My parents against my beliefs

General discussion, particularly exploring the Dharma in the modern world.
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Seishin
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Re: My parents against my beliefs

Post by Seishin »

tigerh98 wrote:Ive never meditated but i do concentrate on my breath and thoughts when im in school so u can say yea i meditate?not all of buddhism i know but ill get to the point ill no all of buddhism maybe ill go to a buddhist collage?
If you are serious about being a monk start going along to a local temple, it doesn't have to be Chinese, just go to see what Buddhism is about. Ask some monastic about their daily tasks and routine. You can also go on a retreat to get a feel for what it would be like to live as a monk. This would be my first step.

Gassho.
Alfredo
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Re: My parents against my beliefs

Post by Alfredo »

Seishin is right.
(no longer participating on this board)
invisiblediamond
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Re: My parents against my beliefs

Post by invisiblediamond »

tigerh98 wrote:I have a problem for riencarnation so of course im going to be a buddhist monk all my like and in school all is sh it like algebra in school ive been showed algebra since 8 grade now im in 9th and idontknow 1bit of it real math for me is plus timetable minus thats all the math i need and my.mom knows almost alot of science stuff and buddhism becouse i though her like a teacher and one day she told me she saw the like of the buddha movie thx ^^ for all the compassion
There are methods for attaining nirvana in one day; then what? Think about this.
invisiblediamond
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Re: My parents against my beliefs

Post by invisiblediamond »

KonchokZoepa wrote:invisiblediamond, not every one is suppose to be civilized like some high university people. there is a big difference being a good open hearted human opposed to as being civilized.

and not everyone is meant to have an education to do long thesis and write books. there is also difference between being wise and being intelligent.

also schools very rarely teach you critical thinking, more like they try to mold you into a fitting block to the society.

i disagree quite a lot that we should know what harvard etc people know and how they think. that is a waste of time. rather follow buddhist masters than harvard smart asses.
All the masters I know, especially the ones from the practice lineages, are very well read and educated; they are also well rounded with many artistic and practical skills like handcrafts and carpentry. I never said someone needs to write a thesis. I'm saying you have to educate yourself somehow. It could be on an alternative track, but one should know how to learn and how to reason. Someone who wants to be a. Buddhist master should be able to hold a conversation or debate with an Oxford educated teacher like Trungpa Rinpoche. One should be well spoken and intelligent. The Buddha's speech is limitless. So someone with limited thinking will have limited speech and that falls short of mastery. The standard for a Buddhist master is very high.
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Seishin
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Re: My parents against my beliefs

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greentara wrote:konchokZoepa, Whilst I agree that a 15 year old teenager needs the support of his parents; I too think there's far too much emphasis on tertiary education when it comes to Buddhist practise ....the importance of being sincere "good and open hearted" can not be overlooked.
For example the monks in the Thai forest tradition are more interested in meditation, simplicity and stilling the mind rather then writing a thesis! Is scholarship really the way to liberation? I say lets not get too academic, lets get back to basics.
Whilst I agree with you, we are talking about a 15yr old finishing school, not an adult finishing a Masters degree. If anything school is all about the basics.

Gassho.
Seishin
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tigerh98
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Re: My parents against my beliefs

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What ur trying to tell me is to go to a buddhist collage thats one way i can learn more about buddhism and i allready know how a monks life is and im going be a buddhist monk even if its hard but have to learn mandarin then need money to go from point A to B choose a country ill be a monk in choose the tradition than temple
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Seishin
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Re: My parents against my beliefs

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tigerh98 wrote:What ur trying to tell me is to go to a buddhist collage thats one way i can learn more about buddhism and i allready know how a monks life is and im going be a buddhist monk even if its hard but have to learn mandarin then need money to go from point A to B choose a country ill be a monk in choose the tradition than temple
Start with buddhanet and maybe accesstoinsight.com and start reading. You don't need to leave school to learn Buddhism. At the same time join a Buddhist group and go to a local temple as much as possible. Climbing a mountain starts with a single step.
invisiblediamond
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Re: My parents against my beliefs

Post by invisiblediamond »

tigerh98 wrote:What ur trying to tell me is to go to a buddhist collage thats one way i can learn more about buddhism and i allready know how a monks life is and im going be a buddhist monk even if its hard but have to learn mandarin then need money to go from point A to B choose a country ill be a monk in choose the tradition than temple
So when are you going to learn to write in complete sentences? Learn how to educate yourself.
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tigerh98
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Re: My parents against my beliefs

Post by tigerh98 »

Lol ^ :crazy:
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tigerh98
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Re: My parents against my beliefs

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Seis i know the site buddhanet but why u recomdment these sites to me?
invisiblediamond
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Re: My parents against my beliefs

Post by invisiblediamond »

tigerh98 wrote:Lol ^ :crazy:
There's nothing crazier than charging off half-cocked toward a destiny you don't understand, wasting the best years of your life, only to find out it was all for nothing. Think about this.
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Paul
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Re: My parents against my beliefs

Post by Paul »

1) You are going to give people a negative view of Buddhism if they see it as the reason that you are throwing away your chance of an education. There's no way your parents and teachers will support your beliefs if they appear to be a reason for you dropping out of society and not being of any use to anyone.
2) If you have no real academic education you cannot get the funds that will be required for learning and practicing Buddhism. There are no free rides in the West, or in traditionally Buddhist countries.
3) You are not following the recommended course of action for a bodhisattva if you do not educate yourself. Patrul Rinpoche for example explains that someone should attain mastery of ALL subjects of knowledge in order to help beings. You can't even write properly at the moment - how can you help beings turn to the Dharma and liberate themselves?
4) To actually learn about science properly and practice it you need to enter academia, ie at least have a degree.
5) EVERYONE seems to be saying your course of action is a really bad idea - please consider that they might actually be right!
Look at the unfathomable spinelessness of man: all the means he's been given to stay alert he uses, in the end, to ornament his sleep. – Rene Daumal
the modern mind has become so limited and single-visioned that it has lost touch with normal perception - John Michell
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tigerh98
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Re: My parents against my beliefs

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:crazy: :jawdrop: -_- :jedi: :meditate:
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tigerh98
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Re: My parents against my beliefs

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What do u mean funds?i learned science some of it useing the internet and logic i know 2 languages and im going learn 1 more
greentara
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Re: My parents against my beliefs

Post by greentara »

Alfredo, Of course I consider secondary and tertiary education important for the layman. I'm simply saying that if someone really yearns for liberation will it help to clutter up the mind with more academic knowledge? I think getting rid of the many concepts we have in our mind including pride of being learned is the way to go. I know enough erudite spiritual teachers and my guess is they're are as far away from realisation as the 'ordinary' man in the street.

Furthermore all this chatter about tertiary education....here in Australia and I guess the whole of the Western world, many after completing years of university in arts, years of law and most definitely IT will find that there are 80 applicants to one vacancy. Why, because a lot of jobs have been outsourced to India, the Philippines and other third world countries. In addition many are allowed in on a two year 457 visa, undercutting the local job market.

Anyway I digress....

Getting back to the main game this young teenager has obviously got problems at school. He's looking for an escape route. Does he listen? I suspect not well! If only he could find someone with sympathy, a mentor.
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Re: My parents against my beliefs

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greentara wrote:I'm simply saying that if someone really yearns for liberation will it help to clutter up the mind with more academic knowledge? I think getting rid of the many concepts we have in our mind including pride of being learned is the way to go.
You still need to feed yourself unless you're planning on living as a mendicant.

Monasteries don't enjoy freeloaders. Everyone has to work and provide something of value.

A solid education complete with appropriate self-confidence is one way to make yourself useful to a religious institution.

Liberation in any case isn't achieved by attempting to escape saṃsāra via the abandonment of knowledge and learning.
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tigerh98
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Re: My parents against my beliefs

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Feed my self ?when im 16 going get a job or when i turn 18 maybe my mom will give me money to move on going live with my parents until 18 or 19 but max is 20
greentara
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Re: My parents against my beliefs

Post by greentara »

Indrajala, "Liberation in any case isn't achieved by attempting to escape saṃsāra via the abandonment of knowledge and learning" I do admire you and the life you have chosen but in this case 'as an armchair critic' I disagree with you. In many cases the accumulation of knowledge and the pride that goes with it can be a hindrance to liberation.
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tigerh98
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Re: My parents against my beliefs

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8o :thinking: :jawdrop: dam bro slow down 8o didnt understand what u just posted :techproblem:
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Seishin
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Re: My parents against my beliefs

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tigerh98 wrote:Seis i know the site buddhanet but why u recomdment these sites to me?
Buddhanet has loads of Buddhist Educational material, as well as Sutras & Shastras which you should be studying if you want to be a monk. If you say that you don't have time, think again. I'm married with a daughter and a full time job and still manage to chant, meditate, & read Sutras and Shatras & go along once a week to our sangha.

Here are a few Sanghas in Florida, more can be found here: http://www.buddhanet.info/wbd/province. ... ince_id=30

Avalokiteshvara - Buddhist Study Center

Address: 321 Lamont Road Fort Pierce FL 34947-1541
Tradition: Non-Sectarian
Affiliation: World Fellowship of Buddhists
E-mail: [email protected]
Find on:
Main Contact: Ven. Dr. Tenzin Oedok
Teacher: Ven. Dr. Tenzin Oedok
Spiritual Director: Ven. Dr. Tenzin Oedok
Bodhi Tree Dhamma Center

Address: 11355 Dauphin Aveue Largo FL 33778-2903
Tradition: Theravada
Affiliation: BTDC maintains a relationship with Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery
Phone: (727) 392-7698
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.bodhitreefla.org/
Find on:
Contact: Jim Cameron
Brevard Zen Center

Address: 1261 Range Road, Cocoa FL (On the Grounds of the Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship) of Taizan Maezumi Roshi and Louis Mitsunen Nordstrom Roshi FL
Tradition: Mahayana, White Plum Soto Zen lineage
Phone: (321) 795-6570
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.brevardzen.org
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Teacher: Louis Mitsunen Nordstrom Roshi
Spiritual Director: Jim Gallagher
Broward Lotus Sangha

Address: 7185 Pembroke Road Pembroke Pines FL 33023
Tradition: Mahayana, Vietnamese Tien (Zen/Chan) Lin Chi
Affiliation: Thich Nhat Hanh / Community of Mindful Living / Order of Interbeing
Phone: 954-665-4325
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.browardlotussangha.org
Find on:
Main Contact: Dr. Martha Martinez Email (Phone: 954-665-4325)
Spiritual Director: Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh Email
Buddha Gaia: Brevard County Chapter

Tradition: Mahayana, North American Shin Buddhism (NASBA)
Affiliation: Buddha Gaia
Phone: (386) 383 - 2457
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://buddhistfaith.tripod.com/buddha_gaia
Main Contact: Shanti Johnson Email (Phone: (321) 747 - 0684)
Buddhist Group Miami

Address: 60 N.W. 86th Street El Portal FL 33150
Tradition: Vajrayana, Tibetan Buddhism, Karma Kagyu
Phone: (305) 751-7402
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.kagyu-sfla.org/
Find on:
Teacher: Lama Karma Chotso
Spiritual Director: Lama Norlha Rinpoche
Community of Mindfulness

Address: P.O. Box 1114645 Naples FL 34108 Naples FL 34108
Tradition: Mahayana, Zen Buddhist Master Thich Nhat Hahn & the Order of Interbeing
Affiliation: Community of Mindful Living
Phone: (239) 513-2699
Website: http://www.floridamindfulness.org/
Find on:
Contact: Fred Eppsteiner
Cypress Tree Zen Group

Address: P.O. Box 428 Panacea FL 32346 FL
Tradition: Mahayana, Kwan Um School of Zen (Korean)
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://webdharma.com/ctzg/index.html
Find on:
Founder Teacher: Zen Master Seung Sahn
Dancing Waters Sangha

Address: 1810 Rebecca Road Lutz FL 33549
Tradition: Mahayana, Zen,Thich Nhat Hahn
Affiliation: Community of Mindful Living and the Order of Interbeing.
Phone: (813) 949-7729
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.floridamindfulness.org/dws
Find on:
Main Contact: Sandy Garcia
Teacher: Fred Eppsteiner
Dhamma Wheel Meditation Society

Address: 1518 South Haven Drive Clearwater FL 33764
Tradition: Theravada
Phone: 727-242-7239
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.dwms.org
Find on:
Spiritual Director: Bhante Dhammawansha
Dhammaloka Buddhist Society

Address: 2500 Acapulco Drive Miramar FL 33023
Tradition: Theravada
Phone: 9549623325
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.dbsusa.org
Find on:
Teacher: Ashin Zawana
Spiritual Director: Ashin Zanita (Phone: 954 962 3325)
Fish Lake Sangha

Address: 9222 Charles E. Limpus Road, Orlando FL 32836 FL
Tradition: Mahayana, Zen Buddhist Master Thich Nhat Hahn & the Order of Interbeing.
Affiliation: Community of Mindful Living
E-mail: [email protected]
Find on:
Contact: Bob Allen
Florida Buddhist Vihara Inc.

