buddhism:where to start

Lab_Mouse

Hi,
like the title says where to start?Read a book by lama surya dass a while ago and it got me thinking.Thing is I dont know where to start,how to intergrate it into my daily life.As a belief system I was very impressed with it and want to improve myself and my dealings with other people.

Having said that im agnostic(dont know if there is a god,dont care if there is because IF there is one I think he/she/it has left us to our own devices)and cant sign up to the belief in rebirth.I just cant take someone's word for it,even if it is the dalai lama.will this be a problem?

Have tried practising the noble 8 fold path and mindfullness without much success.I attempt to practise right thought,right speech and right afction and mindfullness but as soon as some one says something or does something to annoy me I fly of the handleMind you I have nearly 40 years of conditioning to break down and giving up cigerettes doesnt help so I know it 's not gonna be easy.

Any tips or help much appreciated.

also do you think I would be better off getting some guidance?The dublin buddhist centre is near enough to me in kilmainham.

Regards Lab

sorry for rambling post,just hope I conveyed what i mean

18AD

I think the most important part is what you actively do yourself! I suggest you incorporate some sort of meditation into your daily routine. There are many different kinds out there, so it's up to you to find one which you like to do.
Here's a simple meditation to get started with.
http://tinyurl.com/yg2do55

Not believing what the Dalai Lama has said about reincarnation is not a problem. Again, I stress that this is about what you do and where you're at. If reincarnation does not make sense to you, then you have no reason to believe in it.

Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.
Buddha

"When things go wrong in our life and we encounter difficult situations, we tend to regard the situation itself as our problem, but in reality whatever problems we experience come from the side of the mind. If we responded to difficult situations with a positive or peaceful mind they would not be problems for us. Eventually, we might even regard them as challenges or opportunities for growth and development. Problems arise only if we respond to difficulties with a negative state of mind. Therefore if we want to be free from problems, we must transform our mind."
http://tinyurl.com/yjvhrel

It was good to see this:
"Buddhist monks...sometimes get angry."
I know I sometimes forget that they are only human too!

What exactly are looking for? What has drawn you to buddhism?

I'm not familiar with the Dublin Buddhist Centre, but I don't see any reason why you shouldn't call in. Any new perspectives will only help you.

Good luck.
AD

Lab_Mouse

Thanks for the reply 18AD.

As for what has drawn me to buddhism?Tbh Im not really sure,I think the logic that is used behind it's belief system makes sense on a lot of different levels.Also the fact its non-theistic is a big plus.I just want to simplify the way i live and interact with other people.

I've been married,the whole shebang and I think there has to be more to it than getting a nicer house,nicer car nicer clothes etc.

thanks for the meditation link will give that a go

RossFixxxed

It really is a practice to be honest. Have a look on http://www.buddhanet.net it's a great resource. But ultimately you start HERE and NOW. Breathe and relax. It's a simple idea, a simple method with a huge amount of depth. You can bog yourself down in the intellectual or historical stuff easily. Your best place to start is the tip of your own nose. Breath in. Breath out.

There is definitely more that you can do. I haven't met formally with any groups myself but would be looking to. The Dublin Buddhist centre isn't really 'Buddhist' they just teach meditation classes that are Buddhist created. That said they are a decent bunch to talk to. I'd be interested in something similar myself.

There need not be any 'spiritual or magical' dimension to this. Reincarnation etc is a belief of the time that has remained, not an integral part of it. As the Dali Lama says himself 'anything that goes against past experience or common sense should be abandoned.

An Bhanríon

Try reading some of Thic Nath Hahn's (I think that's how to spell his name!) book 'The Miracle of Mindfulness'. He's really into practising mindfulness in everyday life and not just doing sitting meditation. He mentions 'mundane' things such as washing the dishes quite a lot! As in, when you are washing the dishes that you should do it as if it were the only thing in the world right now and not to be just trying to get it finished so you can get on with the 'important things' in life, i.e. living in the moment, even if you are 'only washing the dishes'...

Try it, it works!!

RossFixxxed

What the above said! Bringing practice out of sitting lotus position with candles is essential! It was said to me, every time you wash your hands feel the water, listen to it, feel every sensation, smell the soap etc... As it is an easy task it's a great one to start on. Then move to walking around, to eating, to showering, to work, to posting on boards etc...

As I said don't get bogged down thers 2,500 years of writing on this subject.

