Not sure where to ask this

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Lotomístico
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Not sure where to ask this

Post by Lotomístico »

Good day.

Not sure where to ask this, so here goes, the lounge seems like a suitable place.

Newbie here. Been perusing the various subforums and threads, general and those of specific traditions. I find it all very fascinating.

The thing is, I'm just a beginner in Buddhism. Furthermore, I'm not a terribly astute nor particularly deep person. Complex ideas are difficult for me to grasp. I'm not very educated (high school). When I read many posts on DW I feel lost, so many technical terms and concepts that are beyond me. I'm impressed hearing the conversations, explanations and debates, but feel that I can't really join the conversations.

Does anyone have any suggestions for me? How to get "up to speed"? I'm not going to suddenly (or anytime soon) become a profound person...but I want to práctice Dharma, attain the way (after countless aeons and millions of lifetimes hahaha) but how to get started? Perhaps a "starter course", Buddhism for regular people, or maybe a Dharma práctice suited to people who aren't super smart.

Advice sincerely appreciated
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Hazel
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Re: Not sure where to ask this

Post by Hazel »

Welcome!

Are there local Dharma centers near you? Many will have classes that are suitable for beginners. You could check those out.

Receive teachings, put them into practice, repeat.
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KristenM
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Re: Not sure where to ask this

Post by KristenM »

Hola,

Many of the best practitioners and highly realized were not academics or had a higher education. So, you are in good company.

An excellent start is to find out what your specific interests in Buddhism are so far, like do you have an affinity for a specific practice? Most of us haven’t been brought up in a Buddhist culture either so many of us are learning too. Like a teacher I once heard say, don’t worry about people who seem ahead of you, they really aren’t that far ahead, truthfully.
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Konchog Thogme Jampa
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Re: Not sure where to ask this

Post by Konchog Thogme Jampa »

Could recite Om Mani Padma Hum

Mantra of Chenrezig, Buddha of Compassion
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PadmaVonSamba
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Re: Not sure where to ask this

Post by PadmaVonSamba »

I never graduated from high school either.
Don’t worry about all of complicated concepts, as Buddhists love to see how complicated we can get dissecting simple ideas. There have been teachings that I’ve simply walked out of because I had no grasp of what was being talked about. That’s fine. Just focus on the questions you have in your own
mind, and go at your own pace.
EMPTIFUL.
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Lotomístico
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Re: Not sure where to ask this

Post by Lotomístico »

Thank you for the helpful responses so far.
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Re: Not sure where to ask this

Post by Johnny Dangerous »

First: Some of this stuff is actually learned, as in you learn it by studying and by spending time in discussion with teachers and fellow travelers. That isn't to encourage you to behave like others, only to say that one shouldn't use their perceived intelligence as some kind of limitation. People having been learning about this stuff for a long time, I am sure you are plenty capable.

Now, with that out of the way, there are lots of approaches, and plenty are not terribly intellectual. My advice would be to find a teacher and teachings that resonate with you, and go from there.
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master of puppets
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Re: Not sure where to ask this

Post by master of puppets »

1-for buddhism : do good (not evil)
2- for yourself : purify your mind
by doing meditation
(this is understanding the teaching)

All that is...

simple
Danny
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Re: Not sure where to ask this

Post by Danny »

Lotomístico wrote: Mon Jul 05, 2021 11:16 pm Good day.

Not sure where to ask this, so here goes, the lounge seems like a suitable place.

Newbie here. Been perusing the various subforums and threads, general and those of specific traditions. I find it all very fascinating.

The thing is, I'm just a beginner in Buddhism. Furthermore, I'm not a terribly astute nor particularly deep person. Complex ideas are difficult for me to grasp. I'm not very educated (high school). When I read many posts on DW I feel lost, so many technical terms and concepts that are beyond me. I'm impressed hearing the conversations, explanations and debates, but feel that I can't really join the conversations.

Does anyone have any suggestions for me? How to get "up to speed"? I'm not going to suddenly (or anytime soon) become a profound person...but I want to práctice Dharma, attain the way (after countless aeons and millions of lifetimes hahaha) but how to get started? Perhaps a "starter course", Buddhism for regular people, or maybe a Dharma práctice suited to people who aren't super smart.

