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Look at it as an exercise in cross-cultural education!
Palzang
Palzang..I will write it , but I don't know where to begin (Begin with the beginning, of course !- old Romanian saying). A tiny lil' suggestion will help...:D
Now students, get ready for a history lesson !:D ..Romanian waay !!
Now where should I start that topic ? It would be a loong long one :coffee: .
By the way , you did your homework well Palzang, where did you hear about Dacia ( now wikipedia is a no.1 option on the list )?
I've known about Dacia (named after the Daci who lived there) since long before there was such as thing as Wikipedia, or the internet, for that matter. It's the old name for the western shore of the Black Sea. I was a big fan of stories about Rome, and Dacia was a part of that. I also liked the Scythians, who lived on the northern shore of the Black Sea and on into Asia. I've always loved history (among other things).
I've known about Dacia (named after the Daci who lived there) since long before there was such as thing as Wikipedia, or the internet, for that matter. It's the old name for the western shore of the Black Sea. I was a big fan of stories about Rome, and Dacia was a part of that. I also liked the Scythians, who lived on the northern shore of the Black Sea and on into Asia. I've always loved history (among other things).
Palzang
Now, I wish I could start with the history lesson...But people out here in this peacefull buddhist community started to ask me about the Romanian language, the relation between Italian and Romanian.
By the way, I started the cross-cultural thread...it's in General Banter
At the moment i`m going to a Diamond way centre, but in UK my local centre was Kadampa. I`ve just done the Ashoka course in basic Buddhism which really helped my clarity on what Buddhism is all about. I felt I had a problem with clinging to Buddhism as a religion that I could identify myself with, but now this is less important to me. I think the most important thing for me really is to study the Dharma- and at the moment i`m really loving it : )
(I just accidently posted this in the wrong forum- i`m so stupid, lol!)
My name is Tim. I am very new to Buddhism. Like a week. I stumbled upon some reading and it struck me as a fit for me. I have read quite a bit more. Mainly focused on Chan buddhism since I am a student of Shaolin Kung Fu...I thought it would be a proper fit.
I thank you all for having this resource for the uniformed...there is allot of information out there to weed through.
Also, I live in Plano, TX so if anyone is in the area and wouldn't mind helping me out a bit, or recommend someone to help teach me that would be outstanding.
I am just looking around.
My name is:Eric,I am an athiest from Holland(Netherlands).I have allways seen the "normal" church as another way for people to prey on other peoples fears and weakness.I don`t believe Buddhism is a religion and that is why I am drawn to it.I believe it is a teatching in how to find "god" in yourself,how to live your life and how to find peace in yourself.There is no "god" in Buddhism (MY VISION on things!) only a wise teatcher.I find;There is no anger\aggression in Buddhism.
I am no real Buddhist,I just take the things I like about it and keep that close to my heart.
So:I just want to ask:Is there a place for me on this forum ?
Forgive my English.
I wish everyone all the best:Eric...:)
Thank you very much for the quick reply...
I have had a "rough" life and it REALLY warms my heart to see there are good people in this world.That is one of the nice things about Buddhism I like: The people,especially in the countries it is practiced,have a sereen peace about them.I`ll keep my eyes open...I wish everybody all the best : Eric...
And again THANKS !!!:)
My English might be a bit "so-so" but it is not my homelanguage...
Hmmm, I don't know, Dutch people? That's a difficult one. I mean, we already have British people, so the neighborhood has really gone down hill...
Well, OK. I've been to the Nederlanden, and I liked the people there. Most of them anyway. I even learned how to say "goeiemiddag!" and "uitsmijter" like a native. Not an easy trick!
I don't think that Buddhism is a religion either, though some people in Asia (and other places) act as if it were. Buddha was definitely not a god, but I think he was a bit more than a wise teacher. As for your English, it is better than many people who claim English as their native tongue, so no problem there!
I must agree with all what we are doing to the world(pray for us,I believe it means?).Your name sounds Suomi(Finnish,as you must know).We both have a language that most people find difficult ,but your Dutch spelling is even correct !!!
Love the quotes you sent.I have read the book of Krishnamurti,the I Ching and so on,even Nietsche has some "Buddhism-like" sayings.I say this because they wrote some nice ones too.
To me there are only 2 things important in life,they are:1:Be happy.2:Be at peace with your surroundings...
