[advabHixavoip]

I dont feel confident to ask questions when i'm at teachings because there are so many people who seem to know so much and I feel like a dummy in comparison.

Hi peace!

I have had that same feeling. As I am a Soto Zen practitioner and I attend teishos, dashins and seshins; at the beginning I was not confident to ask questions because... how were you asking if you have a roshi? but latter on I discovered that at the dojo there are no discussion like in here because we all are into the tradition and discussions are just about things that belong to it.

Here I discovered that discussions are because there are people with different views about practice, different backgrounds and also different tempers toward the practice and I get hooked into them and I started to learn a lot more and to use that learning privately to improve my own understanding.

There was a time when some members encouraged people (here) to go to the source of the teachings, to read and understood the Pali Canon and I take the challenge and surprisingly I discovered a refreshing view about Buddhism. From then and until today I still study the Pali teachings that have given me a better frame to my practice.

As you, I still conceive myself as a beginner and I know it because I am still learning from all members in the discussion at the threads. I like to discuss because I do not know off line many people that is interested in Buddhism like here. My sangha is really little and ceremonial and the study of the Pali teachings is just around the Four Noble Truths but they do not go really further because we have Dogen's teachings as important as those of the historical Buddha. I fit well in Zen, but I have found really great to be into the Pali and here into discussions. This has been a very important source of learning and inspiration and to be humble, even when it seems not, about what I have given as a fact.

[Uciaucrx]

There was a time when some members encouraged people (here) to go to the source of the teachings, to read and understood the Pali Canon and I take the challenge and surprisingly I discovered a refreshing view about Buddhism. From then and until today I still study the Pali teachings that have given me a better frame to my practice.

...and they were correct in encourging people to do so. In some traditions the teachings of the historical Buddha from the Pali suttas can be given far less emphasis than the works of later teachers.

[jyhugikuhih]

Hi, Peace. I think fojiao2 got you off to a good start. It's fairly simple, really. Yes, we aim to advance enough in this lifetime that we reach Enlightenment and therefore escape the cycle of involuntary rebirth. The lamas (and countless others, who don't happen to wear lamas' garb) choose to return, in order to bring Enlightenment to more people, and end suffering for as many as possible. They've taken the bodhisattva vow, so they've vowed to return until all suffering has ended. The Mahayana may be called "idealistic", but it is also noble and compassionate. One doesn't suffer just because others are suffering. If you're speaking of a bodhisattva who has returned to serve others, then you're talking about an Enlightened being, who maintains equanimity in the face of great suffering.

Are you studying with a teacher? Yours are very good questions for your teacher. Do you have access to a sangha?

[gSjQEEmq]

Are you studying with a teacher? Yours are very good questions for your teacher. Do you have access to a sangha?

Hi Mystic1,

If you read the rest of the thread, you'll see that Peace and Daisies says in#11 that she has been attending a centre for several years.

She also mentions that she has a teacher in a thread in the Mahayana forum.

with kind wishes,

A-D

[WGfg4CCZ]

Hi Mystic1,

If you read the rest of the thread, you'll see that Peace and Daisies says in#11 that she has been attending a centre for several years.
with kind wishes,A-D

Thanks, I must have missed that. Did she say why she hadn't addressed these questions to her teacher? I'm a little puzzled.

[Cofeeman]

Did she say why she hadn't addressed these questions to her teacher?

No, she didn't.

You can read peoples previous posts for yourself by clicking on their name and then on ''view forum posts''.

[Giselle]

Hi Mystic - yes I am studying with a teacher. I am very very lucky that he is extremely kind and patient and even luckier that he has an open door policy, so I can go there anytime. I normally ask lots of questions but because I was so confused in my own head about this subject I didn't want to ask my teacher via the translator because while it is hard enough to understand my teacher, it is sometimes harder to understand the translator - if you get what I mean. So I thought i'd ask here lol....and glad I did.