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I feel awakened
Hi! I posted an introduction already, but here is a little bit about me, briefly. My name is Genevieve, but I go by G`ena. I was raised in a devout Christian home, and after breaking from that a little, and going through about a 3 or 4 year dark spell, I am begining to feel spiritually awakened and excited again. I have begun reading information on Buddhism, although I have not read any sutras, or teaching of the Buddha. I am learning, slowly... but I plan to go to a temple near here tomorrow. Basically, I want information...
The main question that I have, crude as it may be, is what do Buddhist do? How do they... well I don't want to say worship... but you get my meaning. I know about the refuges, and the basic principles we should follow... but when you go to temple, what do you do? How are you helped? What do you wear? How do you behave?
Everyday I read more online and in text about Buddhism, and the more excited and the more energized about it I get. I want to learn more, and I don't want to stop! I know I will have more questions... I just can't think of any right now... thats what happens when I get really excited about something. I learn and learn and learn but if I don't have someone to ask my questions to immediately, I forget the question! Its a mess.
But thank you in advance for your guidance!
The main question that I have, crude as it may be, is what do Buddhist do? How do they... well I don't want to say worship... but you get my meaning. I know about the refuges, and the basic principles we should follow... but when you go to temple, what do you do? How are you helped? What do you wear? How do you behave?
Everyday I read more online and in text about Buddhism, and the more excited and the more energized about it I get. I want to learn more, and I don't want to stop! I know I will have more questions... I just can't think of any right now... thats what happens when I get really excited about something. I learn and learn and learn but if I don't have someone to ask my questions to immediately, I forget the question! Its a mess.
But thank you in advance for your guidance!
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Comments
It all depends on the kind of temple you are visiting.
But generally, Buddhists do a little chanting at the temple, possibly listen to a lecture and usually do some meditation.
It is generally a very laid back affair. You are not expected to do or participate in anything except sit on the floor. Even then, if you must, you can get up and leave.
Just wear normal casual clothes, best loose fitting, that cover your legs and shoulders. Given you will probably be sitting on the floor, either a long loose skirt or preferably loose comfortable trousers.
How do behave? Normally.
How are you helped? Generally, you help yourself by doing some meditation. You may receive some instruction.
Visiting Buddhist centres is generally a very relaxed affair. In fact, like returning home.
You will be welcomed but generally not imposed upon. Buddhists generally do not try to convert others.
Kind regards
DD
If you were to show up at the center I attend, you would be best-advised to attend the Beginner's Class. As you came in, you would notice that people took off their shoes when they came in ... you would do so too. You would see a room of people off to one side, sitting on sofas, waiting for the beginner's class to start, chatting casually ... and the teacher (dressed in maroon and gold robes) sitting among them. The teacher would say "hello hello" to you when you entered the room. No one would try to force you to join in the conversation, but no one would be anything less than receptive to you if you spoke.
When it was time for class, everyone would go into the "shrine room" where there would be cushions on the floor, and a ring of chairs around the outer walls. The students would stand by their cushions/chairs, hands held palm-to-palm at the front of their chest, while the teacher did 3 prostrations and then took his seat. Some students would do prostrations, some would just sit down (best to just sit down until you know what prostrations mean, how to do them properly, and you have decided that you want to do them).
Whether you sat at a cushion or on a chair, there would be a folder there for you, containing the chants and prayers, and a page outlining appropriate behavior in the shrine room. The teacher would lead the class through about 15-20 minutes of chants, prayers, and mantras. They would be sung in Tibetan, then spoken in English. As a newcomer, the teacher would ask you your name, welcome you, and ask you if you have had lessons on how to meditate. If you seemed at all uncertain, he would give a lesson on beginner's meditation. Then the class would meditate for 10 minutes. This would be followed by a lesson on some aspect of Buddhism with questions from the class. Finally, a few short closing chants would be sung, and people would go out to the lounge to drink tea, eat cookies, and mingle. Those who wish to have a few words with the teacher would hang back, approaching him as he was available.
If you wished for more than a few words, you might ask him how to make an appointment to meet with him ... although generally it is better just to go and listen to the teachings for a few months because some questions "settle down" and become less urgent as you start taking teachings. If you did make an appointment to meet with him, it would be advisable to ask other students what appropriate behavior and donation to the teacher might be.
Money? The information sheet in the folder suggests a $5 donation, and you would have to look for the donation box. No one will ask you if you donated. You might notice that not everyone seems to put money into the donation box ... some people donate cash once a month, and some once a year by postdated cheques (tax deductions) ... perhaps some never donate ... who knows?
Each centre will vary as to how specific things are done, but I suspect all are casual and genial, friendly and non-judgmental, and tolerant of those who do not yet know what the procedures are.
There are the four nobel truths
1) life is suffering
For me this means that everyone and everything at some point faces hard times. The reason for this is that everything is impermanant and subject to change. Because of this sometimes the changes are good and others they are bad. But change is ineveitabls
2) The cause of suffering is desire(there are many translations of this)
To me this means that bad situations are bad situations. But when we desire somthing more or somthing different that what is we cling to, or grasp at the thing that we think will make us happier. When we do this we missapprehend what is there and make it worse then it is. This happens because we can see and feel the happiness that isn't there and we see and feel the gap between what we want and what we have more acutely.
3) The end of suffering is the end of desire
To me this means that if we get rid of our desire we stop trying to change what is here and now and start embracing what is. We stop tryingto force life to do what we want it too and start loving it for what it is. In doing this we see clearly our own and others suffering and can remedy it more effectivelly and as such we not only change our lives and the lives of other we develop wisdom and insight into life and can live more effectively.
4) The path to the end of suffering is the path to the end of desire
As we established desiring more than what is causes suffering os ending that desire will end the suffering
The path is called the 8 forl path
Right view(seeing what true and good instead of whats not true and bad)
Right intention
Right Speech
Right action
Right livelihood
Right effort
Right mindfulness(Mindfullness is being fully aware of here and now)
Right concentration
I feel that this is fundamentaly our way of life. This is why we are all inherently enlightened. I have never seen a child hate blacks from birth or even have an opinion on race (right view). I have never seen a young child say something hurtful for selfish gain(right intention). I have never seen a young child be rude to a stranger(right speech). I have never seen a child act do wrong for wrongs sake(right action). I have never seen a child pick a job it wouldnt like (right livelyhood). Children do often there best in what they want to do (right effort) Children naturaly are in wonder of what they are doing(right mindfulness & concentration)
So in essence we all start off with the right idea but through time we develop a film of wrong ideas and conceptions that block us from that view. When we have this film on our consicousness it often becomes like the sludge in a car enging not only is it gross to look at it also causes the car to malfunction. For us these malfunctions are things like unfounded hatrid, unnatural fear, depression, ineptitude, etc. When we remove these things we work better just like a car without sludge.
Dharmagates are inexhaustable so there are many ways to achieve this state of enlightenment but the one we have works well and we would love to share it with you.
In this process you will find many things you did not expect and some you did but focus on the goal and the outcome will be good.
Thanks with love
alex
Palzang