Greetings(Groetjes) from Holland and me (Eric)...
Bye bye.............
Finnish, that's a good one! Actually Palzang is Tibetan. It's part of my ordination name, Thubten Rinchen Palzang (Doctrine Upholder of Precious, Glorious Auspiciousness) (well, sounds impressive...). I'm a monk. No, it's not the name I was born with, which is German (actually I'm more Swedish than anything).
Yes, you guessed it, ora pro nobis means pray for us in Latin. Makkelijk! I just like the sound of Latin, and I also like what it means. Certainly we can all use a lot of prayers as crazy as the world is.
All sentient beings want to be happy, Eric. The problem is how to do that without creating the causes for more suffering. Most of the things that we think make us happy are really things that will, in the long run, make us suffer. It's a wheel we're on that is without beginning and without end until we find a way to get off the wheel. That's what the Buddha taught, the method to get off the wheel permanently and find true happiness. That's what I like about Buddhism.
So what part of the nether lands do you inhabit? I visited Amsterdam and enjoyed it, though I have to admit it was a little startling to see hashish chocolates being sold openly in candy shops! This was over 20 years ago. But I did like the openness and open-mindedness of the Dutch. And Amsterdam is unlike any other city I have visited.
Sorry about that.I saw some small simularities and didn`t really think.What you say I agree with.Example:Are you really happy with a bigger\faster car than the neighbor or is it that commerce is telling you you must be happy and commerce is so strong and "around us" that,sadly,a lot of people really believe this.The sad thing is that it is killing our world.Beautifull and yes impressive name you have.And I love Amsterdam too,I live in Haarlem only 20 min. away.
It is really free and that is why I love it.I have lived all over (exept the most beautifull region:asia) and allways love to come back.I still want to go to Vietnam,Tibet,Indonesia and Thailand,and do that in 1 trip(Have to save up )I`d love to go to China too but I really don`t agree with their "foreign politics"!!!
To all the people who have welcomed me so warm,greetings and all the best:Eric.;)
Brigid thank you too,I have lived in Canada(I was 7-8 jears old),one of the most beautiful places I have ever been,bye bye.
LOL. You should see the names I call him... I'm terribly cruel to Palzang :crazy:
I'm part Dutch. Part alot of things... I'm aproxamitly half English, half Scottish, one sixteenth Irish, and one sixty-fourth Dutch LOL You might be my sixty-fourth cousin The Netherlands sound good, I used to have an Albino Netherlands Dwarf Rabbit, and I have a Dutch Rabbit so I've got some Dutch pets...
I don't have a perfect life either (although I do love it) and it makes me feel good to know there's still lots of nice people in the world still too There's definitely lovely people on here, like Now-is-Reality, Palzang, Brigid, to name but a few, I have my moments... LOL But you'll certainly have a heart-warming laugh-a-day
LOL. You should see the names I call him... I'm terribly cruel to Palzang :crazy:
Well, some people know what the word "respect" means!
Eric, you should also go to Mongolia. Never been any place like it. I also really liked Japan when I was there. A lot. I have no interest in going to China.
I really understand why you are not interested in China,I find their "politics" terrible too ! What happened at the olympics(and all the year they comitted crimes against Tibet)was truely terrible.Isn`t it "strange" a country (with oil) needs help from a terrible ruler and Tibet is left to fend for itself.
I`ll keep Mongolia in mind.I`m still far from going but a start has been made.
I wish everybody all the best:Eric. In heaven all the interesting people are missing...F.Nietzsche.
Hi Nickjohnston1 What's it like to be enlightened? :wavey:
And shurrup Palzanorang, of course I rezpeked you! I just have different ways of showing it, like calling you an even GREATER name than Palzang. Yes, greater... :buck:
And shurrup Palzanorang, of course I rezpeked you! I just have different ways of showing it, like calling you an even GREATER name than Palzang. Yes, greater... :buck:
Oh my gosh... DORK! Heheheh I can't even read that, oh dear, please tell me you've taken an english class? Hee hee...
And shurrup Palzanorang, of course I rezpeked you! I just have different ways of showing it, like calling you an even GREATER name than Palzang. Yes, greater... :buck:
I know, grasshopper. Calm down. Go have a fruit rollup. You'll feel better(?).
