How do I find a teacher?

[SittingSilent]

I live in a very small town far from any Buddhist centers (about 2.5 hours from the nearest Buddhist center, further from others). I was wondering how I would go about finding a teacher? I'm going in January to one week of a dathun which is all I could afford and is also what I thought would be a good introduction for my first time at a retreat. But I would like to have a teacher to guide me. How does one go about finding a teacher?

[floating_abu]

Zen centres of the world directory

Buddhanet Directory

Heartfelt prayers can also help.

Best wishes,

Abu

[gregkavarnos]

Dear Silent,

I live a 13-17 hours trip by boat (or about an hour by a currently unaffordable plane) from my teachers. I go once or twice a year, overdose on Dharma and go back to recoup for 6 months. Having started ngondro I have more than enough Dharma to deal with on a daily basis. I am sure the dathun will give you plenty of material.

Don't rush finding a teacher. Check out as many as you can until you find the one(s) that click.

The 35 Confession Buddhas practice (a sutra practice) will help clear out obstacles due to past karma and does not require tantric initiations etc...

Calling the Lama from Afar, although considered by some as purely a lineage prayer, is a plea for all the lamas of all the lineages to heed you.

Both these practices certainly helped me.

[SittingSilent]

I have Asperger's Syndrome, a variant of autism, and when you said "Calling the Lama from Afar" I was picturing that you were wanting me to call up every teacher and speak to each one and interview them. After re-reading the sentence about seven times, I'm guessing that's not what you meant, but rather that it is also the name of a practice/petition??? Where do I find these two practices/prayers? I guess as someone who is a big fan of rules (key in the Asperger's) I like the idea of having an authority figure to answer all of my questions definitively!


Ethan

[tomamundsen]

:oops: I have Asperger's Syndrome, a variant of autism, and when you said "Calling the Lama from Afar" I was picturing that you were wanting me to call up every teacher and speak to each one and interview them. After re-reading the sentence about seven times, I'm guessing that's not what you meant, but rather that it is also the name of a practice/petition??? Where do I find these two practices/prayers? I guess as someone who is a big fan of rules (key in the Asperger's) I like the idea of having an authority figure to answer all of my questions definitively!


Ethan

Calling the Lama From Afar

[Yudron]

:oops: I have Asperger's Syndrome, a variant of autism, and when you said "Calling the Lama from Afar" I was picturing that you were wanting me to call up every teacher and speak to each one and interview them. After re-reading the sentence about seven times, I'm guessing that's not what you meant, but rather that it is also the name of a practice/petition??? Where do I find these two practices/prayers? I guess as someone who is a big fan of rules (key in the Asperger's) I like the idea of having an authority figure to answer all of my questions definitively!


Ethan

Yes, there are things to do in both Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism that are suitable to people with Asperger syndrome -- most groups have lots of rules and routines based on tradition.

[gregkavarnos]

Confession Buddhas practice: http://www2.fodian.net/world/0326.html

The easiest way to do the practice is to read all of the section where you name each Buddha individually, and then do 38 prostrations (one to each Buddha and one to each of the three jewels) before reciting the closing part of the practice.