleasures and distractions. She will find the peace and happiness with or without the fame, money, and relationships.
It is interesting to know more westerners and even celebrity like Katy Perry is exploring more in Buddhism.
I hope she is able to find real happiness and peace through the practise of Buddhism and not merely converting her religion due to her relationship.
I wish her very best and may she have a smooth dharma practise in her life.
I do like a couple of Kathy Perry songs in the past as she has very catchy and fun pop songs that you would just hum along anytime. I do appreciate that such big and successful stars like her are practicing Buddhism because that would inspire many of her fans to do the same or at least have an understanding or interest in it.
However, what I don’t quite get is the fact that one would change a religion for someone as it is expressed here. I am sorry but that’s just my opinion that people shouldn’t change their religion for someone because when things don’t work out in the relationship, we change the religion as well. Then fundamentally, we don’t really believe in its tenets, teachings and practices. If we don’t really have faith in the religion we profess and practice, I feel we would not find real happiness or contentment in anything because we don’t have real conviction for something as important as our faith. That’s just what I think.
Of course there are exceptions and of course it could be that Kathy Perry was exploring and really found meaning and depth when she explored Buddhism with Orlando Bloom. The bottom line is that I feel that people need to explore spirituality for themselves and have conviction with what they believe in.
Buddhism is one of the fastest growing religions today and when I tap into my own experience, I think I understand why more people are turning to the Dharma.
First, I am a bit biased here, but I think, in general if one were to pursue any religion seriously enough and not settle merely for the devotional aspect of that religion, but to instead pursue its logic far enough, one would eventually arrive at a spiritual attitude and conviction which is akin to what we refer to as Dharma.
The principles of Dharma comes closest to explaining the vagaries of life and the people are beginning to see that.
The second and more practical reason is that Dharma offers an immediate solution which is in our control. Dharma teaches us to transform our minds instead of us praying and hoping that things and people around us might change. In a chaotic and increasingly complex world, this control is important.
Whilst Buddhist was never intended to be an evangelistic religion, I am glad that public figures like Katy Perry has found her way to the Dharma.
Oh wow… I didn’t know Katty Perry got hooked up with Mr.Bloom. Well I am glad Mr. Bloom is inspiring her toward Buddhism. Good on him 🙂 That is probably the best gift he gave her.
It is good for these Hollywood stars as so much of their world is just a huge samsaric ball which they are not even aware off. Glad to know Katty find some peace in meditation daily. I suppose more and more celebrities are trying to find that balance inbetween their crazy chaotic hectic lifestyle. I am not surprised she said that she finds ‘peace’ in her daily 20mins meditation ritual.
Buddhism is definitely able to help many modern individual because it is not a dogmatic kind of religion and in fact if we don’t want to look at it as religion, we can choose not to and instead see it as a way of life. This is because Buddha’s teachings is extremely practical and the methods or antidotes to lessen our pain is laid out. We just need to apply it.
My only wish is that may Katy gain some kind of realisation and would blossom more into dharma with or without a partner and from there be of great benefit to millions of girls and youths who look up to her. May her karmic seeds open and may she be of tremendous benefit to others!
Changing a religious practice is never an easy choice because it is always linked with the culture we are brought up in. To finally change religion requires a lot of courage and determination since we normally have very vague idea of what it involves, not to mention the commitment and the practice we might find strange and unacceptable.
Although many in the West has started to explore Buddhism and changing their religious practice, Buddhism is still foreign to them. The best advice is to understand as much as we can and know what we are in for before committing ourselves, so that we won’t caught by surprise and blame the religion instead.
I am not familiar with Katy Perry but is great to know that many western celebrity are become Buddhist. I really agreed with Rinpoche quote” Everyone in samsara is subjected to suffering”.we must transcend from samsara.we must pursue dharma and apply it in our daily life.
Katy Perry pursue in Buddhism is a good example to the western people.I don’t meant insult others religion here but it show that Buddhism can be accepted in western country and no boundaries on it.
I hope Buddha doctrine will be flourish and this world will be peaceful and harmony.
Thanks Rinpoche for sharing this inspiring article.
With folded hands,
Jason
Dear Jason
I do agree with you that we must pursue Dharma in our daily lives. I believe that Buddhism and Buddhist concept will be more relevant in this day and age because more and more people will realise the logic and relevance of the Buddhist concepts. For that reason Rinpoche’s blog will play a critical role to bring these Buddhist teachings to the masses.
Valentina
I wouldn’t say that I’m a Katy Perry fan, I’ve listened to a few of her songs and do enjoy them, but what made me admire Katy very much was when I watched her documentary that was released a few years ago.
Her determination to be a singer and how the people around her say she never allowed fame and fortune get to her head, is something I feel, very rare these days. On top of that, she suffered a lot too in her life… even after becoming famous and being in a ‘dream-like’ relationship with a person that she liked very much (which unfortunately their marriage didn’t last), she experienced so much pain and disappointments, struggled to juggle her growing career and her relationship. Hopefully by meeting Buddhism, she can find much peace.