New buddhist looking for guidance?

I have been reading about this for quite some time and I have decided that the values and the philosophy match me well. The problem is, I'm not sure how to get started?
Thanks in advance, brothers and sisters.

 

buddhanet.net is a wonderful resource

 

The three different schools (yana's) are for the various dispositions of the individual practitioner. Don't select ONE without discovering the teachings of all three. Then select based on your own disposition. You will know.

When I started practicing Buddhism, I was reading Theravada (Hinayana) while practicing [Tibetan] Mahayana (Galugpa). I practiced Mahayana for four years before ordaining Theravada.

Mahayana is a slow and gradual path. Vajarayana is a much quicker and immediate path. Hinayana is also a quick path, but not quite so esoteric into mysticism. Theravada (Hinayana) is more into the understanding of the causes and elimination of the stress (Dukkha) by understanding how it appears due to ones continuous re-establishment of self ... more along the lines of Nagarjuna's teachings (Mahayana).

HTML:

 

I would learn to meditate, and most everything else will follow. Regular meditation is the backbone of a strong Buddhist practice.

 

auuuummmmmmm mani pad me hum <----- repeat

 

What is it communist China (or ex-)? DO people actually change their sects officially, or is that just a matter of nomenclature for the particular wisdom sought for anyone's or family's Path?

Perhaps, is it better to say the path was substantially thought of like a meditation practice, viz. Zen or Dao?rettyplease: Of course, the path we are concerned about here is the eightfold for the Common life.

 

I must be tired. I don't rightly understand your first sentence, can barely understand the second. And am not sure if I do or don't understand the third.

Let's pretend I'm a bit on the ignorant side, which I most likely am, and rephrase it so I might be able to get a grip on what you might be trying to say, please Sat.

HTML:

 

What the heck? This one's a better link for the decisions of the thoughtful practice of Philosophy we may not be as wise as we think at. You know: God is different than you think.


http://www.wisdom-books.com/ProductDetail.asp?PID=19677

 

As mentioned previously, Don't select ONE without discovering the teachings of all three.

HTML:

 

Just a reminder ...

Off-Topic posts will be deleted ...

HTML:

 

One of the most important things to remember is that greed is hindurance to your liberation. Buddhists strive to live a balanced life and beleive desire is the root of mortality.

So basically find a balance between desire and need. I'm not sure why you chose to be a buddhist, but normally it is for clarity. Alot of buddhists strive for enlightenment. Buddha experienced enlightenment after completeing dhutanga an Ascetic Practice of fasting to free himself of desire. After doing so he realised that after his fasting he began to desire again and instead of either extremes he ate one meal a day before noon. and relinquished himself from mental and physical slavery.

To be a buddhist you don't necessarily have to eat one meal a day before noon, alot of buddhists are vegetarians that is also not a requirement although there is controversy that if you're a buddhist you beleive all life is sacred and do your part to avoid any unnecessary death. You don't necessarily have to fast either but it's beleived to be an aid tot he way supplementary practice can lead to increased mental awareness oft eh connection between desire and human existence.

Most buddhists do daily Gassho's, you find somewhere you are confortable and form an altar. Altars don't have to be decorated in buddha statues or incense but some choose to do so with flowers,candles. But really it's about being somewhere you're confortable. You do a chant, inhale through your nose and as you exhale say the word "harmony" extending the last syllable "ie" until the end of your exhalation, then next try gratitude. Before you do this face your palms towards yourself and put them together over your heart. Sutras and other chants are always welcome in your altar along with meditation a common chant is Om mani pad me hum. Pronounced "AUM" it is beleive to be the sound that sent creation into motion. It is the universal sound that connects all living beings and things together. It is sacred.

Some buddhists avoid heavily saturated vegetables like garlic,shallots,leeks,chives and also eggs, dairy is usually avoided.
Then again it isn't a necessity, just...some do. Monks of course follow the majority of what i'm saying.

I'm not sure what else to say other then, be welcoming to others and keep an open mind to those around you. hurtful thoughts towards others are just as detrimental as comments in the buddhist way. accept that everyone does what they do for their own reasons. be greatful for allt hat you have and helpful to others. and you will live a peaceful beautiful life and experience a great awakening.

 

Not sure where you got your information from, Wild Flowers. Morality has no root cause outside of practicing Right Speech, Right Action and Right Livlihood (the Five Precepts), which also requires the practice of Right Mindfulness and Right Effort. This practice leads to, or conditions Right Concentration (Samadhi). And, a continued practice of morality develops Samadhi which then leads to, or conditions Right View and Right Intention.