Advice sincerely appreciated
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Lotomístico
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Re: Not sure where to ask this

Post by Lotomístico »

master of puppets wrote: Tue Jul 06, 2021 9:54 am 1-for buddhism : do good (not evil)
2- for yourself : purify your mind
by doing meditation
(this is understanding the teaching)

All that is...

simple
So Theravada Is fine, too? Meditation is quite easy? Ok, I'll give It a shot, I was worried about learning sutras, finding a teacher, initiation, all the terminology...I can meditate at home.

What about ordination, can I make significant progress without It?

Cheers
master of puppets
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Re: Not sure where to ask this

Post by master of puppets »

Lotomístico wrote: Tue Jul 06, 2021 4:17 pm
master of puppets wrote: Tue Jul 06, 2021 9:54 am 1-for buddhism : do good (not evil)
2- for yourself : purify your mind
by doing meditation
(this is understanding the teaching)

All that is...

simple
So Theravada Is fine, too? Meditation is quite easy? Ok, I'll give It a shot, I was worried about learning sutras, finding a teacher, initiation, all the terminology...I can meditate at home.

What about ordination, can I make significant progress without It?

Cheers

There are more experienced ones here, take their guidiances.

For me, lots of ways or traditions. Just choose yours.

Meditation is the car. Way is yours. Friends are yours. and Zen is the shortest way for me.

Life is short and limited time to survive.

Ordination is not a rule for me. As I've said I've a car and a road map.

Choose your companions and tools.

Don't waste your time.

Once you take some way you'll like it and see nothing more easy.

Enjoy!

Good luck!
Last edited by master of puppets on Tue Jul 06, 2021 7:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Jesse
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Re: Not sure where to ask this

Post by Jesse »

Like many others have said, intellect or perceived intellect has nothing to do with ability to learn dharma. In fact it can get in the way. Those who over rely on intellect tend to be proud (guilty) (which is a hindrance), dharma relies on a sort of letting go, and intellect is a rigid monster that naturally tends to shun ideas like non-intellectual understanding.

There are many places you can learn technical terms, as many said finding a place in real life is a good idea. I learned most technical terms between this forum and a book by TNH. Which may or may not be suitable for beginners. It will give you information on much of the terminology though.

This is the one: https://plumvillage.org/books/understanding-our-mind/

Be aware though, different schools use different terms, and you should probably choose a school of Buddhism, and learn the basics before learning the complicated stuff.
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cjdevries
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Re: Not sure where to ask this

Post by cjdevries »

I can recommend a few books that really helped me to A) understand more about the teachings/understand the fundamentals, and B) develop a reliable practice. *Thich Nhat Hanh, "Heart of the Buddha's Teachings" (this covers the fundamental Buddhist teachings) *Tulku Thondup, Healing Power of Mind (this book provides all the tools to develop a sound practice) *Dalai Lama, How to See Yourself as You Really Are. *Bhante G, Four Foundations of Mindfulness in Plain English (this is for developing a Vipassana/mindfulness practice) *Bhante G, Mindfulness in Plain English *Bhikkhu Analayo, Satipatthana Meditation, a practice guide (this is for developing a shamata [calm abiding, breath-based meditation] practice). If I were given the chance to buy two books on Buddhism, I would probably buy Thich Nhat Hanh's Heart of the Buddha's Teachings and Tulku Thondup's Healing Power of Mind. I have found that these two books provide much of what I need to study and practice.

Also, I think it's important to remember the 3 pillars: practice, study, and reflection. I didn't realize how important these were until after a decade of practice. It's important to not only practice, but also to study and then spend time reflecting on both what you've studied and reflecting on your practice. Thich Nhat Hanh often talks about looking deeply; I've found that deep reflection is one of the best ways to deepen your practice.

I really like this quote from Palden Gyatso, the monk who was imprisoned for the longest of any of the Tibetans (33 years). He had immense compassion for his captors and experienced great inner development while in prison. He said: "It is not a question of merely reciting prayers and moving your lips. It is a question of inner development. Meditation can be done under any circumstances. When you drink tea with compassion, that is also meditation."
Last edited by cjdevries on Tue Jul 06, 2021 9:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Dan74
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Re: Not sure where to ask this

Post by Dan74 »

Welcome to the forum, Lotomistico. :hi:

Your post reminded me of this story that comes from Korean Zen:
Three centuries ago there was a monk called Sok Du, which means “Rock-head.” As that name indicates, he was not
the most intellectually brilliant fellow. But he had a great determination, and so even though the sutras were beyond him and even sitting meditation was too intellectually challenging, he stayed at the temple doing “working Zen” – laboring in the fields and in the kitchen.

