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Becoming A Buddhist

TehGueztTehGuezt
edited December 2010 in Buddhism Basics
I'd like to know, what were some of things in your life that made you become a Buddhist? What were some things you did to help you stay on the path?

Comments

  • WujiWuji
    edited December 2010
    Repeating the same mistakes over and over again until I finally decided that I had two choices: Either start trying to follow the path and remove suffering or just keep running around in circles.

    The only way I can stay on the path is to meditate every single morning and try to practice awareness every minute of every day. I don't think about things that only cause suffering now like being lonely for example. I focus on actions I can take, visiting family, doing something social, positive changes etc.

    Also not ever getting upset when I fall down helps. Change for me is painfully slow and I have to have a lot of patience and just try to do a little better than I did yesterday. For me it just keeps getting easier because the more I meditate and follow the precepts the better life gets. The practice feeds itself off it's own energy like the sun does.
  • WujiWuji
    Oh and I find reading books and other people's ideas on the internet on Buddhism daily helps keep me on the path as well.
  • RogerRoger
    edited December 2010
    I was a sophomore in high school. On the way home from school I bought the book, 'The Way of Zen' by Alan watts.

    My big sister who "hated" me grabbed the book from me, glanced at it imperiously and stunned me when she actually approved and said, "Hummm, eastern mysticism. That's cool." I instantly knew there was something important about Buddhism and read that book like my life's mystery depended upon it!

    I became a Buddhist in the larval stage that day (no kidding). :D
  • metameta
    Once I heard about the 4 noble truths and it rang so true I had to investigate further...

  • ShiftPlusOneShiftPlusOne Veteran
    Hmm, I've never actually thought about this.

    Years and years ago I was reading about George Burdi (former neo-nazi) and some interviews with him. He credited his 'transformation' to spirituality and Buddhism in specific. So, I just looked at what this "Buddhism" was about. I read a couple of sutras and didn't really think much of it. Little did I know, the seed was planted.

    Throughout the next couple of years, what I've read in the sutras demonstrated itself to be true over and over again and started making sense on different levels. And well... here I am.

    I've always been fascinated with the mind, so I'd spend time just observing it. That was basically meditation, but I didn't know that at the time either. I think that contributed as well.
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