Good questions for people new to Buddhism?

zenone

Hello all,

At my school I run a 'Buddhism Discussion Group' and we're going to be having our first meeting of the new semester soon. I anticipate that we'll have alot of people who are new to buddhism and don't know too much about it but have a serious interest in it. They will be college aged students currently attending university full time.

I am currently looking for questions that these students might benefit from discussing in small groups amongst themselves. The idea is to have them generate their own ideas about the questions, and then provide some of the buddha's teachings and advice regarding the issues brought up.

Now I just need to come up with the specific questions. It shouldn't be too hard but I'm having trouble getting in the mindset of someone just starting to hear about buddhism for the first time. Any suggestions for thoughtful questions would be very much appreciated. Thank you.

questionful

brainstorming time

what does death mean to you? addresses impermanence
what would you do with your life if you were very wealthy? addresses short-sightedness
what is the difference between young children and adults? addresses ego
why do people use anger, violence, exploitation, dishonesty? addresses the fact of ignorance
what can you gain by reacting to anger with anger? addresses ignorance
why do people have differing views about the same topic? addresses judgment
what negative consequences can compassion have? addresses the value of compassion

this is really fun i might continue later.

federica

No, newbie questions/discussions are going to be far more basic....

Why are Buddhists so negative? they say that everything is suffering...
What's karma? isn't it what goes around comes around?
What's reicarnation? where's the proof?
Is Buddha a god, or someone you worship?
How can a christian study buddhism and still believe in God?
if Buddhism has no God, where does Faith come into it?

These are the kinds of questions many newbies bring to this forum, so it's something that, rather than wanting answers for, they could research themselves.

Hope this helps.
If it's not what you seek, no problem.

Hvae a good time!

pegembara

Was Buddha an Incarnation of God?
What is Karma? Is Everything Due to Karma?
Is Buddhism a Theory or a Philosophy?
Is Buddhism Pessimistic?
Is Buddhism Atheistic?
Why We Take Refuge in the Buddha?
Are Buddhists Idol Worshippers?
What do Buddhist Believe in?

questionful

federica has a point that newbies are going to get stuck at certain (annoying) points, but i think my questions are good because if you put people in groups, probably SOMEone will find something interesting to say. unless they're all feeling shy. hm. well good luck, i hope it turns out productive. erring on the side of assuming everyone is ignorant would probably be a good idea actually...

Simonthepilgrim

When it was my task to run discussion groups or scripture study groups, I found that the most productive structure was as follows:

Begin with 'checking in', letting go of 'stuff' we're carrying from outside the discussion room (1 minute each after 2 minutes reflection);
Next, a period of relaxation/silence to tune focus (after a while it may become more formal meditation);
Third, a brief reading, usually from some longer text (such as the Dhammapada or a Gospel), untgil a question arises;
Fourth, discuss;
Fifth, end with a period of silence.

I have used this with all ages, from 5 to 95, and found it works. Sometimes, the 'warm up' period needed movement and I would add in a few Tai Ch'i movements.

It was also important, we found, that discussion should also lead into debate about daily practice and how we led our daily lives.

This format applies to all forms of study, I have found and I use it daily as the start of my own praxis.

FoibleFull

Question: What is the best way to help others?

zenone

Thank you all for your replies. I will let you know how the meeting goes!