I really understand why you are not interested in China,I find their "politics" terrible too ! What happened at the olympics(and all the year they comitted crimes against Tibet)was truely terrible.Isn`t it "strange" a country (with oil) needs help from a terrible ruler and Tibet is left to fend for itself.
I`ll keep Mongolia in mind.I`m still far from going but a start has been made.
Actually Tibet is only part of it. I disliked China long before I even knew about that. When I was in Japan I totally loved Japanese art and architecture, but I was completely turned off by the Chinese versions. They felt heavy and uninspired compared to the Japanese. I don't know, must be a karmic thing.
Japaneese craftsmanship seems more refined.I am against ivory-works but have you ever seen a ivory ball in a ball in a ball ect. ect.(And all of them carved to a degree that is allmost beyond belief) ? The making of a old samurai sword could take many months.I could go on forever about these things but you know what I mean.(I have allways had a will to learn and allways say:If I can`t learn anymore life is"dead").I just would just like to see China because of it`s natural beauty(before it all is destroyed.Example:The 3 gorges dam).I have had a really rough life after my 18th year,I was out of contact with the rest of the world,only a few years ago I wanted to start"tasting the world again",if you know what I mean.THAT is the reason I want to do things I`ve allways wanted to do,travel and stuff.
I really am searching the last few months.I lost my only 2 brothers at a young age,then the last year I lost my father,mother and step-dad,and I thought:You can go "crazy again" or try to make something of yourself.I`m trying the last.That is why I chose to register with this forum,maybek I can get some "help" .
All the best,greetings from Holland:Eric.:)
I'm sure he has no idea. "He who knows does not say; he who says does not know."
I was going to say something like "an enlightened person wouldn't say they are enlightened" but I thought better of it. It's not my place to judge his state. I'll leave that to the monk...
I really am searching the last few months.I lost my only 2 brothers at a young age,then the last year I lost my father,mother and step-dad,and I thought:You can go "crazy again" or try to make something of yourself.I`m trying the last.That is why I chose to register with this forum,maybek I can get some "help" .
All the best,greetings from Holland:Eric.:)
I am sorry to hear Eric. I hope that you're doing well? It's nice to see someone who has dealt with so much pain still pushing forward and dealing with it.
Thank you very much !!! I have allways(the last 20+ years)had bad experiances with the world and for years I really thought the world was a rotten place.I did not see there are good people too(much to little,I find).Then my mother got really sick and for 6 years I had to care for her 24\7.Because of that I started to see good things in life.(How strange that may seem).I had a choice,she died 13\9,I can go on"destroying"myself or start a "new" life.Now I`m really trying hard to make a differance.It is really difficult but I`ll give it a good try.That is one of the reasons I registered to this forum.
Again:Thank you very much,small gestures like these really help !!! (Forgive my English,I`m Dutch).
Hello all, my name is Jason I am 26 originally from the United States. I read the book, "Buddhism for Beginners" by Thubten Chodron, and it changed my life. I have a completely different perspective now. I want to learn more, and make myself as well as the people around me happier.
Hello Jason. Welcome to the forum, I hope you enjoy it, and it makes you happier to discover more about buddhism.
That is why I love buddhism, first our perspective changes, then we learn from why it changed and continue to grow and learn more about "reality" as well as ourselves.
And Eric, I am glad to hear that you discovered kindness in the world. Even when we do not realize it, there is compassion, and we can grow from feeling this, and learn to outstretch it toward ourselves as well, which, can admitably be hard at times in our lives. I hope this "new" life works out for you.
I have had to say goodbye to all my "friends",who wern`t really friends,and now I`m really starting over.It`s really hard but I`ll get there(I hope).
It`s good to see the good\nice things in life and I must remember,when times are hard,that there ARE good people too.It`s just nice (for me) to read the messages on this forum,it gives me strength.And just small words of kindness really do me good.(All the people thanks for that).I`m a person who never talked about myself and how I feel but when I write it seems to be more easy.
Enough about me.I hope you and all the other people on this forum have a good night and a nice day tomorrow...
Hi, Jason. Pema Chodron is an excellent place to start. She's a wonderful teacher. Are you practicing anywhere? That would be the next step, I think.
Eric, I hear you. You've been through a lot of trauma, and you need to do some healing. Traveling might help, but I think what might help even more is to find a sangha and start practicing with them. The sangha is one of the three jewels (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha), and it is a jewel for a reason. It can provide you a lot of support, not only on the path, but with your life. When I was in Amsterdam I visited the Dharmadhatu (now called Shambhala Center) there, and the people there were very nice. I don't know what else is available or if there is anything in Haarlem, but getting to Amsterdam from Haarlem is easy. You might want to check it out. Just my thoughts.