When the master of the temple tried to help him out and asked if he had any questions, Sok Du said, “Well, Master, you are always talking about Buddha. What is Buddha?”

The Zen master answered, “Buddha is mind,” which is a fairly stock Zen answer. But in Korean, “Buddha is mind” sounds a little bit like “Buddha is grass shoes.” And that’s what Sok
Du heard.

Of course this puzzled him, but he was confused by this Zen stuff most of the time anyway. So he stuck with it. “Buddha is grass shoes. Buddha is grass shoes. What’s that mean? I don’t
know, but that’s what the master said. So Buddha is grass shoes.” This was his thought, his meditation, all the time for three years. Buddha is grass shoes.

Then one day, he was out in the hills gathering firewood. As he walked down the path, he slipped and his straw sandals – his “grass shoes” – tore loose and flew up in the air! In that
instant, he had an enlightenment experience.

He went rushing back to the master. “Master! Master! I understand!”

“Oh? Well then, what is Buddha?”

And Sok Du smacked the master on the head with his broken sandal!

“Is that all?” said the master (who was probably used to uppity monks trying to show enlightenment with outrageous behavior).

“My grass shoes are all broken!”

“Ah! Wonderful!” said the master, and burst out laughing.

Knowing that intention and determination are more important than fine points of method, we don’t have to wait for a perfect teacher or perfect circumstances or perfect understanding of technique; we can begin, right now.
All the Best to You!

_/|\_
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Lotomístico
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Re: Not sure where to ask this

Post by Lotomístico »

Dan74 wrote: Tue Jul 06, 2021 8:41 pm Welcome to the forum, Lotomistico. :hi:

Your post reminded me of this story that comes from Korean Zen:
Three centuries ago there was a monk called Sok Du, which means “Rock-head.” As that name indicates, he was not
the most intellectually brilliant fellow. But he had a great determination, and so even though the sutras were beyond him and even sitting meditation was too intellectually challenging, he stayed at the temple doing “working Zen” – laboring in the fields and in the kitchen.

When the master of the temple tried to help him out and asked if he had any questions, Sok Du said, “Well, Master, you are always talking about Buddha. What is Buddha?”

The Zen master answered, “Buddha is mind,” which is a fairly stock Zen answer. But in Korean, “Buddha is mind” sounds a little bit like “Buddha is grass shoes.” And that’s what Sok
Du heard.

Of course this puzzled him, but he was confused by this Zen stuff most of the time anyway. So he stuck with it. “Buddha is grass shoes. Buddha is grass shoes. What’s that mean? I don’t
know, but that’s what the master said. So Buddha is grass shoes.” This was his thought, his meditation, all the time for three years. Buddha is grass shoes.

Then one day, he was out in the hills gathering firewood. As he walked down the path, he slipped and his straw sandals – his “grass shoes” – tore loose and flew up in the air! In that
instant, he had an enlightenment experience.

He went rushing back to the master. “Master! Master! I understand!”

“Oh? Well then, what is Buddha?”

And Sok Du smacked the master on the head with his broken sandal!

“Is that all?” said the master (who was probably used to uppity monks trying to show enlightenment with outrageous behavior).

“My grass shoes are all broken!”

“Ah! Wonderful!” said the master, and burst out laughing.

Knowing that intention and determination are more important than fine points of method, we don’t have to wait for a perfect teacher or perfect circumstances or perfect understanding of technique; we can begin, right now.
All the Best to You!

_/|\_
Laughing, really enjoyed this
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PadmaVonSamba
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Re: Not sure where to ask this

Post by PadmaVonSamba »

Lotomístico wrote: Tue Jul 06, 2021 4:17 pm So Theravada Is fine, too? Meditation is quite easy? Ok, I'll give It a shot, I was worried about learning sutras, finding a teacher, initiation, all the terminology...I can meditate at home.

What about ordination, can I make significant progress without It?
Everybody learns in different ways, which has nothing to do with one’s capacity to learn.

Ordination is a major step. Most Buddhists are not monks or nuns. A person can do just fine as a layperson. Whether being ordained is right for you, only you can figure that out. But if you know of any Theravada temples in your area, you can ask them about being a monk for just a few days or longer. Like a week or two. They do that sort of thing.

