Beginning a Practice

taintedfire12

I've been studying Buddhism for about 5 years now. I say "studying" because basically, that's what it's been-almost purely intellectual. I've read books by such authors as HH the Dalai Lama, Pema Chodron, Thubten Chodron (Whose youtube video library of Bodhisattva Breakfast corner, I watch regularly) and many others. I also took such college courses on the History of Buddhism and eastern thought.

Like many college students (or just people, really), I struggle with a certain level of monotony in everyday life. Sometimes it all becomes very depressing. That being said, starting a regular meditation practice has become more and more of an interesting prospect. I'm finding beginning one to be interesting as well...in that I feel like I don't really know what I'm doing-despite all the research.

I recently found that there is a Tibetan Dharma Center not far from where I now live. I visited once and after my first encounter with an actual Sangha member, received a wrist mala with instructions to recite the mantra of Shakyamuni Buddha 10,000 times...After I looked at him he quickly added that even just 2 mins would make a difference...He also told me that I should return to the center in a years' time. At that time, he said, he would be the main teacher and he teaches in English (the current only speaks Tibetan and communicates through a translator). Maybe this is the affliction of impatience on my part...but a year seems too far away to begin practicing.

I guess what I'm most curious to know about is how some of the people of this community came about establishing a daily meditation practice and what it means to them. How did you start off? What meditations do you do regularly?Lamrim or mindfulness? Breathing or analytical?

I really feel like this is a part of my life were I'm gonna be making a lot of my future what it will be. Therefore, I feel now is the time to be present. I feel like a subtle part of me has seen the limitations of mere sense pleasures' ability to grant and sustain happiness (although it is still plenty easy to join my friends at the parties-let me tell you...)Anyway, any advice would be most appreciated and sorry for this obnoxiously long post

Cloud

I didn't start off with any meditation practice; I started off studying Buddhism as much as I could, from every angle, being quite wary of falling into the trap of a biased view (difficult to be comfortable choosing one form over another, not knowing what is closest to what the Buddha actually taught or intended, but enough effort can steer you where you want to be). It was only after I was comfortable with what I felt were the central aspects of all Buddhist traditions that I began a meditation practice, which was/is Samatha-Vipassana. Only after that meditation practice had been long-established did I begin leaning toward two particular forms of Buddhism based on personal growth (my own path).

Study never survives first contact with practice. All of our expectations get turned on their head as we go beyond the realm of words and thought. Thought you may not feel as if you know what you're doing right now, as long as you've got a good understanding of your meditation practice and put effort into it you should get a handle on it. After you know what it's really like, off-the-book so to speak, it begins to be more about your own experience than what you expect. If you don't have an actual teacher to teach you meditation, I'd recommend in-depth study of whatever technique you choose.