???

Cherrypenguin

hi ok so ive been studying buddhism recently and i really want to make it apart of my life but i no what i can learn from books and i dont no anyone who i can discuss it with could anyone help me out??

18AD

Well you can discuss it here on the forum. What are you looking to achieve?

Aside from the reading I suggest you take up some form of practice. Specifically meditation.

I'm not too familiar with any groups around as I practice exclusively by myself.

Best.
AD

Cherrypenguin

hey thanks for answering
wel the book i am reading teaches forms of meditation but also says that i and should be part of a sangha and have a teacher? i feel stongly about buddhism its the way i want to live my life, the book also says i should choose a school? as you can see this is all new to me ...??any advice?

18AD

If you join a school it will more than likely have it's own unique practices. So if you are certain you want to join then find one and join it. Different things work for different people, so like with anything, you may have to try some different ones or you may just like the first immediately. Join first and integrate their practices into your life. You'll find something!

Maybe some others could offer their experieces to give you some insight into what they found or accurate info on the different schools. 'fraid I can't :P

Cherrypenguin

unfornuately theres not many schools where i live..dont know if theres any! theres a centre like an hour away.. :L Wel thank you for the reply and the advice its good to get talkong to someone about it

18AD

There are often retreats you can go to, like for a weekend or maybe a full week. You could look into that. A quick google search should yield some results.

Good luck!
AD

Cherrypenguin

ok thanks for all the help.

roosh

Hey cherrypenguin.

from my own experience I think it would be advisable to go on at least one meditation retreat, even if you don't immediately join a group; it can be very helpful to receive guidance directly from someone, so that you can direct questions to them. Plus, it will offer a great opportunity to practice meditation with a temporary sangh, if you will. That way, you can practie on your own, while you actively seek a local group.

The only Buddhist organisation that I am familiar with is called Rigpa, under the "tutelage" of Sogyal Rinpoche (author of "the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying"). I'm not a member of the Rigpa myself, but I know that they have online resources that might be helpful if finding a group is difficult. There is a fee to join, but I'm not entirely sure what it is. I'm not entirely sure of everything that you get for that, but I think you get a DVD every month, with Rinpoche's latest teaching. You can access other teachings through the website then as well I think. My apologies, I'm not entirely clear about what they offer, I just remember that they offer something.

Other organisations probably offer something similar, but Rigpa is the only one I have had any experience with.

If you check out the Links of merit sticky on the main page, you'll get some more resources.

Here is the link to the Rigpa Ireland site

Cherrypenguin

hi! thank you for the comment and the advise! I would like to meet a sangha even just to view it because i have never actually met a buddhist yet..is that bad?haha
I came across that website when i was searching buddhist groups and found the nearest thing to me which was a tibetan centre so hopefully i might get out there at some stage its a an hour or so away no good for someone with no car! hah thanks again for the help!

gnu

I understand where you're coming from CherryPenguin ... what area are you in and I might be able to suggest some places near you to try. Also, are there any particular traditons/teachers/books that you feel a connection with? That might help narrow it down if there are several places near you.

Cherrypenguin

im glad to hear that, im from cavan? i doubt there would be many opportunites to search further into buddhism in my region? wel the book im reading now told me to find a tewacher but i no none and to find the school that suits me best but i only know of one centre??....

roosh

Cherrypenguin wrote: »

im glad to hear that, im from cavan? i doubt there would be many opportunites to search further into buddhism in my region? wel the book im reading now told me to find a tewacher but i no none and to find the school that suits me best but i only know of one centre??....

I presume the centre you are talking about is the one in cavan?

gnu

Sorry if I got your hopes up - I'm afraid I only know of one in Cavan too - Jampa Ling?

It seems to be more important in some traditions (like Tibetan) than others (like Theravada/Vipassana) to have a teacher. I lean towards Theravada and don't have one particular teacher - I have benefitted from teachings from several teachers on retreats, or who visited meditation centres etc, and also there are lots of online dharma talks that I find very helpful.

I think going away on retreat might help you - you will have the opportunity to talk with the teacher and get guidance on your practice. They vary in length - I have gone on day-longs, weekend long and week longs. If it's something you'd be interested in then I'm sure the people here could suggest some retreats.

Cherrypenguin

mangaroosh wrote: »

I presume the centre you are talking about is the one in cavan?

hi mangaroosh,
ye its in cavan the edge of it hah a good distance from myself its called jampa ling i contacted them but havent gone further, ...

Cherrypenguin

hi gnu
yes thats the one, its hard for me to get to even with it being in my region, but i will try to do a one day retreat if i can at some stage and maybe just practise myself for most of the time..what is the online dharma talks you mentioned in your message?

gnu

That's tricky all right. I've got several to choose from in Dublin but since I don't drive I find visiting them difficult so I have sympathy!

The main dharma talks I listen to these days are http://www.audiodharma.org. They have an online sangha attached where you can post messages/ask questions etc. Also, a couple of times a year they have online introduction to meditation courses where you can have email or skype contact with a teacher. Thesre are from Gil Fronsdal's Insight Meditation Centre which is based on Vipassana/Theravada.

