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Hello from Bristol, England.

Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 6:28 am
by vinasp
Hi everyone,

Having spent the last fifteen years studying Theravada, I feel a need to learn more about the other traditions. Consider me to be a complete novice on these topics. I look forward to learning from you all.

Best wishes, Vincent.

Re: Hello from Bristol, England.

Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 6:29 am
by Ngawang Drolma
Hi Vincent, welcome! I recognize you from e-sangha, I'm glad you made your way here :twothumbsup:

Best wishes,
Laura

Re: Hello from Bristol, England.

Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 6:35 am
by retrofuturist
Greetings Vincent,

Welcome to Dharma Wheel.

:buddha2:

Metta,
Retro. :)

Re: Hello from Bristol, England.

Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 10:51 am
by rose
Hi Vincent,

Welcome to Dharma Wheel!

rt

:meditate:

Re: Hello from Bristol, England.

Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 7:18 pm
by ronnewmexico
Hello from Cedro, New Mexico.

Re: Hello from Bristol, England.

Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 8:14 pm
by Blue Garuda
vinasp wrote:Hi everyone,

Having spent the last fifteen years studying Theravada, I feel a need to learn more about the other traditions. Consider me to be a complete novice on these topics. I look forward to learning from you all.

Best wishes, Vincent.

Hi.. Take a walk up Gloucester Road for the FWBO and the NKT, or I recommend the Lam Rim sangha as they have 2, yes 2, Lharampa Geshes who teach in Birstol and Cardiff.

Re: Hello from Bristol, England.

Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 8:27 pm
by Ngawang Drolma
It is my duty to follow Yeshe around here and post disclaimers after he writes :)

Please look up all of these sanghas or talk to practitioners to get opinions before setting your sights on any one sangha. FWBO and NKT are described as controversial and one of the issues is mentioned in our TOS. The other Sangha would be considered more mainstream.

Kindly,
Laura

Re: Hello from Bristol, England.

Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 9:13 pm
by Blue Garuda
LauraJ wrote:It is my duty to follow Yeshe around here and post disclaimers after he writes :)

Please look up all of these sanghas or talk to practitioners to get opinions before setting your sights on any one sangha.

Kindly,
Laura
It's OK, I'm happy to have a shadow - and such a nice one! :)

As I hail from that area, I thought I could offer a suggestion.
They are the only non-Theravadan ones I know. I can endorse Lam Rim from my own experience, for example, as does HHDL. ;)

Maybe a Zennie could mention others.

Purely mentioned as a complement to this esteemed organ of course, as I don't even know if you are looking at visiting sanghas as well as joining us here! :)

Re: Hello from Bristol, England.

Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 11:52 pm
by Ngawang Drolma
Yeshe wrote:
LauraJ wrote:It is my duty to follow Yeshe around here and post disclaimers after he writes :)

Please look up all of these sanghas or talk to practitioners to get opinions before setting your sights on any one sangha.

Kindly,
Laura
It's OK, I'm happy to have a shadow - and such a nice one! :)

As I hail from that area, I thought I could offer a suggestion.
They are the only non-Theravadan ones I know. I can endorse Lam Rim from my own experience, for example, as does HHDL. ;)

Maybe a Zennie could mention others.

Purely mentioned as a complement to this esteemed organ of course, as I don't even know if you are looking at visiting sanghas as well as joining us here! :)
Sure, feel free to open a thread about it Yeshe.

Best,
Laura

Re: Hello from Bristol, England.

Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 5:28 am
by ronnewmexico
Vincent

Forgot to add....I am just a uneducated layperson with a very small practice of no accomplishment. So if you read anything I write, feel free to take it with a grain of salt. Sometimes I can spell Mahayana correctly..but mostly not.

Re: Hello from Bristol, England.

Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 5:32 am
by vinasp
Hi everyone,

Thanks for the warm welcome. Yes there are many Buddhist groups in Bristol, but it is difficult for me to get to them. I am 61 years old and do not have a car. The area where I live has virtually no bus service.

Perhaps I should have made it clear that I am only interested in doctrinal matters. Not techniques of meditation, or having a teacher. I just want to know how the teachings differ from Theravada. Research online should be able to answer these questions.

Best wishes, Vincent.

Re: Hello from Bristol, England.

Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 6:42 am
by Huifeng
vinasp wrote:Hi everyone,

Thanks for the warm welcome. Yes there are many Buddhist groups in Bristol, but it is difficult for me to get to them. I am 61 years old and do not have a car. The area where I live has virtually no bus service.

Perhaps I should have made it clear that I am only interested in doctrinal matters. Not techniques of meditation, or having a teacher. I just want to know how the teachings differ from Theravada. Research online should be able to answer these questions.

Best wishes, Vincent.
Hello Vincent

If one wishes to understand the Mahayana, without Bodhicitta, even if one reads enough sutras and sastras to fill the ancient library of Alexandria, understanding will always remain out of reach.

Huifeng

Re: Hello from Bristol, England.

Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 9:15 am
by vinasp
Greetings Venerable,

Yes that is true. I suppose the same could be said of Theravada. One could read all the discourses over and over again, but without wisdom (panna) one would never understand them. Just look at most books written by academics!

Best wishes, Vincent.

Re: Hello from Bristol, England.

Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 2:42 pm
by BFS
vinasp wrote:Hi everyone,

Perhaps I should have made it clear that I am only interested in doctrinal matters. Not techniques of meditation, or having a teacher. I just want to know how the teachings differ from Theravada. Research online should be able to answer these questions.

Best wishes, Vincent.
You may find this source helpful, Vincent.

http://www.berzinarchives.com/web/en/index.html

Re: Hello from Bristol, England.

Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 3:36 pm
by Ngawang Drolma
Hi all,

Please be aware that I've removed some posts that don't pertain to the topic at hand.

Vinasp, welcome and thank you for joining our group! I hope you find something here that's useful.

Thanks,
Laura

Re: Hello from Bristol, England.

Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 5:20 pm
by DNS
:hi:

Welcome to Dharma Wheel!

Re: Hello from Bristol, England.

Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 3:28 pm
by Luke
Hello Vincent. This site is still pretty new, but it's already bursting with links and information.

:namaste: