how do you "go buddhist"?

Goochers

Hi guys,

how do i put this? i would like to become a buddhist and i haven't a clue how to go about it...

i've lost all faith in the religion i was brought up with and feel a bit lost in a spiritual sense.

i have read some books on the subject and would love to pursue it further...

anybody out there been through this? any advise?

Appreciate it...

Asiaprod

Goochers wrote: »

anybody out there been through this? any advise?

That probably applies to all of us:)
Welcome. The best way would be to talk to a Buddhist. Do you know any? Is there a temple near you that you could go to. I am sure we can all give you plenty of advise, but it would not be as good as actually going to a temple to talk to a monk or teacher.

Goochers

i always wanted to talk to a Buddhist, pick their brains - just never crossed paths with one!!

i would have liked to find out how it works prior to rolling up to a temple all wide-eyed and clueless!!!

i live in Dublin, i will see if there's a temple nearby...

thanksfor the advice, Asiaprod...:):)

Rycn

Haha goochers, what a name. Good luck with your search mate im in the same boat.

gbee

Goochers wrote: »

Hi guys, i would like to become a buddhist and i haven't a clue how to go about it....

Buddhism is not a religion, it is a state of life, despite a Catholic, Catascism, kneeling down for the rosary family prayer [Jesus how Muslim it all was!!!????] upbringing; I am fundamentally a Buddhist by belief ~ I do have a Buddha in the Garden but don't practice anything else, if you believe in the principals you live your life by them, no one is going to excommunicate you HA ha!!!

Please remember that religion is a FORCE to ENSLAVED people without the use of a STANDING army and the expense of, to make people OBEY a dictator.

Religion should be banned, belief if YOURS and YOURS alone, if you believe in a God or whatever, fine, I don't, but my personal beliefs 'fit' Buddhism ~rather than I "joining" .

The best non religious are the Japanese, many faiths, Gods, beliefs ~ worth a look at ~ despite we having to have to nuke them to wake them up from their non religious dictatorship/deity.

So, even if you don't believe, you can still be caught!

Rycn

gbee wrote: »

Buddhism is not a religion, it is a state of life, despite a Catholic, Catascism, kneeling down for the rosary family prayer [Jesus how Muslim it all was!!!????] upbringing; I am fundamentally a Buddhist by belief ~ I do have a Buddha in the Garden but don't practice anything else, if you believe in the principals you live your life by them, no one is going to excommunicate you HA ha!!!

Please remember that religion is a FORCE to ENSLAVED people without the use of a STANDING army and the expense of to make people OBEY a dictator.

Religion should be banned, belief if YOURS and YOURS alone, if you believe in a God or whatever, fine, I don't, but my personal beliefs 'fit' Buddhism ~rather than I "joining" .

The best non religious are the Japanese, many faiths, Gods, beliefs ~ worth a look at ~ despite we having to have to nuke them to wake them up from their non religious dictatorship/deity.

So, even if you don't believe, you can still be caught!

What?

gbee

Rycn wrote: »

Wha?

Beyond your comprehension? No worries, you're not, obviously, asking the question. Have a beautiful evening.

Rycn

gbee wrote: »

Beyond your comprehension? No worries, you're not, obviously, asking the question. Have a beautiful evening.

Again, what?

gbee

Rycn wrote: »

Again, wha?

Are you the OP? I think not, personally, otherwise you'd recognise some of your problems in my reply.

A 'wha' is what someone totally unrelated to the subject could reply, and now, be warned, I will report anymore 'wha' to the moderators.

As I said the subject is over your head and is not going to be resolved here, or by me, the OP is welcome to add comment, obviously.

You are OBVIOUSLY, NOT in the predicament that the OP is in, unless you are the OP and just having a f..............

Rycn

gbee wrote: »

Are you the OP? I think not, personally, otherwise you'd recognise some of your problems in my reply.

A 'wha' is what someone totally unrelated to the subject could reply, and now, be warned, I will report anymore 'wha' to the moderators.

As I said the subject is over your head and is not going to be resolved here, or by me, the OP is welcome to add comment, obviously.

You are OBVIOUSLY, NOT in the predicament that the OP is in, unless you are the OP and just having a f..............

Calm down mate, your posts are all over the place and your not making sense.

Just trying to understand you.

gbee

Rycn wrote: »

Calm down mate, your posts are all over the place and your not making sense. Just trying to understand you.

To you, maybe, as I've already said, you're not in the mental state to understand, It's not that you don't understand me, you don't understand [period], as you have not reached this development stage, as the OP's post suggests, he has.

I know where he is, I'm confident he understands.

Rycn

gbee wrote: »

you're not in the mental state to understand

Seriously mate, go back to school and learn some grammar.

All i said was "what?" a one word question about your post, how on earth does that define my mental state?

Actually dont answer that, you have serious issues with answering questions.

Asiaprod

gbee wrote: »

To you, maybe, as I've already said, you're not in the mental state to understand, It's not that you don't understand me, you don't understand [period], as you have not reached this development stage, as the OP's post suggests, he has.

I know where he is, I'm confident he understands.

You might want to show some of this worldly experience you have by firstly cooling it down.
Attack the post, not the poster please.

helibelly

How about looking at it this way...

The word religion is used in the modern way to describe beliefs and/or way of life. Whether or not you agree with a particular set of beliefs/way of life etc, is not relevant to you personally. Buddhism can be thought of in any different ways, a religion, a way of life, a set of rules to help humanity, a way of training your mind, an attitude.
My favourite saying is ‘anything that is counter to your experience or logic should be ignored’.
So where does that leave someone who thinks they may like to learn more about Buddhism? It leaves you at the start of a journey which may lead you to the conclusion that you are or would like to call yourself a Buddhist, it may not, either way you will learn something.
So being Dublin based you should be able to find some Buddhist to talk to, there are plenty of books and loads of meditation groups, a quick Google will yield a few thousand results.

