Hi Dhamma Wheel,
I already registered some time ago, but haven't gotten around to doing any posting yet. Time to change that.
So, what to say? About 3 years ago I first seriously read about Buddhism. Though this began as just a cursory interest, it quickly became more serious as I encountered a body of thought unlike any religion or philosophy I encountered before. Up to then, I had considered suffering to be just another fact of life, not worthy of much thought, and when I did think about it, I'd blame perceived inherent qualities of myself or the world for whatever pain I felt. Buddhism opened my eyes to a different way of viewing suffering: not self-made, not world-made, but action-made, dependent on impermanent conditions, and therefore changeable, escapeable.
Soon after I converted, making the resolution to keep the 5 precepts. Since then I've broken them many times, but I keep trying, and as my understanding of the teachings progresses, keeping the precepts becomes easier and less of a struggle.
To this day though, I've never set foot in a buddhist temple/monastery, and haven't even spoken with a buddhist offline. Even online, my contact with other buddhists has been incidental and limited. Having nobody to discuss the path with means I'm stuck with my own delusions, hampering my progress. I've joined your forum hoping to change this, hoping to benefit from your insights, and hoping that my own contributions will be of use.
I've been visiting this forum for a few months now, and am impressed by the obvious culture of civility and respect here. I'm used to a far more confrontational form of discussion, so posting here will be quite a change from my normal approach. I'll endeavour to be civil and respectful always, but old habits will undoubtedly show themselves. When they do, please forgive me.
That is all for now. I'm looking forward to posting more soon!
All the best,
Matais
Hello!
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reflection
- Posts: 1116
- Joined: Wed Mar 30, 2011 9:27 pm
Re: Hello!
Welcome!
As a suggestion: Perhaps you could post where you live so you can come into contact with other practitioners locally.
With metta,
Reflection
As a suggestion: Perhaps you could post where you live so you can come into contact with other practitioners locally.
With metta,
Reflection
Re: Hello!
Hi Reflection,reflection wrote:Welcome!
As a suggestion: Perhaps you could post where you live so you can come into contact with other practitioners locally.
With metta,
Reflection
I'm from the Netherlands. I feel uncomfortable being more precise than that though.
All the best,
Matais
Re: Hello!
Welcome to Dhamma Wheel Matais!
This is a good opportunity to get in touch with some other buddhists, hope you enjoy your time here.
Best wishes,
Alobha
This is a good opportunity to get in touch with some other buddhists, hope you enjoy your time here.
Best wishes,
Alobha
Re: Hello!
Welcome! look forward to reading more from you Matais! 
---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 ---
Re: Hello!
Welcome Matais!
Liberation is the inevitable fruit of the path and is bound to blossom forth when there is steady and persistent practice. The only requirements for reaching the final goal are two: to start and to continue. If these requirements are met there is no doubt the goal will be attained. This is the Dhamma, the undeviating law.
- BB
- BB
Re: Hello!
Greetings Matais and welcome to Dhamma Wheel!
“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]..
-
Khalil Bodhi
- Posts: 2250
- Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2009 6:32 pm
- Location: NYC
- Contact:
Re: Hello!
Welcome to DW Matais!
To avoid all evil, to cultivate good, and to cleanse one's mind — this is the teaching of the Buddhas.
-Dhp. 183
The Stoic Buddhist: https://www.quora.com/q/dwxmcndlgmobmeu ... pOR2p0uAdH
My Practice Blog:
http://khalilbodhi.wordpress.com
-Dhp. 183
The Stoic Buddhist: https://www.quora.com/q/dwxmcndlgmobmeu ... pOR2p0uAdH
My Practice Blog:
http://khalilbodhi.wordpress.com
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waimengwan
- Posts: 159
- Joined: Thu Jul 12, 2012 2:22 am
Re: Hello!
Welcome Matais 
hope you find much dhamma here.
hope you find much dhamma here.
Re: Hello!
Welcome to the forum! New here myself, so hopefully we'll both find what we seek.
Visit leafSpirit for helpful articles on meditation.
-
retrofuturist
- Posts: 27858
- Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 9:52 pm
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
- Contact:
Re: Hello!
Greetings Matais,
Welcome to Dhamma Wheel and thanks for the intro.
Metta,
Retro.
Welcome to Dhamma Wheel and thanks for the intro.
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."