greetings (from a novice practitioner)

[phil-zero]

hello everyone,

I'm very new to the buddhist philosophy but just a couple weeks of study, meditation and contemplation has already begun a transformation within (and without!).

The Anattā doctrine is what initially caught my interest. The concept resonated with truth as I read it...impermanence...every conditioned thing on this planet is subject to the law of impermanence...every living thing, every thought, every feeling, every sensation, every life situation...everything...is temporary.

This revelation tied in perfectly with the concept of Dukkha. I began to see that one's suffering doesn't just "come from nowhere." I realized that all of the suffering i have experienced recently has been an entirely self-created "illusion" of sorts ..caused primarily by clinging to certain sensations, feelings, material things, and thoughts which were completely and totally temporary and transitory.

In that moment i began to realize the cause-effect nature of addiction/attachment and its subsequent pain. It can be an addiction to anything in life, and it always starts the same way...something gives us a pleasurable experience...because it feels good we repeat it...though it feels good, its temporal nature can never truly bring us fulfillment...the more we do it, the more attached we become to it...the more attached we become the more we feel we "need" it in order to be whole...the more we crave it, the more we ultimately suffer, drifting through an endless cycle of "needing" transient pleasures.

I've read more than just that but i'll stop here for brevity's sake. These two concepts alone have already helped me become more aware of the nature of things, including the mind, thoughts, feelings, desires, compulsions and addictions...as such, i look forward to learning more and applying Buddhist knowledge as much as possible.

Peace...

<<<phil-zero>>>

[Hanzze]

phil-zero,

I guess you already found the good book. Stay on it and do not seek to much outside. Let your heart teach it self. Let it dig.

[cooran]

Hello Phil,

Welcome to Dhammawheel! Look forward to reading your posts in the future.

with metta
Chris

[bodom]

Welcome Phil!

[Cittasanto]

Hi Phil!
Welcome aboard!

[David N. Snyder]

Welcome to Dhamma Wheel!