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From a 70-Year-Old Beginner

Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2012 7:05 pm
by AlwaysBeginning
Greetings,
I discovered Dhamma Wheel only recently, coincidentally at its 4th birthday, and was pleased to have done so. As a 70-year-old who has considered himself a “Buddhist” of one school or another since the age of 14 when I discovered a book on Zen by Alan Watts, I’ve been pleased to watch the Buddhadhamma grow among us Westerners from a seemingly quirky interest of a handful to a part of mainstream Western culture. My own interest in Buddhism started with more enthusiasm than understanding, despite the works of Watts and D. T. Suzuki, and I was unaware in my early years that there even was a meditative or ethical side to it at first. After a long casual period I became “serious” about the Dhamma in the late 1980s and early 1990s. At that time I learned about Theravada through the writings of Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield, and went on to begin reading some of the suttas, a little in the commentarial works, and some Southeast Asian teachers like Buddhadassa and Ajahn Chah. Besides the suttas I love reading anything by Eastern and Western monastics. I became a regular meditator, though I have yet to attend a retreat longer than a weekend. After discovering the importance of the meditation side of the Dhamma I began to wake up to the significance of the Precepts and the action steps of the Eightfold Path, finally gaining some understanding of the central place of ethics in Buddhism. I’ve had my “ups and downs” in my attempt to integrate the Dhamma into my life, including periods where I’ve stopped meditating altogether or have even doubted every aspect of the teachings. I consider myself “Theravada” in the sense of being centered in the teachings of the Pali Canon and the commentators, along with Theravada monastics. I personally can’t accept that “eclecticism” works, either by picking and choosing what we like from other faiths, ignoring or rejecting facets of Dhamma that we might find inconsistent with science (rebirth, for example), or even through creating our own “synthesis” of Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. But that’s just my opinion. I feel very fortunate to have discovered the Dhamma in this lifetime.

Re: From a 70-Year-Old Beginner

Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2012 7:14 pm
by Ben
Hi AB,
Welcome to Dhamma Wheel and thank you for your introduction.
From the sounds of things you might be ready for a residential meditation retreat.
Its something that I recommend.
kind regards,

Ben

Re: From a 70-Year-Old Beginner

Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2012 7:25 pm
by DNS
AlwaysBeginning wrote:
I was unaware in my early years that there even was a meditative or ethical side to it at first.
:D It appears the Beat Generation of early Buddhists / spiritual thinkers did their best to give that impression.

Great introduction! Welcome to Dhamma Wheel!

:buddha1:

Re: From a 70-Year-Old Beginner

Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2012 8:00 pm
by cooran
Welcome to DhammaWheel AlwaysBeginning! Hope to read more from you. :group:

with metta
Chris

Re: From a 70-Year-Old Beginner

Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2012 8:06 pm
by mikenz66
Welcome AlwaysBeginning!

:hello:

:anjali:
Mike

Re: From a 70-Year-Old Beginner

Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2012 8:29 pm
by Cittasanto
Welcome aboard

Re: From a 70-Year-Old Beginner

Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2012 2:55 am
by contemplating
I am new to this forum as well. Welcome. :smile:

Re: From a 70-Year-Old Beginner

Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2012 3:03 am
by tiltbillings
Welcome to you both.

Re: From a 70-Year-Old Beginner

Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2012 3:03 am
by bodom
Welcome!

:anjali:

Re: From a 70-Year-Old Beginner

Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2012 5:04 am
by alan...
this guy is boss!

seriously, welcome aboard! thanks for the story! inspiring.

Re: From a 70-Year-Old Beginner

Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2012 9:45 am
by Khalil Bodhi
Welcome to DW!