I started my life as a Catholic (went to Sunday school, atteneded catholic elementary school, went to church...) but around middle school, I started rejected my religion and declared myself an atheist mainly because I am a homosexual and my parents repeatedly told me I would burn in hell. Now that I'm older, I feel a spiritual void within myself. I don't know if I believe in God or a higher power but I did take a course on Buddhism last semester and the philosophy and ideals sat really comfortably with me and gave me a great feeling and view on the world. I just don't know what to do next. I want a spiritual teacher or guide, but how do i go about finding one? And there is a temple 30 minutes from my home but I think they mainly train people who want to be monks and nuns. I have a pretty basic overview of Buddhism but want to learn more/ bring the practice into my everyday life. Any recommendations or ideas would be much appreciated!
You're sure to get mixed reviews on this, especially with the varied opinions between Mahayana and Hinayana (Theravada) ideas regarding lay and monastic interaction. However, the temple is probably the best place to begin. You may think they're there to "mainly train people who want to be monks and nuns ...", but they are also there for the lay community, and as such, assuming they speak english or have english speaking teachers present, will teach the public according to their needs. All it takes is a First-Step on your part to pay them a visit and determine arrangements for meetings, classes, etc. Perhaps, if they don't offer teachings for the public, they can provide suggestions on where to start. HTML:
I would recommend reading Remember, Be Here Now by Ram Dass. It's not necessarily a tutorial, by any means, but it's a definite push in the right directions. I can mail my copy to you, if you want. I've got too many books as it is.
Thich Nhat Hanh is a fantastic introduction to Buddhism, while being plain-English, practical and completely understandable. I'd suggest starting with "The Miracle of Mindfulness."
Thank you all for the responses. I think I'm going to go to the temple this week and just talk to the nun I've met there, ask for recommended reading and where to go next, I guess And I love Thich Nhat Hahn! He has succch a great way of making Eastern philosophy easy to understand from a western perspective.
If you haven't already read Living Buddha, Living Christ, that's a great one to read. I also really like Lama Surya Das' books
Thank you all for the suggestions! i'm biking to the library tomorrow to pick up some of these books! Right now, I'm reading Living the Mindful Life by Charles Tart. It's good but way more psychologically based than philosophy