I was going to say something like "an enlightened person wouldn't say they are enlightened" but I thought better of it. It's not my place to judge his state. I'll leave that to the monk...
What's it like to be a monk anyway Palzang?
Gee, thanks.
It sucks being a monk. I don't recommend it for you. Oh, wait, you're a girl! No, seriously, I like being a monk. It's not easy, not by a long shot, but I feel like I'm actually doing something with my life other than filling in the blank space before I die, which is what I see most people doing. I've also had the opportunity to see and experience things which I never thought possible, both ordinary, mundane things like seeing the Himalayas or the Great Stupa at Boudanath or other, more "mystical" things that blew my mind, as well as finding my root lama, which is the best thing that has ever happened to me in all my countless lives. I also feel like I'm a pathfinder for those who will come after, so whenever I start veering off the path, that thought brings me back. It's actually a lot of responsibility.
Thanks for the quick reply.Isn`t a Sangha a LITTLE bit like a prophet(and a keeper of the ways of Buddhism)? I will certainly do that but I`ll have to wait a bit(I think).I stopped with my crazy life because my mother became very ill 5-6 jears ago.(I stopped in 1 day).I was her only child left and she(and I)didn`t want her to go to a home for dying people.So from one day to the other I went from chaos to looking after her 24\7,she couldn`t do ANYTHING ! I did that with all my love but it never gave me the chance to mentally "process" all I have been through.My mind is really chaotic right now.I just need a few months (I hope) to get everything "in line".After that I will REALLY visit them.Thank you VERY MUCH for the kind advice and all the help I get here.I really mean that !!!
I'm new to the forum. I am curious about Buddhism. I no longer relate to traditional religion, but I believe in God and feel that something is missing in my life spiritually. I have read about Buddhism in the past, but I have ADD and get lost in the complexities of the various tenets (or whatever they're called).
As for my personal life, I'm the mother of a 21-year-old son, Adam, and have been married to his father for almost thirty years. Adam is away at college in New York City, which is still difficult for me, even though he's already a junior and is very happy there. His dad and I are still working and live in northeastern Ohio. We have a lot of common interests and have fun together.
I am a second grade teacher. Where I am employed, being a Buddhist would be quite scandalous, as the community in which I teach is populated by a lot of people whose religious beliefs and political leanings are very conservative. Therefore, I don't talk about my spiritual explorations at work.
My husband and I have both been vegetarians for over thirty years, and Adam is a vegetarian (most of the time). We aren't radicals or anything, but tend to be a little to the left on the political spectrum.
Recently, I ordered a spinning ring with some Buddhist writings on the inside as well a pretty lotus necklace. These should be coming soon and will remind me during the day to be more aware of my behavior (I have a bad temper that needs some work).
Hi Hope (oh, sorry, that could be a pun, couldn't it?)
Welcome. I think if I were you I'd not focus on the concepts so much but just start simple, like doing meditation. Everyone is different. Some people really relate to the philosophy while others relate much more strongly to the practice. It sounds like you would fit better with the latter.
Have you tried meditation? It's really pretty simple. You just find a good seat, whether it's a cushion or a chair, whatever is most comfortable (but not so comfortable you'll go to sleep!). If you're on a cushion, sit cross-legged with your knees as low to the ground as you can sit comfortably. The lower the knees, the more stable you'll be, and the longer you can sit. Then keep your back straight but not rigid. Hold your hands in your lap, right over left, thumbs barely touching. Keep your eyes open a little, otherwise you start dreaming or sleeping. Tongue should be relaxed right behind your teeth. Breathe naturally. Don't try to control your breath. Then just sit. If you have trouble focusing, you can try counting your breath, like count your breaths up to 10 and start over, for example. Just something to focus your mind. The idea is not to try to stop thinking and not to allow your thoughts to run wild (the middle way). If you find your mind running down some thought corridor, just paste a mental sticky note on the thoughts that says "thinking" and return to your breath. Feelings count as thoughts. If it helps burn a stick of incense (which can also be used as a timer). Don't recommend doing it with music. If you can do that for just 5 or 15 minutes a day, that's a good start!
