What do you give to a beginner online?

[Padmist]

If someone online asks "Where do I get started with Buddhism?" or "Where do I learn more about Buddhism?" or "What books/websites/videos/podcasts do you recommend to get started with Buddhism" what do you give?

Please share. Thanks.

[Inedible]

I'd suggest starting with the Suttas as quickly as possible. Otherwise you can quickly end up going from one commentator's opinion to another. And if you are still fairly young and you have free time, consider learning Pali so you can read them for yourself. I have been struggling for decades trying to make sense of things because no matter what I read there is always someone who can convince me it is wrong. I'm still just trying to establish a foundation for my practice. I get confused easily about what should be happening and when when I sit to meditate. And too often nothing happens, so it startles me when anything does. Back in high school and college I still had all kinds of weird side effects. At least something was going on then.

[DooDoot]

It depends on the beginner and what they are looking for.

[DooDoot]

What would you recommend someone to read, top 5, to get a good grasp of Early Buddhism, fast?

MN 61
MN 19
MN 62
SN 56.11 with SN 45.8
SN 22.59 with SN 22.1

[JohnK]

I sometimes point out the Introductory Resources here in this sub-forum.
https://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=148

[befriend]

Anything written by bhante gunaratana is good because it's easy to understand specifically 8 mindful steps to happiness sums up Buddhism.

[coconut]

The 4 nikayas, starting with samma ditthi sutta or the first sermon.

[JohnK]

Bhikhu Bodhi's essay on the path.
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/aut ... toend.html

[cappuccino]

Four Noble Truths

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Noble_Truths

[Lucas Oliveira]

Tipitaka - Overview
https://cdn.amaravati.org/wp-content/up ... rsion-.pdf

Access to Insight
Readings in Theravada Buddhism
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/

SuttaCentral
Early Buddhist texts, translations, and parallels
https://suttacentral.net/

[Inedible]

There is no lack of information out there about Buddhism. A quick Google search can give an overwhelming amount of facts. A thread like this is asking what the most important thing is to know to begin practicing right away for the purpose of changing now. What is the single biggest lesson you have learned as a Buddhist that you wish you had known from the beginning?

[mjaviem]

If someone online asks "Where do I get started with Buddhism?" or "Where do I learn more about Buddhism?" or "What books/websites/videos/podcasts do you recommend to get started with Buddhism" what do you give?

Please share. Thanks.

As a beginner myself, I gave me the Bikkhu Boddhi's Introduction to buddhism Youtube playlist:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgu0 ... ZmNwbHNE43

[SarathW]

This is my standard recommendation for beginners:
a)
Watch the video "A short introduction to Buddism" by Bhikkhu Bodhi





Read Buddhism course. (Take about 12 hours to read and give you a good idea about the teaching)
http://www.urbandharma.org/pdf/PDF_BuddhismCourse/

a) Listen to the ten lecture series by Bhikkhu Bodhi

https://bodhimonastery.org/the-buddhas- ... it-is.html


b)Print a copy of this Dhamma Chart and refer to it while studying Buddhism.
http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=16785


c) Read Buddha’s Teaching by Narada. Start from chapter 15.

http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/buddh ... gsurw6.pdf

d) While you reading texts please listen to the following Dhamma Talk by Joseph Goldstein.
http://www.dharmaseed.org/teacher/96/talk/6162/

e) Start reading Sutta.
Good starting point would be to read Bikkhu Bodhi’s “In the Buddha’s Word”
Link to the summary:
viewtopic.php?f=25&t=19951

Then read Sutta or listen to Central. Start from Majjhima Nikaya. https://suttacentral.net/mn

f) Last but not least practice what you learn.

[sakka]

Luangpor Dhammavuddho

Click On English August 2019:

Introductory and Advanced Dhamma Talks and almost all of the suttas in all the Nikayas read outloud and then explained: https://tinyurl.com/y32dw3m5

https://vbgnet.org/

Also on Youtube and Spotify.

[Eko Care]

I'd suggest starting with the Suttas as quickly as possible. Otherwise you can quickly end up going from one commentator's opinion to another.

What about the unclear(meaning) passages of the suttas which are susceptible to different interpretation by different people?

And if you are still fairly young and you have free time, consider learning Pali

Good advice.

I have been struggling for decades trying to make sense of things ........
no matter what I read there is always someone who can convince me it is wrong ........
I'm still just trying to establish a foundation for my practice ........
I get confused easily about what should be happening ........
Back in high school and college I still had all kinds of weird side effects ........

So, having read these, will he (beginner) trust your advice?

I sometimes point out the Introductory Resources here in this sub-forum.
viewtopic.php?f=24&t=148

Resources may be good. Nevertheless there is a problem as well.
When the beginner is attracted by the Dhamma in a cerain modern website/book, he is at a risk of believing some heterodox views/opinions the translator/author says in the footnotes or in other places of the website/book. How to overcome this risk?

Anything written by bhante gunaratana is good

Double check the first word, please.

The 4 nikayas ...

What is the problem with the other nikaya?

1. https://cdn.amaravati.org
2. https://www.accesstoinsight.org
3. https://suttacentral.net

Some say:
1. excluding: Universal Consciousness
2. excluding: AttaAnatta
3. excluding: Feminism
1,2,3,4: excluding: Uncertain chronology

a)b)c)d)e)

Good, nevertheles, Bhikkhu Bodhi mentions about two classical interpretations that most of the westerners found it difficult to accept.
Those may be the most common risky points the beginner can hardly win. Those are:
1. There is no Antarabhava
2. Eigth ariya of the eight-fold sangha is the monk who spend the moment just before the phala moment (except in the Dakkhinavibhanga sutta)

f) Last but not least practice what you learn.

except badly learned ideas.