There is also http://www.zencast.org/ which has some overlap with audiodharma.

I'm not sure which Buddhist tradition (if any) you feel a connection with but there are bound to be some audio teachings that benefit you. Basically if you google "buddhist podcast" you wil find lots.

You mentioned a book you're reading - perhaps the author has talks available online too?

Also, there are several Buddhist forums, some call themselves online or virtual sanghas - these could be another way for you to keep in touch or chat with like-minded people and ask questions ... and of course there is this board too!

Carra23

Cherrypenguin wrote: »

hey thanks for answering
wel the book i am reading teaches forms of meditation but also says that i and should be part of a sangha and have a teacher? i feel stongly about buddhism its the way i want to live my life, the book also says i should choose a school? as you can see this is all new to me ...??any advice?

Whats the book called ? I have a new found interest in Buddhism also but all I have read is on the internet so I am looking for a decent book !

Cherrypenguin

gnu,
they definately sound beneficial! thank you this is such a great help! yes i dont drive either unfortunately! I think i will try those online podcats anyway, and keep chatting on this because its defo helping! have you been on many retreats?if so what are they like? and how would you go about them?

Cherrypenguin

Hi Carra23,
The book i have been reading is ... dont laugh... "the complete idiots guide to buddhism"! the second edition by gary gach, but it really helps it goes through every aspect and give you buddhists origin and history, aswel as the influences it has brought on different countries, the different schools and principal teachings and shows you tips on practising meditation as wel as dietry tips!

gnu

Cherrypenguin wrote: »

gnu,
they definately sound beneficial! thank you this is such a great help! yes i dont drive either unfortunately! I think i will try those online podcats anyway, and keep chatting on this because its defo helping! have you been on many retreats?if so what are they like? and how would you go about them?

Happy to help!

I haven't been on many but I have found all of them wonderful - some more challenging than others!

The first one I went on was a Zen-style retreat in the Aran |slands run by Zen Ireland. It was incredible, I would love to go back but it clashes with something else I'm committed to. I've done some day-longs with Insight Meditation Dublin (they do a weekend one in Navan a couple of times a year which I hope to go on next time). I did a a 3 day retreat with Mindfulness Ireland (Thich Nhat Hanh's tradition) held in Naas. I've also done an 8 day retreat in Gaia House in Devon, England and will be going back to do it again next month. And I spent a week in a Theravdan monastery in England called Amaravati - not on retreat, but it allowed a lot of time for meditation and being still and quiet. They had a great library with what looked like every book that had ever been published on Buddhism and you have full use of it while there. There were dharma talks and plenty of opportunity to talk to the monastics and ask them questions. It's such a beautiful place and I met lots of great people there. There's a very tough-sounding Vipassana retreat that I've wanted to try but I'm not sure I'm up to it yet http://www.ie.dhamma.org/. It's developed by a teacher called S. N. Goenka and I have heard that it is difficult but very powerful and rewarding.

They were all quite different and yet broadly similar. You get up early - about 5.30/6am (it was reeeeallly early in the monastery, about 4.30am I think! :eek:). You spend several periods a day doing sitting meditation and walking meditation, usually about 40 minutes at a time. There are dharma talks from the teacher and the opportunity to have private interviews with the teacher. Some of them are in silence, some were partly silent. Usually everyone is allocated a chore - helping chop vegetables for meals, cleaning, washing up - that kind of thing. You're usually asked to keep the Five Precepts while there. You eat vegetarian (or vegan if you prefer) food - usually 3 meals a day and as much tea as you can drink!

I find them difficult but fantastic - really enjoyable and I get a lot out of them. It takes me a while to get used to such early starts but it's usually fine after a day or so. And then my body grumbles that I am sitting on a cushion for hours a day - the walking meditation helps stretch out everything again and often there are opportunities to do yoga, chi gung etc to help keep everything loose! On the Zen retreat we also did some shiatsu which helped a lot with my sore shoulders!

In general, the retreats are open to anyone of any or no religion, beginners or experienced practitioners alike. The booking details are on their websites but if I can help at all, let me know. If anyone wants to know anything more about the retreats I've been on, I'm happy to share and I'd highly recommend any of them. The costs vary - some are based on a donation, others have a charge but there are generally concessions for people on low incomes then. The idea is that the Buddha's teachings are freely given and lack of money shouldn't be an obstacle to receiving them.

By the way, I have heard good things about that book you're reading - I wouldn't let the name put anyone off!

Edit: just adding this link http://buddhanet.net/
Someone just pointed me to it as a great resource for free Buddhist ebooks and much much more - dharma talks and loads of information. Hope someone will find it useful.

Cherrypenguin

Gnu,
that all sounds great! maybe not so thrilled about the early mornings( im not a morning person! ) haha im interested in finding out more about the navan one? i only live an hour away from there and can get a bus handy enough i also like the sound of drinking alot of tea! haha im really interested now in doing one could you give me more information about the navan one? or maybe just the website? thanks again for the help!

roosh

Cherrypenguin wrote: »

hi gnu
yes thats the one, its hard for me to get to even with it being in my region, but i will try to do a one day retreat if i can at some stage and maybe just practise myself for most of the time..what is the online dharma talks you mentioned in your message?