Anyway, feel free to ask whatever you like here. Most people here are very helpful and knowledgeable. Some of us moldy oldies have been Buddhists a long time, others are just starting out like you. So make yourself at home!
I can really spell Ashley You shud no zat, my spellin iz ekselent obviyusliy.
So, Palzang-not-orang (lets be friends ) what's ze difference between ze practive and ze philosophy? I wonder which one will be good for me...
Hiya Hope and Jason :wavey:
Eric, your English is far better than my Dutch. If I went to holland I'd only be able to say; hello, count to ten, and tell the person I love them. Not great! I'd like to learn Dutch as a language though...
Comments
Palzang
Now students, get ready for a history lesson !:D ..Romanian waay
Now where should I start that topic ? It would be a loong long one :coffee: .
By the way , you did your homework well Palzang, where did you hear about Dacia ( now wikipedia is a no.1 option on the list
Palzang
I love history too
Yo ! Hello Love'n'Pece
Now, I wish I could start with the history lesson...But people out here in this peacefull buddhist community started to ask me about the Romanian language, the relation between Italian and Romanian.
By the way, I started the cross-cultural thread...it's in General Banter
I live in Germany but i`m originally from UK.
I study German and have a 2 year old little girl.
At the moment i`m going to a Diamond way centre, but in UK my local centre was Kadampa. I`ve just done the Ashoka course in basic Buddhism which really helped my clarity on what Buddhism is all about. I felt I had a problem with clinging to Buddhism as a religion that I could identify myself with, but now this is less important to me. I think the most important thing for me really is to study the Dharma- and at the moment i`m really loving it : )
(I just accidently posted this in the wrong forum- i`m so stupid, lol!)
I don't lay claim to "being" a Buddhist, but do enjoy the study of it.
My name is Tim. I am very new to Buddhism. Like a week. I stumbled upon some reading and it struck me as a fit for me. I have read quite a bit more. Mainly focused on Chan buddhism since I am a student of Shaolin Kung Fu...I thought it would be a proper fit.
I thank you all for having this resource for the uniformed...there is allot of information out there to weed through.
Also, I live in Plano, TX so if anyone is in the area and wouldn't mind helping me out a bit, or recommend someone to help teach me that would be outstanding.
Lovely to meet you all.
Paxe,
I have insomnia too. Let's start an insomniac club.
Sounds good, I was up at 4am again today...now if I could just start meditating instead of spending time wandering the internet!
My name is:Eric,I am an athiest from Holland(Netherlands).I have allways seen the "normal" church as another way for people to prey on other peoples fears and weakness.I don`t believe Buddhism is a religion and that is why I am drawn to it.I believe it is a teatching in how to find "god" in yourself,how to live your life and how to find peace in yourself.There is no "god" in Buddhism (MY VISION on things!) only a wise teatcher.I find;There is no anger\aggression in Buddhism.
I am no real Buddhist,I just take the things I like about it and keep that close to my heart.
So:I just want to ask:Is there a place for me on this forum ?
Forgive my English.
I wish everyone all the best:Eric...:)
Yes.... most definitely. Just browse through the threads, starting with "Buddhism for Beginners." Feel free to ask questions.
I have had a "rough" life and it REALLY warms my heart to see there are good people in this world.That is one of the nice things about Buddhism I like: The people,especially in the countries it is practiced,have a sereen peace about them.I`ll keep my eyes open...I wish everybody all the best : Eric...
And again THANKS !!!:)
My English might be a bit "so-so" but it is not my homelanguage...
Well, OK. I've been to the Nederlanden, and I liked the people there. Most of them anyway. I even learned how to say "goeiemiddag!" and "uitsmijter" like a native. Not an easy trick!
I don't think that Buddhism is a religion either, though some people in Asia (and other places) act as if it were. Buddha was definitely not a god, but I think he was a bit more than a wise teacher. As for your English, it is better than many people who claim English as their native tongue, so no problem there!
Love the quotes you sent.I have read the book of Krishnamurti,the I Ching and so on,even Nietsche has some "Buddhism-like" sayings.I say this because they wrote some nice ones too.
To me there are only 2 things important in life,they are:1:Be happy.2:Be at peace with your surroundings...
Greetings(Groetjes) from Holland and me (Eric)...
Bye bye.............