Lab_Mouse

Thanks for the reply's Lads.I actuall got that book by thich nhat hanh(thats the right way to spell it ,had to check though:D)a while back but have been up to my ears with stuff for college,so havent had a chanace to read it.

Gonna make an effort for some simple breathing meditation first thing in the mornings and also do walking meditation on the walk in to college.

Its amazing how your mind flits from1 thought to another,and the 2 thoughts have nothing in common to start with!

Chopper

You might like to try the Online Course: 'Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation' with Gil Fronsdal & Ines Freedman
March 21 to May 1, 2010
http://www.audiodharma.org/onlinecourses.html

Cost: Following the Buddhist tradition that all teachings be given freely, there is no charge for this course. Donations are welcome.

I'm a big fan of Gil Fronsdal and have listened to many of his Lectures and Dharma talks which are freely available on Zencast.org and audiodharma.org

Limousine Fred

Hey guys! Total begnner here, just looking for a recommendation of a book to get me started.
Cheers!

Cork24

wisdom-books.com

zamstore.com

Limousine Fred

Cork24 wrote: »

wisdom-books.com

zamstore.com

Cheers dude!
Probably gonna go for mindfulness in plain English. It got a lot of good reviews!!

Cork24

Limousine Fred wrote: »

Cheers dude!
Probably gonna go for mindfulness in plain English. It got a lot of good reviews!!

No problem.. Where did you see mindfulness can you copy a link..

if you are starting off just... i would think you should go for.

http://www.zamstore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=841_843_712&products_id=13215

If you really want to get into Buddhism. and know what is what, and are going down the Tibetan buddhism path. i would go for this book Really Really a good book to read.. not to hard.. people after reading this book moved to Tibetan buddhism..

http://www.zamstore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=842_847_720&products_id=12991

this is Sogyal Rinpoche book..

if you really want an inspiring Story i would read this book..

http://www.wisdom-books.com/ProductDetail.asp?PID=6681&MATCH=2

its called Life of Milarepa; Milarepa was born into a powerful Family. but his Father die and his, Father brothers and Sisters took all their money that the Father left behind and made Milarepa and his Mother Slaves to the Farm,, His mother send Milarepa away to learn Black Magic and kills every one bar one person to tell the Story of what he did,, Seen how much Evil he have done and knowing that his Mother will be born in the lowest Realms he goes of to learn the True Dharma.

Its inspiring for the fact a human became a buddha in one life time..

if you have anymore question, just ask and we try and answer for you..you could look up Ripga.ie which is Sogyal Rinpoche who teaches in Varja Lineage. or just google buddhism Ireland and see what Centres are around,,

Please beware.. that you are best to google Search the Centre Master making sure the master is the right one for you and that you can really connect to him and his teachings..

Limousine Fred

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/search/ref=pd_lpo_ix_dp_am_us_uk_en_mindfulness.020in.020plain.020english_gl_book?keywords=mindfulness%20in%20plain%20english&tag=lpo_ixdpamusukenmindfulness.020in.020plain.020englishgl_book-21&index=blended
Cheaper on amazon!!
Probably might try the first one you mentioned. Only really want to get it into it as a stress reliever and see how it goes after but thanks for all the info really helpful!

Cork24

Lab_Mouse wrote: »

Thanks for the reply 18AD.

As for what has drawn me to buddhism?Tbh Im not really sure,I think the logic that is used behind it's belief system makes sense on a lot of different levels.Also the fact its non-theistic is a big plus.I just want to simplify the way i live and interact with other people.

I've been married,the whole shebang and I think there has to be more to it than getting a nicer house,nicer car nicer clothes etc.

thanks for the meditation link will give that a go

just saw this, to answer you question, their is always more to a car a house.. when we buy a new Car/House/Clothes what are we feeding? we are feeding our Ego, a fancy car only to show off look at how much money i have ! at the end of the day it brings you no closer to true happiness. yes when you buy a new car it brings you happiness but its called temporary happiness meaning the car will get old, miles are clocked up and you start to think i want a new car and feel envy of others...

same goes with clothes. "No point looking for Elephants footprints outside, While Elephant is inside". it means we are so unhappy that we look for items to bring happiness, its your delusion that makes the World.. SO make it a happy one by looking inside deep and asking your self,, Am i really happy?

gnu

Mindfulness in Plain English is made available for free as PDFs online from several sources.

http://www.google.ie/search?hl=en&newwindow=1&biw=1280&bih=664&q=mindfulness+in+plain+english+pdf&aq=f&aqi=g1g-m1&aql=&oq=


I can also vouch for the Gil Fronsdal meditation course. It was excellent and I had weekly Skype sessions with a wonderful teacher. The dharma talks are great too. They don't dwell on unknowables such as rebirth, it's all very useful.

