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Re: Tsunami enlightenment
I have just got married to my long term girlfriend in Asia and we decided to have a Buddhist wedding.
This was brought about by an event on boxing day whilst in Thailand. The Tsunami hit a we were lucky to escape with our lives.We were left with nothing except the clothes we were in. The Hotel had disappeared and we were left to fend for ourselves.
Two days later after finding a new hotel that would put us up a man arrived who had worked for the old hotel. With him were all our belonging including credit cards,cash and phones. We were amazed he had broken into the safe in what was left of our room and gave him a big fat tip for his trouble. On closer inspection I noticed he had added a book. It was the one that was kept in the cabinet next to the bed, it was the way of buddha.
Since then it has been on my mind as to why he had added this and I guest my experience has lead me to question my life and actions on a day to day basis. And I am now curious as to why he added the book.
I have read Siddhartha and have travelled to many temples from North India to Vietnam but always viewed Buddhism with a touch of Karma Cola. In truth, I am worried that the people I will meet at my local group are going to be some kind hippie cult that speak their own tongue, have names for each other like Dolphin and will attempt home in on my bank account once they have gained my precieved trust.
I want to take my interest further but as you can tell I am very cynical and simply don't know were to begin. I would very much like some objective guidance please.
This was brought about by an event on boxing day whilst in Thailand. The Tsunami hit a we were lucky to escape with our lives.We were left with nothing except the clothes we were in. The Hotel had disappeared and we were left to fend for ourselves.
Two days later after finding a new hotel that would put us up a man arrived who had worked for the old hotel. With him were all our belonging including credit cards,cash and phones. We were amazed he had broken into the safe in what was left of our room and gave him a big fat tip for his trouble. On closer inspection I noticed he had added a book. It was the one that was kept in the cabinet next to the bed, it was the way of buddha.
Since then it has been on my mind as to why he had added this and I guest my experience has lead me to question my life and actions on a day to day basis. And I am now curious as to why he added the book.
I have read Siddhartha and have travelled to many temples from North India to Vietnam but always viewed Buddhism with a touch of Karma Cola. In truth, I am worried that the people I will meet at my local group are going to be some kind hippie cult that speak their own tongue, have names for each other like Dolphin and will attempt home in on my bank account once they have gained my precieved trust.
I want to take my interest further but as you can tell I am very cynical and simply don't know were to begin. I would very much like some objective guidance please.
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Comments
I am delighted that you and your wife are safe and sound, and that you had the uplifting experience of someone helping you out the way they did....
I know what you mean about the pretentious names and the wallet-emptying brigade.... I have come across similar groups, and they have professed to be the genuine article, whatever their persuasion or denomination....
I have always described this site as my "comfy chair and cosy slippers" site. I know that I can come in here, rant, rave, discuss, chat, talk, smile, laugh, cry and I'll always receive a wide, diverse and wonderfully varied set of answers.... all different, but all with a valid contribution. Nobody ever says 'I'm right, you're wrong' or ever tries to persuade you so....
I hope you'll continue to participate on this site.
There are many schools of Buddhism, and many different approaches - as there are people!
For my part, I'm very simplistic and just follow the basics. For detailed information on writings, scriptures, Sutras or texts, you'll always find contributors who can point you in that direction too. It's what you make it.
Nice to meet you, Herman - !!
I too have travelled and visited temples and gompas and holy places. I know the attraction and repulsion of the strange and exotic. But, in my own practice, I have found that the basics of Buddhism are 'clean', spare and without all the "bells and smells".
One book that I found very useful (and still do) is Alan W. Watts The Way of Zen. Whilst it does focus quite heavily on the Chinese writers, Watts is very good at presenting basics.
Perhaps I should add that, similarly to many here, I have gone through the Roman Catholic Church, too, and was a great ritualist when younger. As I grew older, I found peace in the simplicity of contemplation. Today, it is a very simple practice that brings a calm mind and a new view of what I had always seen but never noticed!
May your marriage, which started in storm and terror, continue in grace and blessing.
Wow, after all you went through I'd be pretty cynical, too. I don't know anything about the Buddhists in your area, but I am Buddhist and I definitely don't have a name like Dolphin
Anyways, I'm a pretty skeptical person - I'm atheist, very science oriented, not into the mystical side of Buddhism, etc. And if I can find something here, I'm sure just about anyone can. But don't take my word for it, just hang around and see what you find.
Actually you have been given an opportunity here. We Buddhists might call it an "auspicious coincidence." It's like someone painted a big white arrow in the sky telling you the direction you ought to go in. So now the ball is in your court. It's your decision whether to make use of this rare opportunity or not.
You didn't mention where in Asia you are, so it's kind of hard to make any concrete suggestions other than to recommend you read some books on the subject to see if it feels right for you. I think you'll find the way Buddhism is practiced in many Asian countries to be quite different than the way it is practiced in the West. In Asia it's the religion you're born into. In the West we're all pioneers who have come to Buddhism from something else. We're more doubting than someone who was born into it, so we need to know the rationale and the philosophy first before we really get involved on a practice level. So that, I think, is the first step I'd recommend. Read everything you can, including the many threads on this forum. Some people like to read the original sutras, the words spoken by the Buddha. Others relate more to modern, contemporary teachers. Try both and see which speak to you more. You'll soon see if Buddhism makes sense to you or not.
Palzang