Desire is not the root of morality. If anything can be attributed to Desire it would be that Desire is just another name for Greed. Greed (Lobha), Ill-Will (Dosa) and Delusion (Moha) (three aspects of the Kilesa's, or the Three Poisons as the Mahayana call them) are the factors which motivates ones actions when contact is made between sense and its associated object. It is through the motivations of these three Kilesa's that one craves sense pleasure, craves becoming, and craves non-becoming. It is through the motivations of these three Kilesa's that one continually [re-]establishes self, ego as being intrinsic, inherently existent and self-dependent. It is Craving contact between sense and object for forms, for feelings, for perceptions, for mental ideas, and for consciousness that are the root condition for Dukkha (stress, suffering).

In the teachings of the Buddha, according to the Theravada Suttas, there can never be a balance between desire and need. One only uses what is needed to survive. One strives to eliminate the motivating factors for actions, namely Greed (DESIRE), Ill-Will (ANGER, HATRED), and Delusion (IGNORANCE, STUPIDITY). In doing so, one eliminates, or cuts out, or removes the root cause for stress (Dukkha, Suffering), namely Ignorance.

In eliminating Ignorance, there is no more conditioning for Actions, no more conditioning for Consciousness, no more conditioning for Mental and Physical aggregates, no more conditioning for the Six Base Senses, no more conditioning for Contact, no more conditioning for Feelings, no more conditioning for Craving, no more conditioning for Clinging, no more conditioning for Becoming (existance), no more conditioning for Birth and no more conditioning for Death.

All this by ceasing desire, hatred, and stupidity.

Practicing morality continually helps remove this dependence on and motivation from desire, hatred and stupidity which results in a calm and quiet mind ... one that becomes satisfied with what it needs rather than what it wants or desires.

The thought of the minority few may be that one strives FOR enlightenment. But the majority strives for freedom from Greed, Ill-Will and Delusion. The result of this freedom is Enlightenment, freedom from Ignorance.

Dhutanga (pronounced Tu-Dong) is a Forest Monk practice where one lives in the forest, travels village to village, begs for food (or performs alms rounds), and exchanges what is given to them for the teachings of the Buddha, lives a solitude life, continuously in meditation, and never taking up residence in any location for longer than a night. It is a rather rigorous practice, but exteremely rewarding and well worth the practice. It is not a practice of fasting. If one were to fast during dhutanga, one would quickly succumb to fatigue and weakness, and most likely die as they are alone with no one to care for them should they begin fainting.

The practice of eating one meal a day is a Theravada Monk practice. And also taken up by the rare few who become Ten Preceptors (lay persons practicing like Novice Monks without taking the robes). It is not normally a practice by the common lay practitioner.

The vegetarian lifestyle is not a common practice among Tibetan and Viet Namese Mahayana lay or monastic practitioners, and is not a common practice with Theravada practitioners. There are some lay and monastic pratitioners who will become vegans, but the most common practice involves eating meats. Buddha stipulated several "disallowed" meats that one cannot eat: Snake, Tiger/Lion/Leopard, Elephant, Horses, Dogs and Humans. He did not forbid the eating of meat.

In the Theravada tradition, one can not kill any living being for any reason even if it is to eat it's flesh in order to survive. However, it has already been killed they are allowed to eat it with one stipulation ... it must never have been killed specifically for the one practicing the first precept (to not take the life of any living being). Simply, one can go to a market or store and buy meat for eating as long as it is not one of the disallowed meats (mentioned above).

I believe that Chienese and Japanese Mahayana Buddhism may strictly adhere to vegetarianism. I don't know this for sure and could be mistaken in making that statement.

I have no idea what a Gassho is. And being a Theravada Monk, receiving the training of a Theravada Monk in the Southeast Asian (Laos, Thailand, Cambodia) tradition, I can say assuredly it is not a Theravada term so most of Theravada practitioners don't know what it is either ... outside of Googling the term, which I haven't done at the time of this writing.

Having practiced Tibetan Mahayana and Theravada (Hinayana) Buddhism for the past ten years, I can also say that the aforementioned practice, Wild Flowers, is not a practice done in Buddhism. At least not in the two schools of Tibet or Southeast Asia. Alters are extremely important to these two schools, which will most and generally include a statue of the Buddha, and various other statues depending on which school (yana) you practice, flowers, candles, and incense. In the Theravada tradition, the incense has to be three, candles have to be two, and the flowers can be any amount in any arrangement. In Mahayana there are included seven small bowls arranged in front of the Buddha (and bodhisattava) statue(s) with various arrangements in each bowl. The position of the statue and any other images placed on the alter are also important to the Mahayana. In Theravada, the incense is placed in front of the largest statue, and the candles placed one on each side of the incense bowl, with the other smaller statues placed on the sides and in front of and below (not on the same level as) the larger statue.

