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Greetings
Hello friends,
I have been exploring Buddhism for only about a week or so now. I have had a general interest for quite sometime.
I am one of those people who suffers from anxiety. I am convinced that the Buddha's teaching can help heal me.
I've been reading the work of Thich Nhat Hanh, a Zen monk. Specifically his work called, True Love: A Practice for Awakening the Heart and have found some peace in it.
I have been making a point about being mindful of the present and embracing life, including my suffering. I have been meditating and, to be honest, I have felt a lot of peace as a result.
I do hope that this is not some kind of placebo effect and an act of self-deception.
My initial questions:
Are there any good websites where I can read about Buddhism and Meditation?
What books should I consider reading?
Thanks for your time,
Mark
I have been exploring Buddhism for only about a week or so now. I have had a general interest for quite sometime.
I am one of those people who suffers from anxiety. I am convinced that the Buddha's teaching can help heal me.
I've been reading the work of Thich Nhat Hanh, a Zen monk. Specifically his work called, True Love: A Practice for Awakening the Heart and have found some peace in it.
I have been making a point about being mindful of the present and embracing life, including my suffering. I have been meditating and, to be honest, I have felt a lot of peace as a result.
I do hope that this is not some kind of placebo effect and an act of self-deception.
My initial questions:
Are there any good websites where I can read about Buddhism and Meditation?
What books should I consider reading?
Thanks for your time,
Mark
0
Comments
It sounds like you are on the right track already, well done! Keep it up!
Meditation certainly does bring peace, how much peace depends on your effort. Be aware that there are different levels of peace. The more you practice meditation the deeper your sense of peace, contentment and happiness becomes.
I highly recommend "Happiness Through Meditation" by Ajahn Brahm. It is a very practical guide with instructions and troubleshooting tips that are suitable for beginners and advanced practitioners alike.
You can also check out Ajahn Brahm's YouTube channel where he gives talks about different aspects of Buddhist practice.
There are plenty of great teachers out there, I mainly recommend Ajahn Brahm because he has helped me a lot. I am sure other forum members will have other useful resources for you if you find that his style of teaching does not suit you.
The best teacher is the Buddha. So I recommend that you familiarize yourself with the Suttas.
Best Wishes,
Guy
With Metta,
Guy
Hey Guy,
Thank you for your links! I will be feeding myself on that youtube channel that you posted for me and have added the book to my amazon purchase list. I've got Hanh's Zen Keys: A Guide to Zen Practice already on the way so I'll get yours next.
May I ask how you became a Buddhist? And what "Metta" means? Also, how do you decide on which sect of Buddhism? I mean, it sounds like there are a lot just like in Christianity.
Sorry to ask so many questions.
- Mark
Good question, I am not sure I can give you a straightforward answer actually. A combination of factors probably contributed to it, but the main thing which comes to mind is the profound resonance that the Four Noble Truths had on me when I first started to read about and contemplate them.
The Four Noble Truths are pretty much the heart of the Buddha's Teaching. The Buddha even said in one Sutta that he teaches "only Dukkha and the ending of Dukkha". Dukkha is often translated as suffering but it can mean many different things to different people, depending on their life's experiences.
I wouldn't say that I have had a lot of "suffering" in my life, for the most part my life has been pretty easy and quite pleasant actually. Compared to people who are born into poverty or a warzone or other similar circumstances, my life has been unproblematic in that respect. These are coarse forms of Dukkha which are very obvious but perhaps seem unapplicable to those of us who are fortunate enough to live with relatively good health, good families and good communities.
But then there are other forms of Dukkha which are more universally applicable such as the Dukkha of impermanence. No matter what we do, even if we eat the best food, exercise daily, we still get sick from time to time and eventually die. For many people dying is a very painful process, but it is the very fact that we are born that we are subject to all this Dukkha. Which is the most subtle form of Dukkha, the fact that existence is inherently unsatisfactory, in real life there is no "living happily ever after".
...but Buddhism is not pessimistic...
The Buddha says that he teaches that an end of Dukkha can be known and that there is a Path leading out of Dukkha which we can put into practice immediately, right now, in this very life. Not only that, but we can realize the benefits of practice in this very life. This, for me, is very inspiring. When I look at my practice and (if I have been practicing well) I see that it is working and I am growing in peace and contentment this reinforces the confidence I have in the Buddha that I can realize Ultimate Peace (Nibbana).
Metta means good will; friendliness; loving kindness. At its highest level it is a full acceptance of everything that comes our way in life.
The best measure to find out what works for you and what doesn't is to put it into practice. See whether it leads towards peace or away from peace. Don't worry about which sect a teaching is supposed to belong to, if it helps to develop the mind in a wholesome direction then that's in line with the Buddha's Teaching.
Having said this though, I personally prefer to read the Pali Canon because it seems to make the most sense to me. I have tried to read Mahayana texts but I don't "get it"...this is not to say that these Teachings aren't useful for everyone, they just haven't been so for me.
Find out for yourself through reflection and experience what is true and what is not.
With Metta,
Guy
There is also a good offer http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@0865209320.1277734096@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccfadekkikgegjcefecekjdffidfij.0&productID=SP_TRUE_000188 on these audio tapes of 7 hours instruction for 7.50 (if its true). I have the set of CDs and they are awesome. One of the 3 topics is meditation and good instruction on technique in addition to a talk on emptiness (which she said in the context of a persons life means not making a big deal) and bodhicitta (awake heart) give a flavor for what meditation could feel like. Like a method of overcoming stuck habitual ways to close ourselves off to a narrow world. Instead the present moment becomes full of wonder and curiosity.
I don't know where you're at in your anxiety, but something I found very useful during really rough times is cognitive behavioural therapy...tho I suppose minus the therapist. My therapist really just did psychotherapy on me, which was interesting and useful in other ways. Anyway, try "Hope and Help for your Nerves" by Claire Weekes. CBT is like Buddhism in a lot of ways, though not all. Anyway I don't know if you suffer from severe anxiety or just mild every day kinds of things, but if it is severe you might want to just have these things up your sleeves for when meditation doesn't do the trick. I think, when you're just starting out, meditation just plain doesn't do the trick in extreme cases because you're not experienced enough with it yet. It can certainly help, but the insights that come over time won't get you dressed and going to work today, or help you face your fears as immediately as CBT can sometimes do. However, in the long term, for me anyway, CBT doesn't cut it and meditation fills in the gaps and creates the lasting peace. I'm not really there yet, haha, so maybe I can't say, but from my experience this is the way things go.
Okay, enough about anxiety.
Just keep in mind as you move forward that this is not a fast process, and you will encounter set backs. It's all just par for the course, so don't be afraid of the set backs as they happen. Best of luck and I hope you find peace.
Buddhanet is a good site to learn about Buddhism. Is there a local Buddhist group you can visit?
P