Can I do this without a teacher?

General discussion, particularly exploring the Dharma in the modern world.
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Epistemes
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Can I do this without a teacher?

Post by Epistemes »

I don't believe I can. Unfortunately, there are no teachers available in my area as per buddhanet. The only resources I have are books and this forum.
Cantankerous Buddha
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Re: Can I do this without a teacher?

Post by DGA »

No, not really. But Buddhanet isn't the final answer on who or what is available in your area, and there are meaningful and useful things you can do on your own.

You may need to travel some.

If you don't mind, what part of the world are you in, roughly speaking? People here may be able to steer you right.
Malcolm
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Re: Can I do this without a teacher?

Post by Malcolm »

Epistemes wrote:I don't believe I can. Unfortunately, there are no teachers available in my area as per buddhanet. The only resources I have are books and this forum.

Well, my approach was reading and studying for a few years.

Then, eventually I got a teacher.

If you can travel to some retreat, then this is beneficial. And if you can't, you can still read and think about what you are reading.

In other words, there is no need to get a teacher immediately.

N
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Epistemes
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Re: Can I do this without a teacher?

Post by Epistemes »

Namdrol wrote:
Epistemes wrote:I don't believe I can. Unfortunately, there are no teachers available in my area as per buddhanet. The only resources I have are books and this forum.

Well, my approach was reading and studying for a few years.

Then, eventually I got a teacher.

If you can travel to some retreat, then this is beneficial. And if you can't, you can still read and think about what you are reading.

In other words, there is no need to get a teacher immediately.

N
Then, this will be my plan, as well. I have much to learn from the books. My meditation practice is still largely uninformed and irregular. I am still unsure about a lot of things; there are a lot of attachments going on.
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sangyey
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Re: Can I do this without a teacher?

Post by sangyey »

Epistemes, I found web cast teachings by H.H. Dalai Lama on his web-site to be really beneficial and has helped my understanding of Tibetan Buddhism tremendously. The teachings are somewhat lengthy with am and pm sessions sometimes spread over a few days but if you have the diligence and invest the time it would probably really help with bringing some of the concepts and ideas together.

http://www.dalailama.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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