I'm not sure what your personal situation is at the moment, with work, family, etc. but there is a retreat centre in West Cork called Dzogchen Béara where you can apply to live and work as a volunteer. The work you do there covers your accommodation and food, and you can avail of volunteer rates for retreats, as well as having access to other teachings. There used to be a guy from Cavan there actually. If your life situation facilitates it, it could be well worth doing.

I don't think Jampa Ling take that many volunteers, and as far as I can remember, I think you have to pay for your keep there - I could be wrong about that, but I was talking to someone who worked there and that is the vague recollection I am left with (it is very vague though, and possibly inaccurate!).

Cherrypenguin

wow that sounds amazing!! id love to do it, definitely! but i dont think i could right now is it a permanent situation or could you do maybe a month or something? i actually think you might be right about jampa ling.. but i just learned theres retreats in navan? i could get to them easy enough so im hoping for there to be the first step, even if i just met another individual and learned of what they knew...

roosh

Cherrypenguin wrote: »

wow that sounds amazing!! id love to do it, definitely! but i dont think i could right now is it a permanent situation or could you do maybe a month or something? i actually think you might be right about jampa ling.. but i just learned theres retreats in navan? i could get to them easy enough so im hoping for there to be the first step, even if i just met another individual and learned of what they knew...

it is possible to volunteer for a month or so in DzB, or at least it used to be. They basically take on volunteers according to their needs. Sometimes they mightn't need any volunteers, other times they might, so there's no guarantee as to when they would be able to take a person.

Here's a link to the volunteer opportunities section of the website. There's an email address listed there, and you can email them and see what they say. If you have an idea in your mind as to when you would like to go, it would be an idea to email them as soon as possible to try and arrange that time.

Cherrypenguin

mangaroosh,
thats great thanks for all the help

gnu

Cherrypenguin wrote: »

Gnu,
that all sounds great! maybe not so thrilled about the early mornings( im not a morning person! ) haha im interested in finding out more about the navan one? i only live an hour away from there and can get a bus handy enough i also like the sound of drinking alot of tea! haha im really interested now in doing one could you give me more information about the navan one? or maybe just the website? thanks again for the help!

Ha, I'm not too keen on early mornings either but I find I get used to it quickly cos you end up going to bed early.

The Navan place is called An Tobar, I couldn't find a website for it. I see it is mentioned on other websites and I found this address for it. Ardbraccan, Navan
Co. Meath

As far as I know it is booked by various groups for residential retreats. I know Insight Meditation Dublin had one there in April and are having another at the October bank holiday weekend, maybe you could try that. And I think Kagyu Samye Dzong booked it for a week last year or the year before. They're just 2 but I'm sure other groups hire it. If you could track down a number for it, they might be able to tell you if there are any groups that use it regularly.

Hope you end up finding something!

Cherrypenguin

gnu,
thats great! thank you for all the help i really appreciate it! i hope i can keep asking questions without becoming tedious :P

gnu, you've been very helpful with your advice - thanks. I was considering one of the day or weekend retreats for a while, but I have had no time.
CP, I also have not joined a sangha, and it's been about 10 years for me I lean toward theravada as well these days, so I think it's not as bad. I have looked into finding local ones but a lot of them seem to be zen or tibetan.
Best of luck in the searching and always ask questions!! I am sure the more you ask, the more we will all learn!

gnu

Wow, thanks!

Cherrypenguin - ask away! Chances are whatever you ask will benefit many others wondering the same thing.
Bluewolf, I haven't been on the path as long as you (about 2 years for me) and I too lean towards Theravada.


I noticed that Kagyu Samye Dzong are running a weekend retreat in An Tobar in August. I've copied this from their website:

Weekend Residential Retreat with Donal Creedon, An Tobar, Ardbracan, Navan Co.Meath

Friday 19th August 5pm – Sunday 21st August 4pm

Cost €215 Price includes single room, all food (Vegetarian), meditation instruction and teachings.

Donal Creedon is a meditation teacher with many years experience, loved and deeply appreciated for his warmth, openness and sincerity. Donal has spent 12 years in retreat and was also a fellow of the Krishnamurti Foundation of India for 3 years.

Donal will lead his ever-popular residential retreat in An Tobar, Co. Meath. Places are limited so be sure to book your place well in advance. Please make your booking through the office at 01 4537427 or info@buddhism.ie



€100 deposit will secure your place on this retreat. Please return your deposit by 18th July, cheques payable to “Kagyu Buddhism Ireland”



“The Still Point”

A weekend retreat in which we will explore through meditation and dialogue the possibility of a different way of living in the world of change and uncertainty. In particular we will concern ourselves with the question of bringing a quality of listening and choiceless awareness into our lives and perhaps discovering the still point amidst the 'slings and arrows'



Retreat starts at 5pm on friday 19th and finishes at 4pm on sunday 21st


Please bring bed linen, towels. Meditation cushions will be provided but bring your own if preferable.