Stephen and Martine Batchelor are also great for anyone who can't get their head around rebirth, deities etc.

Cork24

Isn't he a Zen teacher. Zen as the same background as Shinto as in meaning in Japan.
Zen don't go on about rebirth as much as others

gnu

Cork24 wrote: »

Isn't he a Zen teacher. Zen as the same background as Shinto as in meaning in Japan.
Zen don't go on about rebirth as much as others

Not sure if you mean Gil Fronsdal? He originally trained in Zen but changed to Thervada (Insight/Vipassana focus). He talks a lot about Zen still.

He set my mind at rest about rebirth, made me see it's not something I need to concern myself with. I guess I'm agnostic about it and belief in it or not doesn't affect what I do from day to day..

Cork24

All you can do is live life, but with compassion for all, which I'm still learning its hard living in a place that's only mind set for power and wealth

gnu

So true Cork24!

mccoist

just a tip for people who have sky tv
The body in balance channel has a programme on every evening at 9,
nomally consisting of an interview with a spiritual person from all walks of life.They maybe dicussing gesthalt buddhism or just being spititual
they even have a book review program.
Also on the channel they have some good yoga and meditation practice programs.ideal for any beginners.

Cork24

You could also check out this site it just went up on Dec 10

http://vajratv.com/

It's a free video stream of Tibetan talks and more.

limra

I'd start with breathing and loving kindness meditations

form is emptiness, emptiness is form

then diamond sutra and taoism

then learn about all spiritualities
with no distinctions

Here, Now.

limra

start in nonexistence

Magic Beans

Please forgive what is probably the most stupid post ever made on the forum but I don't know how else to express what I am thinking.

Buddhism has always intrigued me. It seems to be a religion that has no focus on a god. It's main rule seems to be disregard all rules just be guided by some sort of in-built moral compass. It seems that there is no reward or punishment for our actions just an opportunity to somehow advance our inner self at a different rate and that rate depends on our actions. It almost seems as if this life is a hell that we are born into but we have an opportunity to somehow figure out an escape. It also seems that this advancement may take one or more lifetimes yet each lifetime in the advancement is separated from the others by a chasm that prevents conscious knowledge of the other lifetimes. All the teachings are based in a culture that is quite alien to which we in the west would relate. Can Buddhism reach the western soul? How can I understand the answers when I can't even figure out the questions?

Does any of that make an sense to anybody? It's all very confusing to an ordinary person.

Cork24

Magic Beans wrote: »

. It seems to be a religion that has no focus on a god. It's main rule seems to be disregard all rules just be guided by some sort of in-built moral compass. It seems that there is no reward or punishment for our actions

your Way off the Mark...

. "It seems that there is no reward or punishment for our actions" its Called Merit.. and yes they are punishments and rewards in this life to how we treat this Life.. for some actions killing, brings us Only Sadness... Even if it is a Rabbit or Mouse... you should try to refrain from killing..

"It seems to be a religion that has no focus on a god" Look up the Wheel of Life.. Their is not one god but Many.. In Buddhism it is said that Vajra (Which Every Buddhism you Study) Temp's you into Heaven.. but do not be fooled. even tho you are be loved by lovely Women. your life as a god will come to an end and you will find your self in Hell.

If you dont fall for this temp. you will come face to face with Death.. by his Feet you will see Black and White Stones "YOUR Actions are being Counted "

god will die but they dont have the understanding to free them self's..

" It's main rule seems to be disregard all rules just be guided by some sort of in-built moral compass."

Rules are their to keep us safe their are not rules to be disregard. In Buddhism their are Rules, Rules to live the True word of the Dharma.

my Friend your whole sense to Buddhism is all wrong... Please, if you are willing to learn go and buy 4 books and those 4 books is all you really need to learn... never mind the rest..

1. Tibtean book of the Dead..
2. Tibtean Book of the Lying & Dying
3. The Worlds of my Perfect Teacher
4. A Guide to The Worlds of my Perfect Teacher

here is a link on youtube which i found really good to the cycle of life..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjO3Na3YjRo&feature=related

Magic Beans

Sorry if it seems I was trolling. I wasn't. I just got some stuff really wrong. I will read some more before I post again.

