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New Here......Hello
Hello to everyone here.
Let me begin by saying I am very new to Buddhism. I will tell you that what I have learned over the past few weeks, while extremely miniscule in the whole realm of things, is so interesting to me. I was raised Catholic and my family still is. My wife and I sparsely attend church depending on the week and whether we believe our two daughters (3 yrs and 4 months) can handle it.
We both are looking for inner peace, meditation, more spirituality, a deeper understanding of ourselves and the universe, etc…….. No longer are the rules of come to Church or it a sin or this is why you need to give more money to the Church, and numerous other man made rules of control, working for me. I am seeking a deeper understanding of myself and why I am here and what the universe has in store for me. I can feel myself being stressed by my job, the little rugrats can also add to the stress and I am also in night school for my degree. I feel strongly that I am needing time to unwind, meditate and in the process learn more about Buddhism. My wife, a stay at home mom, also could use some time to unwind, meditate and gain deeper understanding as some days I come home and I don’t know how she has not torn her hair out.
I look forward to learning MUCH from this site and gaining help along the way.
Thank you
Let me begin by saying I am very new to Buddhism. I will tell you that what I have learned over the past few weeks, while extremely miniscule in the whole realm of things, is so interesting to me. I was raised Catholic and my family still is. My wife and I sparsely attend church depending on the week and whether we believe our two daughters (3 yrs and 4 months) can handle it.
We both are looking for inner peace, meditation, more spirituality, a deeper understanding of ourselves and the universe, etc…….. No longer are the rules of come to Church or it a sin or this is why you need to give more money to the Church, and numerous other man made rules of control, working for me. I am seeking a deeper understanding of myself and why I am here and what the universe has in store for me. I can feel myself being stressed by my job, the little rugrats can also add to the stress and I am also in night school for my degree. I feel strongly that I am needing time to unwind, meditate and in the process learn more about Buddhism. My wife, a stay at home mom, also could use some time to unwind, meditate and gain deeper understanding as some days I come home and I don’t know how she has not torn her hair out.
I look forward to learning MUCH from this site and gaining help along the way.
Thank you
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Comments
Buddhism is pretty simple. That's what makes it so hard. There are books to read and temples to visit and people to venerate if you choose to do so. But the simple/hard part is finding the courage and patience and doubt that will allow you to find your own deepest answers. Buddhism is for you, not the other way around ... you personally, you intimately, you at your most responsible and attentive.
Buddhism says, "Find out for yourself" and a lot of people are delighted to hear such an encouragement ... right up until the moment when they realize that it takes effort and discipline and a heap of wrong steps in order to practice what they preach. What makes 'walking the walk' a little easier is the practice of meditation, the actual-factual-sit-down-erect-your-spine-shut-up-and-focus-the-mind practice of meditation. Meditation builds the strength of experience, which is different from simply believing something.
Especially if you have a couple of children (I've got three so you have my sympathy/congratulations), it may be hard to find the time and space in which to exercise your formal practice. Short answer to that complaint: Tough titty ... everyone has a hard time. If it were easy, everyone would do it. Just be patienct and determined and constant. Keep your promises and if you don't keep your promises, skip the excuses and be honest: I choose not to keep this promise.
Patience, patience and more patience. Try to steer clear of imagining that one day the sky will light up with some sort of blissful fireworks. Buddhism is not about something else. Buddhism concerns itself with this. This second, this minute, this hour, this day, this week, this month, this year ... this this.
Take your time. Try to give your wife some breathing room if you can and let her do the same for you. Love your kids, study your studies, cook the food, practice when you practice ... a little at a time, things start to gel.
Best wishes.