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Someone to Be My Guide
Namaste, my name is Julienne.
I'm converting from Roman Catholic to Mahayana Buddhism. I', not sure how to do this correctly. So my question for any Buddhist who will answer it is, Who will take me under their wing and be my guide?
I'm converting from Roman Catholic to Mahayana Buddhism. I', not sure how to do this correctly. So my question for any Buddhist who will answer it is, Who will take me under their wing and be my guide?
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My advice is: get some books and read, read, read. Then meditate, meditate, meditate. Everything else will follow naturally from there.
Good luck on your path!
The American monk was himself raised Roman Catholic.
The monk points out what he considers 'the entire practice'and then he is asked what the first step is for someone who wants to 'take a run at buddhism, learn more about it, experience it' and gives an answer.
This could answer some questions you may be having.
Then I would suggest you:
read + meditate
and for guidance, find a Buddhist monastery in your town and find a teacher (I have no such place in my town so I don't know much about it)
Yes! We Need the link! Thank You!
It is an intuitional self-discovery.
The scriptures and eightfold path are, more or less, conscious driven guides that strenghten thinking patterns that make you hang on more than letting go.
Anything that promotes conscious thinking, action/reaction...dualist thinking is not buddhism - it is attachement, it's complete opposite.
Listen to none but your own voice and own energy.
Interviews will take away you farther from this.
Other's opinion's will too. It is becoming self-sufficient. Thus, get off these forums.
As always,
I remain baffled by the stupidity I find on this forum.
There is nothing but humour in buddhist life, though, and thus why; I keep coming back for more.
Stupidity is like food for the soul.
nomnomnom
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTCogarppGs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIba3ZTQZl8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8v9irjs70ws&feature=related
He's an American, Roman Catholic 'convert' to Korean Zen (Seon) Buddhism, and the interview in 3 parts is about 30 minutes. If I'm wrong, sorry shinyan... but it's a great interview nonetheless, and may prove helpful to you.
All the best.
http://www.buddhanet.info/wbd/index.php
Buddhanet also has a useful e- library
http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/index.htm
Buddhist forums are a wonderful supplement to a local sangha and books are also useful. I highly suggest "The Heart of the Buddha's Teachings"
http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Buddhas-Teaching-Thich-Nhat/dp/0767903692
Ultimately we are all we can rely on. However, that doesn't mean help isn't beneficial. Sure, maybe you could figure out everything there is to figure out in this lifetime. But don't you think it would be a lot more effecient figuring it out if you have help and hear from others who are/were trying to figure it out?
Help is beneficial. Spiritual friends are important. The Buddhist traditions house incredible wisdom and the testimonies of practitioners on the spiritual path. Ultimately, by calling people stupid, and suggesting to a beginner that the eight-fold path and Buddhist scriptures just reinforce thinking patterns and thus should be abandoned at the offset, is really not helpful at all, and could turn an interested would-be Buddhist away, or at least start them off in the wrong direction.
At least that is my humble opinion.
Thank you very much!