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S.O.S...kind of.
I've decided to start doing research about Buddhism because it's something I may want to participate in. Some times when live gets rough, or I'm just completely lost about life I need somewhere to turn to. Clearly I am not going to turn to a god in the sky. I've always been an atheist living in the bible belt ( Oklahoma) and it's awful. Yes, I have had PLENTY of people try to convert me to become a Christian, but that is never going to happen. I've always been different from the people that live around me, not only for my religious views, or lack of I should say, but also because I have been a vegetarian since June 2008.
The point of me writing this is I don't know where to start. I realized that books are a good beginning, and I have checked out the posts about book recommendations. But what else should I do? I've checked websites for any temples in my area and they all seem so different. Some of them seem too much like normal Sunday mass where someone preaches about something. I'm also a full time college student with a part time job, so going to any temple is probably not going to work because of my busy schedule. If anyone has any piece of advice I'd be more than whiling to try anything at this point.
The point of me writing this is I don't know where to start. I realized that books are a good beginning, and I have checked out the posts about book recommendations. But what else should I do? I've checked websites for any temples in my area and they all seem so different. Some of them seem too much like normal Sunday mass where someone preaches about something. I'm also a full time college student with a part time job, so going to any temple is probably not going to work because of my busy schedule. If anyone has any piece of advice I'd be more than whiling to try anything at this point.
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Comments
I'd recommend these two websites:
http://www.buddhanet.net
http://www.accesstoinsight.org
There are study guides on one or both of those, so you can go at your own pace.
Namaste
First of all, welcome! There are a lot of folks out there in your position. Living in the Bible Belt as a non-Christian can be tough (been there, done that, still live there). As Cloud noted, the 4NT's and the N8FP are good foundations. The books that really helped get me started, and that I always recommend are:
Buddhism for Dummies - very readable, and quite informative
Buddhism Plain & Simple - by Steve Hagen. Small, short, and easy to digest, and very well written
And for meditation:
Full Catastrophe LIving - by Jon Kabat-Zinn - an excellent primer on mindfulness meditation.
Ask lots of questions here, and don't worry about all the sects, schools, traditions, and all the other million and seven man-made things that have gotten layered on top of the basic foundations of Buddhism as taught by the Buddha himself. The basics are quite simple, and very elegant in their simplicity. They can also be quite profound and confusing if you delve more deeply into them, but you don't need to do that at this point in your practice. The books I mentioned and the sites that Cloud linked will well and truly get you on your way.
Best of luck on your journey!
Gong Home. Jesus and Buddha as Brothers. By Thich Nhat Hanh.
He's written LOTS of books. I don't recommend it as a particularly good intro to Buddhism, but it might help you to relate to your peers and see the good in their religion. I know it was an eye opening experience for me to realize how great Christianity is, when you cut out all the fundamentalist crap. And there's evidence that Jesus was actually trained by Buddhists and went to practice in a monastery after he was crucified. I don't know a ton about it, just saw Ajahn Brahm (popular Buddhist teacher,) talking about it this morning in a youtube video. It's all really kind of the same stuff in different wrappings.
As far as good intro books...well gosh I don't know. It might be fun to go to the library, Buddhist section, and just pick a few books that look interesting. I really like Pema Chodron's books. I think they are also a great place to start. Best of luck, friend.
http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/pureland.pdf
Site by an Australian group, Pure Land Buddhism site.
http://www.amtbweb.org/
Pure Land Buddhism, primarily in Ireland and Europe.
http://www.purelandbuddhism.com/
Hui-yuan and other early masters of Pure Land believed that achieving the liberation of Nirvana through a life of monastic austerity was too difficult for most people. They rejected the "self effort" emphasized by earlier schools of Buddhism. Instead, the ideal is rebirth in a Pure Land, where the toils and worries of ordinary life do not interfere with devoted practice of the Buddha's teachings. By the grace of Amitabha's compassion, those reborn in a Pure Land find themselves only a short step from Nirvana.
Practices of Pure Land
Pure Land Buddhists accept the basic Buddhist teachings of the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. The primary practice common to all schools of Pure Land is the recitation of the name of Amitabha, who is also called Amida.
In Chinese, this chant is "Na-mu A-mi-to Fo" (Hail, Amida Buddha). The same chant in Japanese, called the Nembutsu, is "Namu Amida Butsu." Sincere and focused chanting becomes a kind of meditation that helps the Pure Land Buddhist visualize Amitabha Buddha. In the most advanced stage of practice, the follower contemplates Amitabha as not separate from his own being.
http://buddhism.about.com/od/purelandbuddhism/a/pureland.htm
Buddhism In A Nutshell by Ven. Narada Thera
What The Buddha Taught by Ven. Dr.Walpola Rahula
And some books by Ven. K. Sri Dhammananda and Thich Nhat Hanh...
Love and Light,
Nidish
P.S: I started practicing Buddhism only after I read What The Buddha Taught...
Good Luck
I've read the whole trilogy ('Awakening the Sacred', and 'Awakening the Buddhist Heart' are numbers 2 and 3, respectively).
I recommend them.
I don't practise in the same school or tradition of Buddhism as Lama Surya Das, but as an intro and opener, I personally feel they're pretty cool books.
Besides reading books about Buddhism, you might consider trying a small experiment. Try to take five or ten minutes a day to be quiet ... sit down, straighten your spine, shut up, and focus the mind, perhaps on your exhalations. Just five or ten minutes a day. It may not be as easy as it sounds, but do it anyway.
Is this different?
Is this the same?
Really?
Best wishes.
What are you expecting from a religious institution, if not preaching or "teaching"? And prayers? Some offer instruction in meditation as well, though I've never run into any that offered that, myself. Reading, or university courses in Buddhism are a good way to start if you're not into "preaching" and a church-like scene. You can sign up for a distance learning university course if there are none where you live.