Hello,
I was born in America and raised in a Christian home, but encountered the Dharma during my time at Southern Illinois University where I took some philosophy courses for fun. While reading The Platform Sutra, I had a moment of insight and connected with the Shawnee Dharma Group which became my first sangha and I sat with them every week for 2 years.
After graduation and moving a bit, I was unable to find another sangha and tried to practice on my own, less and less, as the years went on. Like many, covid hit me hard and I had a mental health breakdown where I was having panic attacks multiple times a day. In my search for relief, I stumbled upon a youtube video by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche where he spoke of dealing with panic attacks in his youth and explained the process of awareness meditation. This brought me back to regular practice which was neglected for 15 years.
For 2 years now, I have been slowly improving in my mental health with the help of a good therapist and a loving wife. About 8 months ago, I realized I needed to find a new sangha and found a Vietnamese temple near my home. They have humbled me with their kindness and generosity despite me knowing no Vietnamese whatsoever. I am slowly learning their names for Buddha and Bodhisattva, since I previously only knew the Sanskrit names. Their resident monk speaks some broken English, but the Sunday chanting and dharma talks are always in Vietnamese. Occasionally, a member of the sangha will sit next to me and translate as best they can.
I found this website in hopes of having some discussions in English to further my understanding, while I plan to continue to sit at my Vietnamese temple every Sunday.
Returning to practice after 15 years
Re: Returning to practice after 15 years
Welcome to DW and congrats. 
Re: Returning to practice after 15 years
A beautiful story. Welcome!
Happy Pride month to my queer dharma siblings!
What do you see when you turn out the lights?
What do you see when you turn out the lights?
