[glazgoR@]

Hey everyone. I'm interested in learning more about Buddhism. I am mainly interested in the Mahayana school. However, I live in the heart of the Bible Belt of the southern U.S. so there is only one Buddhist center near me and it focuses on the Tibetan school.

Is it acceptable to learn from a certain school so that I can learn the basics even if Tibetan Buddhism may not be for me? Most christian churches are very focused on getting you to follow their path, but I'm assuming Buddhism is different.

[ViaxobbimeVar]

Hi white_wolf and welcome.

My personal opinion is that its a sensible idea to investigate and be familiar with the core teachings of the Buddha first, before getting too involved with any of the different traditions/schools. A good place to start is the study section of the Buddhanet site.

http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/index.htm

with kind wishes,

Aloka-D

[Keyblctt]

I'll read through that. On a side note, I can't believe I misspelled the word "white." Clearly I should go to bed here soon.

[soajerwaradaY]

welcome white wolf

in my experience, most Buddhist groups are very open minded. i personally have felt welcome at every Buddhist centre i have visited, especially Tibetan. i was once the librarian at a Tibetan Buddhist centre, even though they were well aware i was not a Tibetan Buddhist and just visiting once a week to learn

in Buddhism, finding what suits us as individuals is most important, so we have to explore different teachings

in Buddhism, we say: "Be at ease"

please report back to us and tell about your visit (if you decide)

best wishes