Finnish, that's a good one! Actually Palzang is Tibetan. It's part of my ordination name, Thubten Rinchen Palzang (Doctrine Upholder of Precious, Glorious Auspiciousness) (well, sounds impressive...). I'm a monk. No, it's not the name I was born with, which is German (actually I'm more Swedish than anything).
Yes, you guessed it, ora pro nobis means pray for us in Latin. Makkelijk! I just like the sound of Latin, and I also like what it means. Certainly we can all use a lot of prayers as crazy as the world is.
All sentient beings want to be happy, Eric. The problem is how to do that without creating the causes for more suffering. Most of the things that we think make us happy are really things that will, in the long run, make us suffer. It's a wheel we're on that is without beginning and without end until we find a way to get off the wheel. That's what the Buddha taught, the method to get off the wheel permanently and find true happiness. That's what I like about Buddhism.
So what part of the nether lands do you inhabit? I visited Amsterdam and enjoyed it, though I have to admit it was a little startling to see hashish chocolates being sold openly in candy shops! This was over 20 years ago. But I did like the openness and open-mindedness of the Dutch. And Amsterdam is unlike any other city I have visited.
Haartelijk bedankt!
Palzang
Welcome to the site!
It is really free and that is why I love it.I have lived all over (exept the most beautifull region:asia) and allways love to come back.I still want to go to Vietnam,Tibet,Indonesia and Thailand,and do that in 1 trip(Have to save up
To all the people who have welcomed me so warm,greetings and all the best:Eric.;)
Brigid thank you too,I have lived in Canada(I was 7-8 jears old),one of the most beautiful places I have ever been,bye bye.
Wish you all the best:Eric........
LOL. You should see the names I call him... I'm terribly cruel to Palzang :crazy:
I'm part Dutch. Part alot of things... I'm aproxamitly half English, half Scottish, one sixteenth Irish, and one sixty-fourth Dutch LOL
I don't have a perfect life either (although I do love it) and it makes me feel good to know there's still lots of nice people in the world still too
Love & Peace
Jellybean
Well, some people know what the word "respect" means!
Eric, you should also go to Mongolia. Never been any place like it. I also really liked Japan when I was there. A lot. I have no interest in going to China.
Palzang
I`ll keep Mongolia in mind.I`m still far from going but a start has been made.
I wish everybody all the best:Eric. In heaven all the interesting people are missing...F.Nietzsche.
And shurrup Palzanorang, of course I rezpeked you! I just have different ways of showing it, like calling you an even GREATER name than Palzang. Yes, greater... :buck:
Oh my gosh... DORK! Heheheh
Hmm... enlightened?
Hehe, yeah I hear ya.
I know, grasshopper. Calm down. Go have a fruit rollup. You'll feel better(?).
Palzang
Actually Tibet is only part of it. I disliked China long before I even knew about that. When I was in Japan I totally loved Japanese art and architecture, but I was completely turned off by the Chinese versions. They felt heavy and uninspired compared to the Japanese. I don't know, must be a karmic thing.
Palzang
I really am searching the last few months.I lost my only 2 brothers at a young age,then the last year I lost my father,mother and step-dad,and I thought:You can go "crazy again" or try to make something of yourself.I`m trying the last.That is why I chose to register with this forum,maybek I can get some "help" .
All the best,greetings from Holland:Eric.:)
I was going to say something like "an enlightened person wouldn't say they are enlightened" but I thought better of it. It's not my place to judge his state. I'll leave that to the monk...
What's it like to be a monk anyway Palzang?
I am sorry to hear Eric.
Metta,
Ashley
Again:Thank you very much,small gestures like these really help !!! (Forgive my English,I`m Dutch).
That is why I love buddhism, first our perspective changes, then we learn from why it changed and continue to grow and learn more about "reality" as well as ourselves.
And Eric, I am glad to hear that you discovered kindness in the world. Even when we do not realize it, there is compassion, and we can grow from feeling this, and learn to outstretch it toward ourselves as well, which, can admitably be hard at times in our lives. I hope this "new" life works out for you.
May all find happiness and peace
Ashley
It`s good to see the good\nice things in life and I must remember,when times are hard,that there ARE good people too.It`s just nice (for me) to read the messages on this forum,it gives me strength.And just small words of kindness really do me good.(All the people thanks for that).I`m a person who never talked about myself and how I feel but when I write it seems to be more easy.
