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Advice for a beginner Buddhist?
Prayingmantis
New
Hello, I am Nikki, and I am a teenager who has recently become interested in buddhism, for I find it's teachings and values applicable to my life, and I would like enlightment.
I would like to start learning about Theravadan buddhism, but sadly have no teachers in my country, so I would like to start without guidance and in a few years travel to india and be mentored.
Any fellow buddhists can help a newbie out?
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Comments
For starters, I suggest reading the suttas, especially the Middle Length Discourses, and/or checking out Access to Insight.
What is a sutta?
Sutta = discourse of the Buddha.
Try a meditation method and do 10 minutes of meditation every day. Doing it every day is better than doing it off and on.
Yes, before you even think about traveling to India to join a sangha or become a monk, start by doing some daily meditation (nothing too extreme) and explore some of the huge variety of practices and traditions to be found on the internet.
It's not a race. Start by making some improvements in your life as it is. If in a few years, you still want to find a sangha, then you'll know.
Before reading anything else read the first discourse of the Buddha called Dhammacakkappavattana sutta.
And no, I have no idea how to pronounce it, either, and spelling it is right out of the question. Buddhism is full of words like that.
Sorry but I think you misunderstood me @Cinorjer, I was saying that reading the first discourse of the Buddha is the best place to begin to understanding the teachings of the Buddha.
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn56/sn56.011.than.html
Yes, he knows. I think he was being humorous....
I would recommend to get a copy of the Suttanipata. It is great.
Some of it can be found on Access to insight and on Google.
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/snp/
This one is in pdf and a good introduction to Theravada buddhism.
http://www.urbandharma.org/pdf/wordofbuddha.pdf
The home of Theravada is more Sri Lanka and Thailand btw.
@Prayingmantis, this link might be of some help...
Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu "Ask A Monk" series...
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Hello Nikki aka Prayingmantis,
I am almost a Buddhist so will do my best. I wish you every success:
I am assuming you have worked out how to use Google and Wikidpedia? People here will will answer beginner questions, such as overcoming enlightenment craving . . .
Sorry to hear you are not in Internet country where lots of Theravadin teachers are on YouTube. Do you have libraries where you are? I have heard they sometimes have some pre-kindle technology called 'books'.
You might get a grant for your Buddhist education when ready
http://theofferingbowl.com/index.php/sign-up
Here are some texts if you are interested . . .
http://www.buddhanet.net/ftp07.htm
:wave: .
I was trying to be. Should of used one of those emoticons, I guess. You gotta admit, Buddhism is full of tongue-twisting names.
(...should have.... )
Don't worry dear, he's just a colonial.
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Hee! My Appalachia upbringing sometimes crops up in the cracks.
Is that a euphemism....? :eek: .
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That was just...wrong. :facepalm: .
Thank you all!
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No problem. We're a slightly weird bunch, but we mean well!!
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Hi, @Prayingmantis: I find Walpola Rahula's "What the Buddha taught" and Thich Nhat Hahn's "The heart of the Buddha's teaching" are fantastic books to begin to learn about Buddhism.
We're not colonials, @SpinyNorman: more like empire-builder's leftovers.. :rolleyes: ..
^^..
. ^^
Reading books and learning the basic teachings is a good start. Although, I would say that for me, doing actual daily sitting meditation practice has been more helpful than reading any number of books, by far!
@Prayingmantis,
Which country are you from, if you don't mind me asking.
http://www.thisismyanmar.com/nibbana/#.VC-J9FdqMeU
http://www.tipitaka.net/tipitaka/dhp/verseload.php?verse=202
@Prayingmantis,
You may find this series of videos on meditation from Ajahn Jayasaro a Theravada monk from the Thai Forest tradition useful.
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Puerto Rico.
I would be surprised to find out there were no Buddhist temples or sanghas in Puerto Rico. Perhaps no traditional Theravada sanghas?
My personal advice would be to explore what Buddhist sanghas/schools/temples there are in Puerto Rico. There are a lot of Americans in your country and you know how they are about exotic religions
. In the end, the Theravadin path may not suit you in the long run. No one really knows this at the beginning -- it's like you have to expose yourself to many things in order to find out what resonates. Already you feel that Theravada resonates, that's excellent. There is much more, however, and what works best is individual, which is why there are many paths to the 'same place'.
ETA: I am primarily a Theravadin 'type' Buddhist, so I want to be clear that I don't put down Theravada
. I just hope you'll take advantage of what is available, just to get into it and experience Buddhism, even if it is not a strictly Theravadin temple.
Hi Nikki, The BPS Wheel series were written with beginners in mind and they are freely available from bps.lk/library_wheels.php. One I would particularly recommend is 206-7 Lay Buddhist Practice. When used alongside a good text on meditation and the basics of Buddhism, this document fills in all the other details about how to "be" a Buddhist. Of course it is only one way to be a Buddhist and most of it is totally unnecessary in practice but when you are just starting out without a teacher such things can help to build confidence enormously. What the Buddha Taught (by Walpola Rahula), Mindfulness in Plain English (by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana) and the BPS library should be enough to give you a really good start until you can find a teacher.
Hope that helps.
Buddhist centers in PR.
http://www.buddhanet.info/wbd/search.php?keyword=&search=Search&country_id=8&province_id=0
One not listed above: http://www.anumodana.org/ Looks like they are based in Thailand but have a center in PR also. http://www.anumodana.org/contacto-i.html