Newcomer

Teapot

Hey guys! I'm new to this forum and know little about Buddhism and am trying to learn. Any suggestions for ways to get started/ how to practice? Thanks!

Zenshin

You may find this series of videos on basic meditation by Ajahn Jayasaro of the Thai Forest Tradition useful.

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Teapot

Thank you!

federica

No, none at all. You think we know any more than you do? Sometimes, even the most accomplished teachers are closet dunderheads...

Have a look at the Book Thread...
Also, the main primary study for any would-be Buddhist, would be to study the 4 Noble Truths, and consider the 5 (initial) Precepts. Get those under your belt, and you're not doing too badly...

(Hint: Those topics are matters of discussion and investigation still, for those who have followed Buddhism all their lives... )

What brings you to Buddhism?

Walker

Hi @Teapot, and welcome.

A couple of introduction to Buddhism books I liked:

Buddhism For Dummies

The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching

Teapot

Thank you wisdom-givers! I look forward to these endeavors.

grackle

@Teapot. Welcome aboard. In addition to the above recommendations "What the Buddha Taught" by Wapola Rahula is worthwhile.

Shoshin

Welcome

Some people rush into Buddhism expecting thing to miraculously happen after one or two meditation sessions...However for most people (myself included) it takes time to chip away at the somewhat elusive entity known as the "self" to expose "Anatta" ="not-self"

There's plenty of information out there on Buddhism...
The Four Noble Truths is the thread that runs through all the Buddha's teachings which are known as "The Dharma"

Once you get started this short video clip is a good point to hold in mind, by practising this, it will help prevent burn out, ie, trying to do everything at once and becoming disheartened when finding that you can't ....

10% Advantage

As a Zen teacher once said "Paradoxically, it takes time to become who we already are!"

Teapot

I like your teapots hehe. Short and stout. Thank you all. Namaste

genkaku

Welcome @Teapot. Hope you find something useful here.

And, at the risk of self-promotional repetition, here is a one-page cheat-sheet I wrote a long time ago for a Christian who came to visit:

BUDDHISM

The truth of Buddhism does not come from a book. It does not come from a temple. It does not come from someone else. It is not written on a piece of paper. The truth of Buddhism comes from the individual effort to investigate, verify and actualize a clear understanding of this life.

Shakyamuni Buddha, the man most often referred to as the founder of Buddhism, was born on the border of India and Nepal in about 565 BC. He attained what is sometimes called enlightenment at 35 and preached until his death at 80. Many schools of Buddhism sprang from his teachings … in India, Tibet, China, Korea and Japan among others. Uncertain estimates put Buddhist numbers at about 350 million worldwide.

All Buddhist schools agree on at least two things:

1. THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS: These are observations about the world around us.

The Four Noble Truths are:

*** 1. There is suffering (dukkha – the uncertainties, dissatisfactions and doubts that life can dish up); 2. There is a cause of suffering; 3. There is an end to suffering; 4. There is a way to end suffering.

2. THE EIGHTFOLD PATH: These are the tools suggested as most useful when seeking out a truly peaceful life in a changing world.

The Eightfold Path is:

*** 1. Right View 2. Right Intention 3. Right Speech 4. Right Action 5. Right Livelihood 6. Right Effort 7. Right Mindfulness 8. Right Concentration.

The word "right" is sometimes translated as "complete." A “complete” effort is thorough-going and whole-hearted. Nothing is held back. Buddhism is not a threat-based persuasion: You won’t go to heaven (right) if you practice it and you won’t go to hell (wrong) if you don’t. But honesty is required -- complete honesty.

The Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path carry with them the verifiable observation that everything in life changes. There is nothing that does not change. Joy turns to sorrow, love turns to anger, birth turns to death, and the family car always gets a flat. All Buddhist schools agree on such things, but how they approach them may vary.

But as the Dalai Lama put it once, "Everyone wants to be happy." And that is probably as good a summary of Buddhism as any.

Best wishes.

Teapot

Thanks!!!

Jeroen

The key thing to realise about Buddhism, in my opinion, is that it is not a religion of "must". There are things that have negative consequences for your practice, but it is up to you whether to follow the hints towards a more positive style of being.

The Buddha once said, "test the teachings, and if you find them not to be true, discard them." In that way Buddhism is almost scientific - you check to see what works, what contributes to your inner transformation, and you follow that as a a golden thread.

I found the "Three Wheels" organisation of Buddhism a useful one, see here:

Three Turnings of the Wheel of Dharma

The first turning of the wheel contained quite a few important sutra's, including the 4 Noble Truths, and studying each of the wheels in turn takes you through the lore in more or less the order that the Buddha taught it. You can of course just start following lots of links and reading on Wikipedia about the Noble Eightfold Path, the Perfections (Paramita), and the 5 Precepts, and that gives you a basic understanding, but it helps to fit it all into a larger framework.

The other thing to keep in mind is that Buddhism is not a short study... Some modern spiritual directions give the impression you can just pick it up, but with Buddhism it does take time to learn and internalise the basic concepts, it takes time to learn about the streams and schools of Buddhism, and then you haven't even found a local centre to attend or a real teacher.

But it is a very rewarding path, you will learn a lot about yourself.

lobster

@Teapot said:
Hey guys! I'm new to this forum and know little about Buddhism and am trying to learn. Any suggestions for ways to get started/ how to practice? Thanks!

Hey!
Welcome. Practice being kind. That is a good start, practice and suitable for the enlightened too ...

Also slow down. Yep. Read slowly. Breath deeply. Think carefully (still working on that one).

RuddyDuck9

@lobster said:
Also slow down....Think carefully (still working on that one).

THIS