Enough about me.I hope you and all the other people on this forum have a good night and a nice day tomorrow...
All the best:Eric...:)
Eric, I hear you. You've been through a lot of trauma, and you need to do some healing. Traveling might help, but I think what might help even more is to find a sangha and start practicing with them. The sangha is one of the three jewels (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha), and it is a jewel for a reason. It can provide you a lot of support, not only on the path, but with your life. When I was in Amsterdam I visited the Dharmadhatu (now called Shambhala Center) there, and the people there were very nice. I don't know what else is available or if there is anything in Haarlem, but getting to Amsterdam from Haarlem is easy. You might want to check it out. Just my thoughts.
Palzang
Gee, thanks.
It sucks being a monk. I don't recommend it for you. Oh, wait, you're a girl! No, seriously, I like being a monk. It's not easy, not by a long shot, but I feel like I'm actually doing something with my life other than filling in the blank space before I die, which is what I see most people doing. I've also had the opportunity to see and experience things which I never thought possible, both ordinary, mundane things like seeing the Himalayas or the Great Stupa at Boudanath or other, more "mystical" things that blew my mind, as well as finding my root lama, which is the best thing that has ever happened to me in all my countless lives. I also feel like I'm a pathfinder for those who will come after, so whenever I start veering off the path, that thought brings me back. It's actually a lot of responsibility.
Palzang
All the best:Eric...
Hi,
I'm new to the forum. I am curious about Buddhism. I no longer relate to traditional religion, but I believe in God and feel that something is missing in my life spiritually. I have read about Buddhism in the past, but I have ADD and get lost in the complexities of the various tenets (or whatever they're called).
As for my personal life, I'm the mother of a 21-year-old son, Adam, and have been married to his father for almost thirty years. Adam is away at college in New York City, which is still difficult for me, even though he's already a junior and is very happy there. His dad and I are still working and live in northeastern Ohio. We have a lot of common interests and have fun together.
I am a second grade teacher. Where I am employed, being a Buddhist would be quite scandalous, as the community in which I teach is populated by a lot of people whose religious beliefs and political leanings are very conservative. Therefore, I don't talk about my spiritual explorations at work.
My husband and I have both been vegetarians for over thirty years, and Adam is a vegetarian (most of the time). We aren't radicals or anything, but tend to be a little to the left on the political spectrum.
Recently, I ordered a spinning ring with some Buddhist writings on the inside as well a pretty lotus necklace. These should be coming soon and will remind me during the day to be more aware of my behavior (I have a bad temper that needs some work).
That's it for now.
Welcome. I think if I were you I'd not focus on the concepts so much but just start simple, like doing meditation. Everyone is different. Some people really relate to the philosophy while others relate much more strongly to the practice. It sounds like you would fit better with the latter.
Have you tried meditation? It's really pretty simple. You just find a good seat, whether it's a cushion or a chair, whatever is most comfortable (but not so comfortable you'll go to sleep!). If you're on a cushion, sit cross-legged with your knees as low to the ground as you can sit comfortably. The lower the knees, the more stable you'll be, and the longer you can sit. Then keep your back straight but not rigid. Hold your hands in your lap, right over left, thumbs barely touching. Keep your eyes open a little, otherwise you start dreaming or sleeping. Tongue should be relaxed right behind your teeth. Breathe naturally. Don't try to control your breath. Then just sit. If you have trouble focusing, you can try counting your breath, like count your breaths up to 10 and start over, for example. Just something to focus your mind. The idea is not to try to stop thinking and not to allow your thoughts to run wild (the middle way). If you find your mind running down some thought corridor, just paste a mental sticky note on the thoughts that says "thinking" and return to your breath. Feelings count as thoughts. If it helps burn a stick of incense (which can also be used as a timer). Don't recommend doing it with music. If you can do that for just 5 or 15 minutes a day, that's a good start!
Anyway, feel free to ask whatever you like here. Most people here are very helpful and knowledgeable. Some of us moldy oldies have been Buddhists a long time, others are just starting out like you. So make yourself at home!
Palzang
So, Palzang-not-orang (lets be friends
Hiya Hope and Jason :wavey:
Eric, your English is far better than my Dutch. If I went to holland I'd only be able to say; hello, count to ten, and tell the person I love them. Not great!
Love & Peace
Joe
The internet isn't always reliable, is that understandable, Eric?