"what the buddha taught" by walpola rahula is generally recommended as a starter. I sort of agree, but I find his tone very aggressive. It'll show you the basics though without having to go near tibetan buddhism

Cork24

bluewolf wrote: »

"what the buddha taught" by walpola rahula is generally recommended as a starter. I sort of agree, but I find his tone very aggressive. It'll show you the basics though without having to go near tibetan buddhism

walpola rahula ?

Asiaprod

Cork24 wrote: »

walpola rahula ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walpola_Rahula

Hookah

I enjoyed Stephen Bachelors 'Buddhism without Beliefs' as a starting point.

gnu

Hookah wrote: »

I enjoyed Stephen Bachelors 'Buddhism without Beliefs' as a starting point.

I'm reading this book at the moment and find it clear and accessible. Stephen (and his wife Martine) have an approach that works for me. I wouldn't recommend it to someone wanting an overview of Buddhism in general though.

I also like this this website. It has a Tibetan slant but is quite broad in scope and I think it tackles the basics very well. I find it very helpful. There is a lovely forum attached to it too.

Carra23

I have just recently become interested in Buddhism(read an introduction to it yday ! ! ! http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~rone/Buddhism/footsteps.htm )

I think the teaching and beliefs are fantastic and the simplist explanation of how to live a good life though following them may not be so easy.

For example No killing and respect for life sounds brilliant but where do you draw the line ? I mean apparently Buddhists are vegetarians but are plants not part of life too ?

Also is it ok to use voilence in self defence ? If a dog or something comes to attack you are you wrong to give it a sharp kick to defend yourself ? (prob not great example but I guess you knwo what I am getting at )


I would love to try to live following the five precepts and the noble eight fold path but what does it mean if you have followed them rigidly for 3 or 4 months and then tell a lie or take on some alcohol ?

Cork24

Buddha ate meat once it was noy killed for him.

Draw the line. If some one had a gun to your lifes head and you killed him you done it to stop him from creating bad karma for himself.

gnu

Carra23 wrote: »

I have just recently become interested in Buddhism(read an introduction to it yday ! ! ! http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~rone/Buddhism/footsteps.htm )

I think the teaching and beliefs are fantastic and the simplist explanation of how to live a good life though following them may not be so easy.

For example No killing and respect for life sounds brilliant but where do you draw the line ? I mean apparently Buddhists are vegetarians but are plants not part of life too ?

Also is it ok to use voilence in self defence ? If a dog or something comes to attack you are you wrong to give it a sharp kick to defend yourself ? (prob not great example but I guess you knwo what I am getting at )


I would love to try to live following the five precepts and the noble eight fold path but what does it mean if you have followed them rigidly for 3 or 4 months and then tell a lie or take on some alcohol ?

Hi Carra,

I found myself thinking along the same lines when I first found Buddhism. But then it was explained to me that there are no rules or commandments, just guidelines for living that are likely to lead to happiness for ourselves and others. So there are no penances to do if you tell a lie or have alcohol after abstaining for 3 or 4 months! I guess you will notice how it feels to do that - does it feel uncomfortable in some way for example? What were the consequences and are you happy with them? And then figure out what your intention is for the future.

I've attended several different Buddhist centres from different traditions and have seen differing attitudes to drinking alcohol for example. In my own personal experience, I try to keep the guidelines in mind and reflect on them - and that combined with meditation seems to have changed what I want to do, giving up alcohol hasn't been a wrench or a difficult decision - just something that happened naturally. That said, I had a small amount of alcohol recently - I noticed I didn't like how even a small amount clouded my mind and I felt a general sense that something just wasn't right. So that reinforced my intent to avoid it in future.

I like how Thich Nhat Hanh expresses the precepts - he calls them Mindfulness Trainings. Rather than simply not harming living things, he talks about developing a reverence for all of life and for the earth itself. It is impossible to avoid killing on some scale - eg.when you wash your hands with soap, you are probably killing microbes. But I think the intention is what is important. If a dog attacks you and you defend yourself with a stick for example. Your intention is to protect yourself, not to harm the dog deliberately. Also, rather than just focusing on avoiding drugs and alcohol, the Mindfulness Trainings mention other things that can adversely affect our minds like certain tv programmes and computer games.