There are significant reasons for this practice and it is all mind oriented to bring to ones rememberance various aspects, conditions, and qualities of the Buddha ... not for statue worship.

The word "Harmony" has never been used in the Theravada tradition. The most common word used to aid one as an anchor word in Theravada is Buddho ... "bud" (pronounced Bood) as one breaths IN, "dho" as one breathes OUT ... and never spoken from the mouth.

Om Mani paDme Hum (pronounced Ohm Mahni Pah May Hung by Tibetans) is strictly a Mahayana practice. Om Mani paDme Hum is the seed syllable for Chenresig, who is believed by all Tibetan Mahayana practitioners to be incarnated as the present Dali Lama. If you really want to know the mysticism regarded associated with Om Mani paDme Hum, the best book to read on this is "http://www.amazon.com/Foundations-Tibetan-Mysticism-Anagarika-Govinda/dp/0877280649"]Foundations of Tibetan Mysticism". Though, I tried to read this book again not more than three days ago and found it unsatisfactory to my need to continue reading. I read it through when I practiced Tibetan buddhism. Don't need to read it again.

Please forgive me for saying this, but Monks do NOT (see my footnote on all-caps) follow the majority of what you have entered in this quote-referenced post.

Theravada monks eat everything you mentioned in the immediate above quote, however in modest portions. Tibetan monks, however are a different story. They strictly do not eat garlic, onions, or chives as these are ingredients in foods and potions used specifically for stimulating sexual behavior.

Might I also add ... whatever notions you carry as to "HOW" a buddhist "SHOULD" act, or any pre-conceived ideas, or any expectations you happen to have regarding the behavior of a buddhist ... get rid of them.

These are what the Buddha said are stressful (suffering, Dukkha): Birth is stressful. Sickness and aging is stressful. Death is stressful. Pain, sorrow, lamentation, grief and despair is stressful. Association with the unpleasant is stressful. Disassociation with the pleasant is stressful. Not getting what one wants is stressful. In short, the five aggregates of clinging is stressful.

Not getting what one wants is failed expectations. The five aggregates of clinging is the First Noble Truth.

HTML:

 

I said mortality not morality.

As for everything else thank you very much.
When you mentioned the seven bowls infront of buddha(the altar mahayana), you didn't really explain what is inside them?

I'm curious to know more about mahayana buddhism if you're willing to share some information. I'm trying to follow this path, but as you can see not all the information available is truthful.

After all i'm supposed to eliminate stupidity it's stressful.

I don't mean to sound condescending.

But when you mentioned that apparently buddha had stated that there can be no balance between desire and need. I disagree, that is one thing I know. For example let's use eating. To over induldge would be associated with greed, to starve ones self and not accept offerings would also be wrong. A balance of this would be eating healthy but not caveing to desire. The entire point is to have control over yourself, to be free from craveings, to have clarity of thoughts. There is a balance between the two. This doesn't mean to not indulge ones self occasionally, then again buddha said Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.

You seem to be much more informed on buddhism then I'am! I'm new to it all, and I appreciate your guidance.

 

Oops ... my bad ...

It varries mostly based on one's posessions. If you have nothing to give then you can fill them all up with water. If you can afford saffron, then you can mix that in the water, else just use plain water. Also there is a ritual for putting the water in each bowl that is exactly that ... a ritual. But if you can afford to collect the necessary items, each bowl has a different item in them. I do not remember the items, or the order in which they are put in which bowl outside of remembering that the first bowl has only water (mixed with saffron if you can afford it). One bowl has rice, one has a torma cake, one has flowers, one has incense, as for the rest, I just dont remember ... Im fairly certain that Google will help in finding the appropriate text to set this up.

Buddha never said there could be no balance between desire and need.

He did teach to ELIMINATE greed. If one part of a balance equation is no longer present, there is NOTHING to balance. There is only the OTHER part of the equation left.

I believe I said, "In the teachings of the Buddha, according to the Theravada Suttas, there can never be a balance between desire and need." This is like trying to derive the three main principles of Buddhism, even though the Buddha himself never SAID there are three principles. It is something inferred from reading, studying and practicing. The three principles being Anicca, Dukkha, and Anatta.

