[Ngdyoysv]

I have just read Bhante Vimalaramsi's transcript posted in this forum by Aloka-D. What an inspirational start to the day, thank you for posting it! One of the things I have taken from the talk is to just get stuck in...

My plan is to try to become more consistant with the meditating I have been doing sporadically. I have the Eightfold Path written where I can see it and a heart filled with love and good intentions.

I wonder if anyone would be like to share a story from the beginning of their journey with me? I have plenty to learn and no idea where to begin or which direction to head in! I'm hoping that learning more about how my future friends got started will help me to find my way

Fee

[hechicxxrr]

Hi Fee,

Something I can share with you is that I think its a good idea to just take your time and continue to carefully investigate the Buddha's core teachings first, before getting involved with a specific tradition too quickly.

I got involved offline very quickly and regretted at a later time that I hadn't investigated more thoroughly to begin with .

There's a thread in the General Buddhist discussions forum to which some members contributed which you might like to look at. Its called "How did you come into contact with Buddhism"


http://www.buddhismwithoutboundaries...-with-Buddhism

with kind wishes,

Aloka

[Gulauur]

Thank you Aloka-D,

I went to an offline meeting with an SGI group last week. I loved the people that I met there, but I'm not convinced that it is the right branch of Buddhism for me. I think I can benefit from your experience by carefully considering what I commit to at this stage. Thanks for the advice

Fee

[illilmicy]

Hi Fee,

You need this and this.

And I would read up on SGI before getting too involved. A lot of folks have had very negative experiences with them, and they're generally considered a sect. Granted some of them are good people, but their members are known to hate on other Buddhists (they consider them hell dwellers because they don't worship Nichiren), harass people who leave the organization, missionize heavily, etc. One of our members was in a conversation with one of their adherents who considered the teachings of the historical Buddha (the founder of Buddhism) "dead bones".

Here is our Nichiren thread. You might wanna read through it.

If you're seriously interested in Nichiren Buddhism, there are other groups practicing it that are not so sect-like.

It's nice with a Western Buddhist school that doesn't teach superstitious nonsense, and their practices (like the chanting) seem really nice, but I still wouldn't trust them.

Good luck.

[Intiltern]

Good places to start :

The four noble truths (4NT link sountrack shared should be good) and the noble 8-fold path:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/a.../waytoend.html

[nannysuetle]

Hi, Fee! It looks like everyone is giving you good advice. In particular, I agree with Aloka-D's advice to start with the core teachings. They will serve as a guide for evaluating the teachings of any particular school or teacher.

[moopierof]

Thank you for the advice soundtrack, I am reading up on the SGI. Although the people I met were just lovely, I'm don't think that Nichiren is for me.

Deshy you are a star! Thank you for the link, what a great place to start. I'll be having a read through that this evening.

FBM I hadn't thought that I should be evaluating the teachings of a school or teacher, what a great way to look at things. Thanks for the tip

Fee

[putza]

Hi Fee,

I join with the opinions given here.

Mostly that one from Aloka and FBM. Before getting too involved into a tradition it can be good to go and explore the core teachings and the experienced explorations around them.

Mabye can happen that the urgency to belong to a tradition will lessen as you get deep into what the Buddha taught.

In the same way that happend with Aloka, happend to me.

I get involved in a tradition that did not work well while the teachings of Buddha have become, now, the refuge in Buddha and his spoken Dhamma recorded in the most part of the Nikayas.

Kind wishes,

[optormtix]

By the way,

During my exploration to practice I found a SGI. The people there was really charming. Great friends were made but superstition, future abodes, magical thinking and the like -some traditions are like that and hook people endlessly into such- do not fit well with me, so I left it pretty soon.

[SaamanthaSterlyng]

FBM I hadn't thought that I should be evaluating the teachings of a school or teacher, what a great way to look at things. Thanks for the tip

Fee

My pleasure. Here in Korea, there is a saying/tradition that one should spend at least 5 years evaluating a teacher before deciding whether or not to become his/her disciple. I think the unspoken idea is that one should take time to understand the essence of what the Buddha taught before committing oneself to a particular path. "Look before you leap" and that sort of thing.

[chuecaloversvv]

Kaarine, thank you for your response. I think this community will offer the support that I need to start learning. I've had such a warm welcome today, its been wonderful! I appreciate the advice I've been given and will definitely take my time in deciding which path is right for me.

FBM...5 years! Now that is some evaluation! I hear what you are saying to me though. I intend to learn, so that when the time comes I can assess whether or not a particular teacher or a path is as good choice for me.

I feel very fortunate that you have all taken the time to help me today. Thank you, your comments are appreciated.

Fee