Good luck

Brendog

Buddhism isn't a religion....its a code by which you live your life.

wouldn't mind taking it up myself. I'd say the calmness and peace would be heavenly...

although i think "heavenly" is the wrong term to use :rolleyes:

Goochers

Rycn wrote: »

Haha goochers, what a name. Good luck with your search mate im in the same boat.

thanks a mill, Rycn...same to you. (we have my mom to thank for the name, BTW!)

Goochers

i think my beliefs fit Buddhism too, gbee (and i have a buddha in the garden!!!)...i understand your feelings towards organised religion and, for the most part , i agree - i don't want to go from one organised (& corrupt!) religion to another - that s why i think Buddhism is the way for me...i'd just like to go along to a temple, meet some like minded people, see where it takes me... i'm finding it hard by myself with just books for reference / guidance.

thank you for taking the time to post, gbee. (and go easy on Rycn!!!)

thanks

Goochers

Thanks, Helibelly...really well put, i appreciate it.

roosh

Goochers wrote: »

Hi guys,

how do i put this? i would like to become a buddhist and i haven't a clue how to go about it...

i've lost all faith in the religion i was brought up with and feel a bit lost in a spiritual sense.

i have read some books on the subject and would love to pursue it further...

anybody out there been through this? any advise?

Appreciate it...

Hey Goochers, here is a link that might be helpful, it is the Dublin page from the Rigpa Irleland website. There is an email address on that page that you can probably get more information from.

The Links of merit post in the Charter of the forum might provide some info. I haven't gone through the links myself, just wanted to check if the Rigpa link was in there, before posting it here.

I'm not a member of Rigpa myself, but have been volunteering in one of the retreat centres for the past 6 months (probably moving home soon though), and have been following the teachings here. I was probably in a similar position to yourself, 6 months ago, I was just looking to get back into meditation, and was aware of Buddhism, and it seemed like the best way "to go". I was talking to a girl who told me about Dzogchen Béara, and my mother had been at a seminar on palliative care, where the spiritual director of Rigpa, Sogyal Rinpoche was one of the speakers.

To cut a long story short, I was checking out weekend or week-long retreats, and saw that they had a volunteer programme, which, because I was not working at the time, suited me. I contacted them, they said they had a place, so I came down.

Sorry for the long-winded explanation, but i didn't want it to sound like I was advertising for the organisation, but rather offering what information I have, out of my own limited experience.

Hope it was of some help

roosh

Just on the issue of going to a temple and meeting people. I don't think that there are any actual temples in ireland yet - just googled it and got this boards.ie thread.

Dzogchen Béara has received planning permission to build a temple here, though, so there will be at least one in the not too distant future.

roosh

just read this article posted in the Diamond Way Buddhism thread, so thought I had better post it.

Goochers

mangaroosh wrote: »

Hey Goochers, here is a link that might be helpful, it is the Dublin page from the Rigpa Irleland website. There is an email address on that page that you can probably get more information from.

The Links of merit post in the Charter of the forum might provide some info. I haven't gone through the links myself, just wanted to check if the Rigpa link was in there, before posting it here.

I'm not a member of Rigpa myself, but have been volunteering in one of the retreat centres for the past 6 months (probably moving home soon though), and have been following the teachings here. I was probably in a similar position to yourself, 6 months ago, I was just looking to get back into meditation, and was aware of Buddhism, and it seemed like the best way "to go". I was talking to a girl who told me about Dzogchen Béara, and my mother had been at a seminar on palliative care, where the spiritual director of Rigpa, Sogyal Rinpoche was one of the speakers.

To cut a long story short, I was checking out weekend or week-long retreats, and saw that they had a volunteer programme, which, because I was not working at the time, suited me. I contacted them, they said they had a place, so I came down.

Sorry for the long-winded explanation, but i didn't want it to sound like I was advertising for the organisation, but rather offering what information I have, out of my own limited experience.

Hope it was of some help

Wow mangaroosh!!! above and beyond the call of duty - thanks so much.

will check out the links - see what i can see!!

i knew temple wasn't right - not sure what the correct terminology is...
where do the buddhist community (sangha, i think!) meet generally in Ireland?

So many questions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for taking the time...

roosh

Goochers wrote: »

Wow mangaroosh!!! above and beyond the call of duty - thanks so much.

will check out the links - see what i can see!!

i knew temple wasn't right - not sure what the correct terminology is...
where do the buddhist community (sangha, i think!) meet generally in Ireland?

So many questions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for taking the time...

no worries. I'm relatively new to the whole thing myself, so can only offer what info I have, which would be far from a general overview.

There would be a number of sangha's located throughout the country, and there would probably be a local centre somewhere. As someone already mentioned, some may just meet in a room somewhere (although I'm not really familiar with any of the other sangha's, other than the one here in Dzogchen Béara).

I know the Rigpa Dublin sangha is currently looking for a new centre, which would become the Rigpa Ireland national centre. Not sure where they are with that, progress-wise, at this stage.


It could be worth shooting them an email anyway, just to get some info.

helibelly

I wasn't going to mention any particular branch of Buddhism, but I too follow Sogyal Rinpoche.

Lab_Mouse

helibelly wrote: »

Sogyal Rinpoche.

He also wrote 'the tibetan book of living and dying' which is an excellent read.

I also think theres a buddhist centre in kilmainham