In my limited experience, I've never heard a Buddhist teacher dictate to me what to do or not do; rather it seems to be to use the guidelines to help me do what is beneficial for myself and others. And I have seen that the skillful actions sit right with me and when I don't follow them, it feels that something is wrong - from overwhelming discomfort to the psychological equivalent of walking around with a stone in my shoe.

Edit: Just a thought on what we eat. I have found the approach I feel most comfortable with is to take no more than I need for good health and try to ensure there is no waste. I don't always achieve that but that's what I'm aiming for! I recognise that living things die for my sake and I try to keep that in mind.

Carra23

gnu wrote: »

Hi Carra,

I found myself thinking along the same lines when I first found Buddhism. But then it was explained to me that there are no rules or commandments, just guidelines for living that are likely to lead to happiness for ourselves and others. So there are no penances to do if you tell a lie or have alcohol after abstaining for 3 or 4 months! I guess you will notice how it feels to do that - does it feel uncomfortable in some way for example? What were the consequences and are you happy with them? And then figure out what your intention is for the future.

I've attended several different Buddhist centres from different traditions and have seen differing attitudes to drinking alcohol for example. In my own personal experience, I try to keep the guidelines in mind and reflect on them - and that combined with meditation seems to have changed what I want to do, giving up alcohol hasn't been a wrench or a difficult decision - just something that happened naturally. That said, I had a small amount of alcohol recently - I noticed I didn't like how even a small amount clouded my mind and I felt a general sense that something just wasn't right. So that reinforced my intent to avoid it in future.

I like how Thich Nhat Hanh expresses the precepts - he calls them Mindfulness Trainings. Rather than simply not harming living things, he talks about developing a reverence for all of life and for the earth itself. It is impossible to avoid killing on some scale - eg.when you wash your hands with soap, you are probably killing microbes. But I think the intention is what is important. If a dog attacks you and you defend yourself with a stick for example. Your intention is to protect yourself, not to harm the dog deliberately. Also, rather than just focusing on avoiding drugs and alcohol, the Mindfulness Trainings mention other things that can adversely affect our minds like certain tv programmes and computer games.

In my limited experience, I've never heard a Buddhist teacher dictate to me what to do or not do; rather it seems to be to use the guidelines to help me do what is beneficial for myself and others. And I have seen that the skillful actions sit right with me and when I don't follow them, it feels that something is wrong - from overwhelming discomfort to the psychological equivalent of walking around with a stone in my shoe.

Edit: Just a thought on what we eat. I have found the approach I feel most comfortable with is to take no more than I need for good health and try to ensure there is no waste. I don't always achieve that but that's what I'm aiming for! I recognise that living things die for my sake and I try to keep that in mind.

That's a fantastic reply , fair play to you ! The more I read about Buddhism the more I am interested and think that if it was the only religion( is it even a religion ? ) in existence the world would be an amazing place.

I think it willl be a slow process but I will attempt to live and make choices with those guidelines in mind. I would love to by a book on the subject , can you recommend one ?

Edit: sorry just saw books being mentioned a few post back

Carra23

gnu wrote: »

I'm reading this book at the moment and find it clear and accessible. Stephen (and his wife Martine) have an approach that works for me. I wouldn't recommend it to someone wanting an overview of Buddhism in general though.

I also like this this website. It has a Tibetan slant but is quite broad in scope and I think it tackles the basics very well. I find it very helpful. There is a lovely forum attached to it too.

I just had a verty quick browse of the website in that link. It's a good site and was wondering if it is replicated in book form ? or what book on Buddhism would be closest to that site ?

gnu

Carra23 wrote: »

I just had a verty quick browse of the website in that link. It's a good site and was wondering if it is replicated in book form ? or what book on Buddhism would be closest to that site ?

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you Carra.

I haven't read that many books so I'm probably not the best person to advise.

One book that I really loved (and I think it probably turned me towards Buddhism was The Art of Happiness by the Dalai Lama. It's not actually written by him, it's based on interviews with him but it is a wonderful inspiring book (in my humble opinion). You should be able to get it out of the library - I would happy to lend my copy otherwise.

But it's not really a Buddhist primer as such, it's more that it opened my heart and mind to a better way of living.

There are plenty of recommendations here - I'm sure there will be something that suits.

As for whether it's a religion or not ... I don't know, I'll leave that one for the experts!!! I put it on the census form as my religion but I don't worship anyone/anything.

Best of luck on your journey and feel free to get in touch if I can help in any way.