To eat more than what one NEEDs to survive is to eat for pleasure, not for survival. To eliminate this overindulgence, one only eats what they need to survive and nothing more. In doing this you are ELIMINATING the desire for food, not balancing it. To be FREE from craving one eliminates that which conditions cravings, not indulge in it. In removing that which conditions craving one no longer has the cause nor the conditioned effect and there is nothing to balance.

If one is poor, that is has no money to buy what they want or need, how does one eat healthy? Do you refuse food anyone wants to give you in order to survive? What if they give you food that is unhealthy? Do you acdept it and eat it, staving off hunger for another day, or do you refuse it? It's easy to see ones choices when you live in a condition where abundance is indulged in without a thought to wanting, but try visiting a country where one has nothing in which to exchange for the very item one needs to survive.

Regarding learning Mahayana Buddhism, your best bet would be to seek out a teacher in a location close to you. Never let one convince you that you don't really need a teacher. You do. While it is possible to know, understand and realize the teachings of the Buddha without a teacher, it is not recommended if you don't fully know, or understand properly. I stopped learning Mahayana five years ago so I have not been given to retaining.

As for this statement: Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense. I'm fairly certain this has been taken out of context.

The actual text is from the Kalamasutta, from the Anguttara Nikaya where the Buddha went to Kosala and was approached by the Kalamas (the people of Kesaputta). They told the Buddha that they were continually being set upon by various ascetics and Bhramins who would come to their city and proclaim their religion as being the right one, the true one and debunk, disparage, revile and vilify others religious practices. They said they were confused and in doubt as to which one to believe.

The Buddha said they were right to doubt because of the confusing and contridicting teachings and disparaging among each different practice. He goes further by saying, "Do not go by oral tradition, by lineage of teaching, by hearsay, by a collection of scriptures, by logical reasoning, by inferential reasoning, by reflection on reasons, by the acceptance of a view after pondering it, by the seeming competence of a speaker, or because you thing, 'The ascetic is our teacher.' But when you know for yourselves, 'These things are unwholesome, these things are blamable; these things are censured by the wise; these things, if undertaken and practised, lead to harm and suffering', then you should abandon them."

You can read another translation to this sutta at this address: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/soma/wheel008.html

So according to this teaching to the Kalamas the Buddha has disputed even that statement you posted by saying not to rely on logical reasoning, inferential reasoning, or by reflection on reasonings, but by what one KNOWS as being wholesome, good, unblameable to do; and what one KNOWS as being unwholesome, bad, blameable to not do. One does not need to reason what is bad if one already knows.

We do not want anyone taking our life ... this is bad, blameable, unwholesome ... so we don't take the life of other living beings. We do not want anyone taking our belongings or property or posessions ... this is bad, blameable, unwholesome ... so we don't take others belongings, property, or posessions without them giving it to us. We don't want anyone to do anything to us in any way that would cause us harm while they themselves fulfill their own sensual desires ... we don't want anyone using false speech directed toward us ... these things are bad, blameable, unwholesome ... so we don't use false speech directed toward others either. We KNOW these things are not good, blameable and unwholesome. We don't have to infer they are bad because they directly affect us, they take from us what makes up happy (our life, our property, our virtue), we KNOW them to be so so we don't do them.

The Buddha taught for us to understand what this stress (suffering, Dukkha) is, where it comes from, how to eliminate it, and the way to eliminate it. By practicing morality, one conditions the development of concentration. Continual practice of morality furthers the development of concentration and this leads to the conditioning of wisdom. Continual development of wisdom leads to freedom, emancipation. This practice and development; morality, concentration, wisdom, results in the elimination of Greed, Ill-Will and Delusion. This is the freedom, the emancipation.

Gotta go chant ... be back later ...

HTML:

 

Just a reminder ...

Off-Topic posts will be deleted ...

Please try to stay on topic ...

HTML:

 

"there can never be a balance between desire and need."

If I may lend a personal face to this statement. As deep as I go, I cannot tease apart what might be called a "legitimate hunger", needing to eat, from any other form of distraction. The sensational signals are the same regardless, tension, stress.

 

Thank you for taking so much time to write this out for me and explain everything. I agree every buddhist needs a teacher unfortunately we do not have this sort of thing available in my city. I wish we had a temple. So I'm doing the best I can until I can afford to relocate.

 

I'm not sure where you are in Canada, but there are Mahayana Buddhist groups in Canada. But then again, arbitrarily speaking, Canada is a huge piece of property. There is a temple in Nova Scotia name of Gampo Abby. You can try contacting someone there via internet and see if they know of anything in or near your city.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ID5GSnmCNOA"]YouTube- Life at the Abbey with Pema Chodron

 

I live in Sudbury Ontario.