Address: 2208 Maydell Drive, Tampa, FL 33619 FL
Tradition: Theravada
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.floridabuddhistvihara.org
Find on:
Teachers: Ven. Mahawila Seevalee and Ven. Malewana Vijitha
Spiritual Director: Ven. Kokkavita Wipulasara
Florida Meditation Center

Address: 1303 N. Gordon St., Plant City, FL 33563 USA FL
Tradition: Theravada, Thai - everyone is welcome!
Affiliation: Dhammakaya International
Phone: .+(1) 813-704-4599,
Fax: +(1) 813-283-0050
E-mail: [email protected]
Find on:
Ft. Lauderdale Zen Group

Address: 800 SW 36th Avenue Pompano Beach FL 33069
Tradition: Mahayana, Soto/Rinzai Zen
Affiliation: White Plum
Phone: 954-987-3642
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.browardzen.com
Find on:
Main Contact: Carole Walsh
Teacher: Venerable Hakuyu Taizan Maezumi Roshi, Sensei Roger Shikan Hawkins
Spiritual Director: Roger Shikan Hawkins Sensei
Ft. Lauderdale / Miami Community Center

Address: 20000 SW 36th Street, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33332 FL
Tradition: Mahayana, Nichiren Daishonin Buddhism
Phone: (954) 349-5000
Find on:
Gainesville Shambhala Meditation Group

Address: 4610 NW 15th Place, Gainesville, FL 32605-4547 FL
Tradition: Vajrayana, Tibetan, Nyingma/Kagyu, Shambhala
Phone: (352) 271-9391
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://gainesville.shambhala.org
Find on:
Spiritual Director: Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche
Teacher: Charles Burnell
Gainesville Vipassana Society

Address: 5811 NW 31st Terrace Gainesville FL 32653
Tradition: Theravada
Phone: (352) 337-9993
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.floridavipassana.org/
Find on:
Guang Ming Temple

Address: 6555 Hoffner Avenue Orlando FL 32822
Tradition: Mahayana, Humanistic Buddhism
Affiliation: Fo Guang Shan
Phone: 407.281.8482
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.orlandobuddhism.org/
Find on:
Main Contact: Ven. Chueh Fan Email (Phone: 407-281-8482)
Spiritual Director: Most Venerable Master Hsing Yun
I.B.P.S. Miami

Address: 9341 N.W. 57 Street Tamarac FL 33351
Tradition: Mahayana, Humanistic Buddhism
Affiliation: Fo Guang Shan
Phone: (954) 933-0055
E-mail: [email protected]
Find on:
Spiritual Director: Most Venerable Master Hsing Yun
Indian River Mindfulness Group

Address: 6945 Crepe Myrtle Drive, Grant, FL 32949 and the Order of Interbeing FL
Tradition: Mahayana, Zen Buddhist Master Thich Nhat Hahn
Affiliation: Community of Mindful Living
Phone: (407) 725-3691
Find on:
Contact: Kathy Doner
Jacksonville Zen Sangha

Address: 2014 Perry Place Jacksonville FL 32207
Tradition: Mahayana, Rinzai Zen
Phone: : 904-398-6905
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.jaxzensangha.org
Find on:
Kadampa Meditation Center Florida

Address: 730 N. Washington Blvd Sarasota FL 34237
Tradition: Mahayana, Tibetan
Affiliation: New Kadampa Tradition
Phone: (941) 373-1600
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.meditationinsarasota.org
Find on:
Teacher: Gen Kelsang Demo
Spiritual Director: Ven Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
Kagyu Shedrup Chöling

Address: KSC Clergy Residence 60 N.W. 86th Street, El Portal, FL 33150 FL
Tradition: Vajrayana, Tibetan, Karma Kagyu
Phone: (305) 751-7402
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.kagyu-sfla.org/
Find on:
Spiritual Director: Lama Norlha Rinpoche
Teacher: Ani Karma Chotso
Key West Mindfulness Sangha

Address: P.O. Box 245, Key West, FL 33041 and the Order of Interbeing FL
Tradition: Mahayana, Zen Buddhist Master Thich Nhat Hahn
Affiliation: Community of Mindful Living
E-mail: [email protected]
Find on:
Contact: Roberta Marks
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