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Greetings!

Postby Pathero » Sun Sep 16, 2012 3:14 am

Hello and greetings from England! :)

I am new to Dhamma Wheel seeing as this category is about introduction let me introduce myself :)

My name is Blake and I'm 19 years young, I turn 20 in October.
I'm currently a student in College studying level 2 site carpentry.

My reason for signing up? - Well a few years a go I was visiting Sri Lanka on holiday with my parents as my dad has just been put in remission from cancer, whilst their I discovered Buddhism and I was so intrigued everything about it I could relate too!
Since then I've been fascinated by everything to do with Buddhism so this night I was searching forums and stumbled across this one and thought why not sign up and get more of an understanding and perhaps get some questions answered that I am curious about?

I have two questions to already fire away with
Number 1) I have tattoos all with a meaning - I have an Angel on my upper arm with my Grandparents names and dates of birth and death, I have my family name down my forearm and a script with mum and dad written in it on my wrist, I'm also getting a half sleeve on my other forearm with my brothers and sisters names entwined with a scroll reading "For Those I Love I Will Sacrifice" my main concern is I have a tattoo on my hand of a Celtic cross because I have Irish heritage but I feel if I wish to study Buddhism and perhaps even become a monk (If that is even possible for me?) that my tattoos will hinder me or they will be frowned upon, I have be contemplating for a while to have the one on my hand removed, and I feel that if I could become a monk if it was removed then I would certainly go through with it.
Sorry for such a long post and I can't wait to meet the rest of you and hear what you have to say, enjoy your Day/Afternoon/Evening or Night wherever you may be in the world!

Regards,
Blake :yingyang:
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Re: Greetings!

Postby cooran » Sun Sep 16, 2012 3:24 am

Welcome Blake! :group:
Maybe start a thread on ''Tattoos'' in one of the sub-forums?

Hope you enjoy DhammaWheel and glad to see you here.

with metta
Chris
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---It's not what happens to you in life that is important ~ it's what you do with it ---
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Re: Greetings!

Postby Ben » Sun Sep 16, 2012 4:19 am

Hi Blake
Welcome to Dhamma Wheel!
Don't worry about the tatts. They're not my cup of tea and I would encourage you to save your money for something more beneficial but - that is just my point of view. Many Buddhists have them and some Thai monks have them as well.
kind regards,

Ben
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Re: Greetings!

Postby David N. Snyder » Sun Sep 16, 2012 4:40 am

:hello:

Welcome to Dhamma Wheel!

As Ben stated, nothing wrong with the tatts. Many Buddhists have tattoos including monks. Nothing wrong with the cross either.

Like Ben, it's not my cup of tea, but they are becoming very common nowadays -- sometimes I feel as if I'm the only one left in Las Vegas with no tattoos of any kind.
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Re: Greetings!

Postby Hanzze » Sun Sep 16, 2012 4:44 am

Pathero wrote:"For Those I Love I Will Sacrifice"

As long as this (Sacrifice) is not the motivation to ordinate, there is for sure no problem with a tattoo.

Graditude (different to Sacrifice) for parents and ancestors as well as generosity for future generations is very importand for a good practice. Celtic heritage has lot of stuff that is useful in Buddhism as well.
There are even some "sects" who try to use it in a kind of mystical way: celticbuddhism, how every a down-to-earth like you will find here will be in anyway more secure.

Nice to meet you
Just that! *smile*
...We Buddhists must find the courage to leave our temples and enter the temples of human experience, temples that are filled with suffering. If we listen to Buddha, Christ, or Gandhi, we can do nothing else. The refugee camps, the prisons, the ghettos, and the battlefields will become our temples. We have so much work to do. ... Peace is Possible! Step by Step. - Samtach Preah Maha Ghosananda "Step by Step" http://www.ghosananda.org/bio_book.html

BUT! it is important to become a real Buddhist first. Like Punna did: Punna Sutta Nate sante baram sokham _()_
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Re: Greetings!

Postby Pathero » Mon Sep 17, 2012 1:22 am

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome, I will be sure to post a thread under the tattoo section but thanks for clearing a few things up!
Seeing as I'm fairly new to Buddhism, could anyone give me some guidance into how to lead a pure way of life and perhaps have the chance to become a monk?

It may sound a little out their haha! But I really am serious!

Thanks in advance, take care guys and girls!

Regards,
Blake :yingyang:
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Re: Greetings!

Postby cooran » Mon Sep 17, 2012 7:47 am

Hello Blake,

We have a whole sub-forum on Ordination with eight pages of threads. :-) Do a search within the sub-forum on the word ''purity''.
viewforum.php?f=30

with metta
Chris
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---It's not what happens to you in life that is important ~ it's what you do with it ---
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Re: Greetings!

Postby Khalil Bodhi » Mon Sep 17, 2012 9:15 am

Welcome Blake! I have tattoos too and, frankly, mine sound a lot sillier than yours (never give a 14 year old knowledge of tattooing). I wouldn't worry so much about it. :heart:
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Re: Greetings!

Postby Caraka » Mon Sep 17, 2012 9:45 am

Greetings:)

I love tattoo, I have my self. It is a personal art collection from various places where such condition arised.
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Re: Greetings!

Postby Pathero » Mon Sep 17, 2012 1:43 pm

Thanks once again guys, especially for the fast replies!
I think you have all cleared up the tattoo "issue" - But I will still browse through the forum and see what else I can learn about Buddhism which is a lot and I believe we can all expand our minds on Buddhism :)
Is their a topic or sub-topic in which I can learn about if I can become a monk?

Thanks for everyone being so friendly and helpful I cant stress how nice it is to find people as good hearted and pure as you all! :)

Regards,
Blake :yingyang:
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Re: Greetings!

Postby mikenz66 » Mon Sep 17, 2012 7:24 pm

Pathero wrote:Is their a topic or sub-topic in which I can learn about if I can become a monk?

There are many threads in this forum:
http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewforum.php?f=30

:anjali:
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