Hello to everyone,
I recently joined your sister site of Dharma Wheel (Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism) which if I may say so, has been quite interesting. Someone on the forum suggested that I might look into the Theravada Tradition since in my particular case it might be the better route to take.
I grew up in in what might be considered a very fundamentalist Christian household. As time went on I studied Biblical and Systematic theology. By the mid-nineties I went through what might be described as a spiritual crisis which resulted in my questioning most of my long held beliefs. Many things I once believed in just did not make any sense. I eventually became disillusioned with organized religion altogether.
As for eastern religions, my first exposure was reading various books on Taoism, Hinduism and Buddhism. I have also been an avid reader of various Buddhist magazines such as Shambhala Sun, Buddhadharma and Tricycle. Many of the articles have given me much needed and practical advice when it comes to living in our very perplexing world.
At this point in time I might consider myself simply as a searcher with lots of questions and very few answers.
One thing I have noticed is that Buddhism has many different traditions with varying viewpoints on many different subjects. In fact it seems that debates are quite common and the terminology can be overwhelming. To be honest this can be extremely confusing for a beginner… Help!
Thanks for the great forum!
Peace and Love to all.
Namaste
Mike
Greetings
- retrofuturist
- Posts: 27860
- Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 9:52 pm
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
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Re: Greetings
Greetings,
Well, welcome to Dhamma Wheel.
Thanks for sharing your background and I'm sure people here will be more than willing to respond to any questions you have.
There are a lot of Theravada resources online (free of course) so you'll find plenty to go on with, if you're interested.
Metta,
Retro.
Not keen on the old cultural accretions then, I guess?M.Takoda wrote:Someone on the forum suggested that I might look into the Theravada Tradition since in my particular case it might be the better route to take.
Well, welcome to Dhamma Wheel.
Thanks for sharing your background and I'm sure people here will be more than willing to respond to any questions you have.
There are a lot of Theravada resources online (free of course) so you'll find plenty to go on with, if you're interested.
Metta,
Retro.
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
Re: Greetings
Hello Mike,Mike said:I went through what might be described as a spiritual crisis which resulted in my questioning most of my long held beliefs. Many things I once believed in just did not make any sense. I eventually became disillusioned with organized religion altogether.
Welcome!
This sounds like the trigger that eventually brought me (and many of us) to the Dhamma of the Theravada.
Take your time and 'test and taste' everything.
with metta
Chris
---The trouble is that you think you have time---
---Worry is the Interest, paid in advance, on a debt you may never owe---
---It's not what happens to you in life that is important ~ it's what you do with it ---
---Worry is the Interest, paid in advance, on a debt you may never owe---
---It's not what happens to you in life that is important ~ it's what you do with it ---
- DNS
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Re: Greetings
Welcome to Dhamma Wheel!
- LonesomeYogurt
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Re: Greetings
Haha I read that as "In my mid-nineties..." You were about to take the title of oldest site member by far!M.Takoda wrote:By the mid-nineties I went through what might be described as a spiritual crisis which resulted in my questioning most of my long held beliefs.
I grew up in the same kind of situation and I hope you find what you're looking for in the Buddhadhamma as I did!
Gain and loss, status and disgrace,
censure and praise, pleasure and pain:
these conditions among human beings are inconstant,
impermanent, subject to change.
Knowing this, the wise person, mindful,
ponders these changing conditions.
Desirable things don’t charm the mind,
undesirable ones bring no resistance.
His welcoming and rebelling are scattered,
gone to their end,
do not exist.
- Lokavipatti Sutta
Stuff I write about things.
censure and praise, pleasure and pain:
these conditions among human beings are inconstant,
impermanent, subject to change.
Knowing this, the wise person, mindful,
ponders these changing conditions.
Desirable things don’t charm the mind,
undesirable ones bring no resistance.
His welcoming and rebelling are scattered,
gone to their end,
do not exist.
- Lokavipatti Sutta
Stuff I write about things.
Re: Greetings
Greetings Mike and welcome!
You'll find some introductory resources in a pinned thread in the "Discovering Theravada" forum.
kind regards,
Ben
You'll find some introductory resources in a pinned thread in the "Discovering Theravada" forum.
kind regards,
Ben
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road
Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725
Compassionate Hands Foundation (Buddhist aid in Myanmar) • Buddhist Global Relief • UNHCR
e: [email protected]..
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road
Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725
Compassionate Hands Foundation (Buddhist aid in Myanmar) • Buddhist Global Relief • UNHCR
e: [email protected]..