Meditation may be difficult at first because a person’s mind is a very busy place. The mind wants to be entertained and doesn’t like to just sit there looking at itself. But if you keep up with it every day, maybe 15 minutes once or twice a day to begin, then the mind starts to get used to it.
EMPTIFUL.
An inward outlook produces outward insight.
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Lotomístico
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Re: Not sure where to ask this

Post by Lotomístico »

PadmaVonSamba wrote: Wed Jul 07, 2021 7:23 am
Lotomístico wrote: Tue Jul 06, 2021 4:17 pm So Theravada Is fine, too? Meditation is quite easy? Ok, I'll give It a shot, I was worried about learning sutras, finding a teacher, initiation, all the terminology...I can meditate at home.

What about ordination, can I make significant progress without It?
Everybody learns in different ways, which has nothing to do with one’s capacity to learn.

Ordination is a major step. Most Buddhists are not monks or nuns. A person can do just fine as a layperson. Whether being ordained is right for you, only you can figure that out. But if you know of any Theravada temples in your area, you can ask them about being a monk for just a few days or longer. Like a week or two. They do that sort of thing.

Meditation may be difficult at first because a person’s mind is a very busy place. The mind wants to be entertained and doesn’t like to just sit there looking at itself. But if you keep up with it every day, maybe 15 minutes once or twice a day to begin, then the mind starts to get used to it.
I spent several years living in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia and considered ordination at the time, I saw Thais just walking into the wat and ordaining easily and sometimes only for a few days, some even less. But when I would go to ask an abbot about ordination, they'd suggest that I take the 8 precepts and wear white clothes for a year or so first to prepare, or question my commitment to the monastic lifestyle and whether I'd stick it out, one nun said "there's no preceptor and nobody to train you", (I speak and read Thai, Lao & Khmer, so not language barrier btw)I spent considerable time staying in wat (both as an upasaka keeping 8 precepts and as a person who was barely keeping 3 jajaja, they called me "dek wat" [temple boy]-I'm in my late 40s), I'd rake leaves and help on the alms round (when I was able to get up).

My ordination suggestion was meant a bit tongue in cheek to the person I was responding to when he said that all Buddhism is (I paraphrase) is to do good, avoid evil, purify mind, true, I suppose, it's suffering and the end of suffering, but if that's ALL it is I can just be Theravada, 4 noble truths, 8 fold path etc. don't bother with all the pesky Mahayana stuff.

But I feel an afinity for Mahayana teachings, I appreciate that liberation is for laypeople and not only monks. And clearly my Karma (Kamma? jiji) doesn't include Theravada ordination considering my frustrated attempts to ordain (and I live in Colombia now, no wat in my village), planning to marry next month, celibacy and monasticism not really in my plans at the moment.
Last edited by Lotomístico on Wed Jul 07, 2021 7:56 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Hazel
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Re: Not sure where to ask this

Post by Hazel »

Lotomístico wrote: Wed Jul 07, 2021 7:54 am My ordination suggestion was meant a bit tongue in cheek to the person I was responding to when he said that all Buddhism is (I paraphrase) is to do good, avoid evil, purify mind, true, I suppose, it's suffering and the end of suffering, but if that's ALL it is I can just be Theravada, 4 noble truths, 8 fold path etc. don't bother with all the pesky Mahayana stuff.
The means of purifying the mind differ greatly.
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Lotomístico
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Re: Not sure where to ask this

Post by Lotomístico »

Hazel wrote: Wed Jul 07, 2021 9:16 pm
Lotomístico wrote: Wed Jul 07, 2021 7:54 am My ordination suggestion was meant a bit tongue in cheek to the person I was responding to when he said that all Buddhism is (I paraphrase) is to do good, avoid evil, purify mind, true, I suppose, it's suffering and the end of suffering, but if that's ALL it is I can just be Theravada, 4 noble truths, 8 fold path etc. don't bother with all the pesky Mahayana stuff.
The means of purifying the mind differ greatly.
Precisely, excellent point. It's one thing to say "purify mind", something altogether different to actually know how, and put It into practice.
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Re: Not sure where to ask this

Post by SilenceMonkey »

For basic concepts, "Luminous Mind" by Kalu Rinpoche is a great book. It explains all the basic teachings of the 3 vehicles in a few pages each, putting everything into context for you.
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