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I want to become a Buddhist. Where should i start?
Hi,
I have long believed in many of the principles and beliefs of Buddhism and that there was power greater than mankinds' existent within the cosmos. I now feel that it is time for me to become part of a religion so that i have people to share my ideas and views with, and to ask for advice when i am in need of it. As i already, coincidentially, believe in many of the principles of Buddhism, i wish to become a Buddhist, as long have i admired Buddhists' great knowledge, wisdom, and ability to balance themselves, not as good or bad, but as 'viewers' of life; people who can stand back from life and think justly and fairly about what is happening. I would like very much to become a Buddhist, but where do i start, and what should i know and learn?
Thanks for your time,
Yours faithfully,
Thomas Fitzgerald
I have long believed in many of the principles and beliefs of Buddhism and that there was power greater than mankinds' existent within the cosmos. I now feel that it is time for me to become part of a religion so that i have people to share my ideas and views with, and to ask for advice when i am in need of it. As i already, coincidentially, believe in many of the principles of Buddhism, i wish to become a Buddhist, as long have i admired Buddhists' great knowledge, wisdom, and ability to balance themselves, not as good or bad, but as 'viewers' of life; people who can stand back from life and think justly and fairly about what is happening. I would like very much to become a Buddhist, but where do i start, and what should i know and learn?
Thanks for your time,
Yours faithfully,
Thomas Fitzgerald
0
Comments
Welcome!
I think you're on a good start. There is lots of information right here. Links, thoughts, discussions, etc that you could peruse. I believe there are also threads that you can go to for basic, beginning teachings of Buddhism.
Hopefully this helps and it's nice to meet you.
http://www.newbuddhist.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11
http://www.newbuddhist.com/forum/showthread.php?t=715
http://www.newbuddhist.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14
-bf
Where should you start?
Your mind.
What should you know?
Your mind.
Anything else and you'll have to be more specific.
Jason
May I suggest that you read some Buddhist books? (IMHO) it is the best way to learn and discover at your own pace.
I humbly recommend "Buddhism Without Beliefs" by Stephen Batchelor and "The life and teachings of the Buddha" by Narada Thera.
Best wishes, and may you find what you seek
hope
Never be afraid to ask questions, and always listen to everything before deciding whether something is - or isn't - right for you....
This is in fact one of the most fundamental teachings of the Buddha himself, and he did mean everything, including what he taught.
Join in, engage and enjoy.
Welcome.
Yes, that about sums it up!!
Welcome to our site! Just ask lots of questions!
Hi, Thomas. Welcome! Glad to see you.
I found "Buddhism for Beginners" by Thubten Chodron to be a great help when I was first starting out. She's a Buddhist nun and has a great way of explaining things to westerners in an easy to understand manner. She's very down to earth and a wonderful teacher.
I also love reading anything by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He's my favourite role model and I find his writing to be very easy to understand. I love the way he phrases things.
Learning about Buddhism takes time so be patient with yourself. It's also pretty methodical and is meant to be learned one step at a time. So start at the beginning and work your way to the more difficult stuff slowly. Baby steps.
Here are some links that might get you started:
Simple answers
Where to begin
More basics
Mindfulness in Plain English
Start with The Four Noble Truths, The Noble Eightfold Path and the Five Precepts. These are the core of Buddhism in every tradition. Once you learn the basics you can go on to learning about the different traditions and schools of Buddhism.
Have fun and you can depend on us to support you and help you whenever we can. One of the great things about this site is the diversity which I think is a rare and beautiful thing. We discuss all aspects of Buddhism here and we're mostly oriented to the beginner Buddhist. There's not a lot of debate going on here because it tends to waste time and can be confusing for the beginner. It's enough to just discuss and learn about Buddhism as you will see. There's a lot to know and understand! LOL.
Make yourself at home and know you are welcome here.
Brigid
Do it at your own pace. Check in here regularly to read the informative posts and visit the numerous websites that all offer explanations, online courses, etc. Try looking at About.com to enroll in one or more of their FREE online Buddhism courses! I did and they are great!