Well I have been undecided on religion for quite some time, I was raised a christian but quickly stopped following christianity as I grew older and became more independent. I have been recovering from an opiate addiction and believe that I need at least some sort of higher power to look up to and Buddhism has always somewhat interested me. I suppose I should start by reading through the stickies. Yet I know very limited information and thought maybe you guys could provide some help to where to start looking more into the Buddhist beliefs.
I am not Buddahish my self , but hear are some links to some other forums that have more on Buddashim . http://www.interfaith.org/ Steve Pvlina , is more of a new age /parranormal forum http://www.stevepavlina.com/forums/ desert rat
A good place to start would be any of the writings of the dalai Lama or Thich Naht Hahn. For deeper study of the original sacred texts of Buddhism, the website accesstoinsight.org is good.
You could be like me , and many other people , call your self a new ager , and be more spiritual than tied down to one religion . desert rat
Acquire the book: The Book (on the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are), by Alan Watts Although not specifically Buddhist it goes to the core of Buddhism and Vedanta in a very easy to read, short format. First published in 1966 it is still available at many bookstores,http://www.amazon.com/Book-Taboo-Against-Knowing-Who/dp/0679723005"] Amazon, Kindle, audio book, and in PDF format on the net. All from over $300.00 to $4.00. Read the reviews on Amazon to get an idea of the high esteem this book holds.
I started studying buddhism about 10 years ago. I find it more helpful to find a teacher that resonates with you in some way. For me, that was Pema Chodron (just google her name). I liked her writing style and her simple, no nonsense way of putting things. Take care, AJ.
You can attend the vipassana 10 day camps conducted by S.N.Goenka so as to learn the basic philosophy and meditation practice. After the camp, you will learn enough to conduct the practice on your own . You can also attend more such camps to consolidate the practices or to refresh yourself. Here is a link... https://www.dhamma.org/en-US/index