Nice to Meet Everybody

Introduce yourself to others at Dharma Wheel.
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dharmatheway84
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Joined: Sun Mar 14, 2021 4:14 am

Nice to Meet Everybody

Post by dharmatheway84 »

Good morning to the dharmawheel.net community!

My name is Michael and I am both interested in learning about Buddhism and in becoming Buddhist by faith. I reside in Central Florida, of the USA, I am 36 years old and I am of European ancestry.

My journey began just about 8 weeks ago while I was receiving some inpatient medical treatment. During my stay, my roommate out of the blue offered a book for me to read, "When Things Fall Apart" by Pema Chödrön. By the time I had read part way through the second chapter the content resonated with my current beliefs and with where I am in my life and I guess one could say this prompted a spiritual awakening in me. By the time I had finished the book, I knew I had been called to Buddhism.

In the year leading up to now I have been casually entertaining the idea of adopting a faith and was considering Catholicism as I have learned a good bit about that faith from my family. I was actually raised Protestant. Nonetheless, neither of these faiths align well with my beliefs.

While I was enthusiastic for a time about my Protestant faith as an older child, I did not feel any spiritual calling to the aforementioned, Catholicism or any other faith until just this past month when I rediscovered Buddhism.
I say "rediscovered" because when I was in middle school I was fascinated for a time by the Buddha and I now feel that it is possible I was being led to Buddhism as a child, I just did not realize it. Since January, I have acquired as much knowledge as I can about everything Buddhism, through books and online sources.

I would like to continue to learn more about my new faith as well as to find some in-person spiritual direction. As such, I plan to visit a few local Buddhist temples and find out how to become a part of the community. I have already visited the Wat Florida Dhammaram (a local Monastery) a few times. I also intend to find out how to formally convert to Buddhism.

I first joined dhammawheel.com so I can become part of an online community of fellow Buddhists. Then I was directed here to dharmawheel.net to answer a particular question that I will inquire about in a different thread.

I would like to learn as much as possible, and at some point help others learn about and discuss Buddhism and how it relates to every aspect of the Buddhist's life.

Thank you for reading and I am glad to now be a part of this online Buddhist community.

-Michael
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DNS
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Re: Nice to Meet Everybody

Post by DNS »

Welcome to DW!

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KathyLauren
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Location: East Coast of Canada
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Re: Nice to Meet Everybody

Post by KathyLauren »

Welcome, Michael!

Om mani padme hum
Kathy
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Shotenzenjin
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Re: Nice to Meet Everybody

Post by Shotenzenjin »

Welcome
Generation's shall pass, our determination shall grow, at the foot of Mount Fuji
Like smoke that reaches far beyond the clouds.--nichimoku shonin. Third high priest of Nichiren Shoshu

Hokekko of true Buddhism https://nstny.org

Introduction to Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source= ... VKyEQ_cxK9
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_johnarundel_
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Joined: Wed May 27, 2020 8:00 pm

Re: Nice to Meet Everybody

Post by _johnarundel_ »

Welcome!
"The five characters of Myoho-Renge-Kyo are the core of the Lotus Sutra and the origin of all Buddhas throughout the entire world. Upon seeing the signs that these five characters now must be propagated, I, Nichiren, have set the precedent, today, at the beginning of the Latter Day of the Law."

- Nichiren Daishonin, “Shuju onfurumai-gosho” 種種御振舞御書


https://www.nichirenshoshu.or.jp/eng/daishonin.html
dharmatheway84
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Mar 14, 2021 4:14 am

Re: Nice to Meet Everybody

Post by dharmatheway84 »

Thank you for the warm welcome everyone. I am going to be starting to attend a class on Saturdays at a local Monastery so I can learn more. I have spoken with the Abbott there at Wat Florida Dhammaram and have learned a great deal already.

-Michael
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Budai
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Location: ༀ ∞ Nam Myoho Renge Kyo ∞ ༀ

Re: Nice to Meet Everybody

Post by Budai »

Always believe in yourself as a Buddhist.

You will be a great one!

Namaste.

:heart:
avatamsaka3
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Joined: Mon Apr 08, 2019 6:11 am

Re: Nice to Meet Everybody

Post by avatamsaka3 »

As such, I plan to visit a few local Buddhist temples and find out how to become a part of the community.
This isn't the goal of practice. Being a part of any community will engender suffering in some way at some point. But it's true that, with a realistic attitude, joining a community can be part of the journey.

Often when we go to communities, we have an agenda we don't recognize: "I really like myself, and I want everyone else to do the same". This generates problems, naturally, when this doesn't work out. Or when people don't give us the attention we desire. Or when we disagree with someone. You'll notice that good practitioners don't talk that much in Buddhist spaces, and their focus is on the Buddha and his teaching. A Buddha-oriented sangha of real refuge takers is most helpful.

And resist the urge to overestimate the good qualities of the unfamiliar.
I also intend to find out how to formally convert to Buddhism.


Formalities are part of Buddhist culture, but they're not a necessary part of the essential practice. To "convert" to Buddhism means you're going to take responsibility for your actions of body, speech, and mind, and avoid all negative activities:

Sabbapāpassa akaraṇaṃ,
kusalassa upasampadā;
Sacitta pariyo dapanaṃ,
etaṃ buddhāna sāsanaṃ
(Dhammapada verse 183)

In order to do this, you need to accept that actions have consequences, and that change for the better is possible (particularly the ability to control the mind). When you accept this, and generate the intention for enlightenment, then you'll have true refuge.
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