Unknown Path for right now.

newtome

How is everyone doing today, I am new to the whole Buddhism thing and I am really confused which path to go with, because I am the type of person that hunts deer to eat and sport but I do not let the meat go to waste, also I like to go out with my friends and drink at bars or my friends houses, I also love women and having sex. I have read a lot of different articles on the internet and not one of them is the same in text so I would like to know which is best for me. I have heard from different people that mahayana is more for a family life and thereavada is for monks, and also varajyana is a lot harder to do. I really do feel that Buddhism is right for me, but unsure which it should be. If anyone knows of websites or books for me to read please let me know.

RenGalskap

newtome wrote: »

I have heard from different people that mahayana is more for a family life and thereavada is for monks...

Where do all those Theravada babies come from? What are those monks doing? {puzzled}

Seriously, anytime someone told me that type X Buddhism is for type Z people, I would take it with a grain of salt.

Lots of people start off with one kind of Buddhism and later switch. It's not an irrevocable commitment. Pick something that looks good and try it out for a couple of years.

federica

Actually, if I may seem to contradict you Ren., I suggest doing the complete opposite....
if you are quite serious about pursuing a life where Buddhism would play a part in your daily comings-and-goings - I would steer clear of following any one particular 'School' or Tradition.
I would examine them all thoroughly and research both Mahayana and Theravada.

Mahayana has many sub-schools, including Tibetan and Zen. Theravada is mainly.. well, Theravada.

I would think that more in-depth study of both Traditions would stand you in good stead, rather than listening to snippets of misleading information - which you could easily verify or dismiss for yourself as either correct or incorrect, by reading up on them.
I have sent you a PM, with links to two very good websites.

One has its own integral member Forum, the other hasn't, but I have also sent you a link to a website dealing specifically with this Tradition.

Hope this helps.

RenGalskap

federica wrote: »

Actually, if I may seem to contradict you Ren., I suggest doing the complete opposite....
if you are quite serious about pursuing a life where Buddhism would play a part in your daily comings-and-goings - I would steer clear of following any one particular 'School' or Tradition.
I would examine them all thoroughly and research both Mahayana and Theravada...

That's excellent advice. Unfortunately, when I gave that advice in the past, I discovered that no one was taking it. And when I thought about it, I realized that I hadn't taken it. It would seem logical to thoroughly research Buddhism and pick the school that is the best fit, but most people stumble across something that looks good and go with it.

If you're determined the pick the best school, follow Fed's advice. If you're one of those people who lack the necessary self-discipline, or don't have the time, or find all that information confusing, or don't know what would make a particular school the best fit for you, welcome to the club. You've got lots of company, so don't feel guilty.

Fed's advice really is good. I'm not making fun of her. But don't feel bad if you do things differently. Some people need to start with a single school, gradually get to know the school, and with that as a basis, gradually start to learn about other schools. At some point they may decide that they want to switch schools. Or not. Regardless of how you search, there's lots of room in Buddhism for us screw ups.

nomad

I would take Fed’s advice. My own tradition is Theravada, and that was a choice I made after looking at a variety of schools and traditions. It is important to understand that there is a possibility that we may change our Buddhist school or tradition at some point in our lives and we shouldn't become too bogged down in the "type" of Buddhism we follow (unless it is somehow dangerous). The best advice, IMHO, is to find something that is suitable to you and your lifestyle; something that will give you inner peace and help you achieve nibbana. Best of luck!

~nomad

Brigid

RenGalskap wrote: »

Some people need to start with a single school, gradually get to know the school, and with that as a basis, gradually start to learn about other schools. At some point they may decide that they want to switch schools. Or not. Regardless of how you search, there's lots of room in Buddhism for us screw ups.

That's basically what I did. I started with Vajrayana and bought books from that tradition. At the same time I looked at Zen a bit but knew pretty quickly that we wouldn't get along. Eventually I took a longer look at Theravada. As soon as I read Ajahn Chah I was hooked!