Interested in Buddhism

I've very (very) recently become interested in Buddhism. I was raised Roman Catholic but haven't been practicing since I was about ten. I'm not necessarily looking for a new religion, more just interested in the Buddhists teachings, at least for now.

Now I literally know nothing about Buddhism except for what I just read on the FAQ sticky thread. I am intrigued by it's philosophy and would like to learn more about it. Where is a good place to start? Any particular books I should read? I am mostly interested in self improvement and after talking to a friend who studies Buddhism I think studying the philosophy of it could be beneficial for me. I would also like to learn how to meditate.

So as someone who is lacking any knowledge or familiarity with Buddhism I come to you for help. How do I begin?

 

i was in your same position, raised a catholic, interested in buddhism along with other religions as well. i went to the library and got some books that teach you the basics of the religion to get an idea of how it is. thats how id start

 

Yeah I was planning on going to my school's library tomorrow to check out the selection, any particular book(s) I should keep an eye out for?

 

nah idk the names of any. dont get one thats to long though, they tend to drag on and dont realy get to the point. look for one that says something like buddhism: the basics

 

Ok cool I'll see what my library has, thanks!

 

Here is a good one: BuddhaNet

This is one for the path I follow: SotoZen-Net

 

buddha was an atheist

 

Was he?

 

I was in your shoes about a year ago. I read about half a dozen books about Buddhism and found most of them very interesting. Here are the ones I recommend:

Buddhism Plain and Simple by Steve Hagen
Buddha at the Apocalypse by Kurt Spellmeyer
The Way of Zen by Alan Watts

 

Anything by Alan Watts or D. T. Suzuki.

Buddha was an atheist. Buddhism removed from cultural deistic influences is an atheistic way of life; it cares not about whether or not gods exist. In fact in the buddhist cosmology, even the Gods were subject to karma and could become enlightened, become Buddhas, and be freed from the wheel of life (which even encompasses gods).

The buddhist story about why talk of God is not appropriate in buddhist discussion goes something like this:

 

Theism = beleif
Atheism = lack of theism

So.. does the Buddah have not any beleifs. lol.

 

I haven't gotten to my library yet but I'm looking on their website catalog now and The Way of Zen by Alan Watts is currently available. I shall check it out tomorrow. Thanks everyone!

Now what might I find in this book? A general overview of Buddhism? Some more specific schools of thought? Again I'm starting on a clean slate here so I don't really know what to expect.

Also, how does one learn to meditate? Did you take a class or teach yourself? This is something I am also very intrigued by.

 

see bolded ^

 

Also, thanks ZenBlue for the website. Seems to also be a good starting place.

 

Why not look up some of the major Buddhist readings and sutras, most are pretty short. The Heart Sutra is arguably the most important Buddhist writing, and chanted daily in most Buddhist temples. I learned a lot about Buddhism through practice, meditation, reading some Buddhist text like in the Dhammapada, and finding a class in my area, it was held in a church, but had a great energy.

 

Whereas buddhism is not a theistic religion, traditional biographies of the buddha generally include numerous miracles, omens, and supernatural events.

 

I am quite familiar with the quote.

What I believe he was trying to say is that it is useless to debate something that we cannot have absolute knowledge about. Do not let these questions get in the way of your practice.

That is very different than: No god(s) exist.

I've got to go to work but I did look up some things last night about Buddha being an atheist. I'll post them the other answer I saw when I get home.

Take Care!

(Oh! Are we wasting our time by debating something that has no absolute answer in our time?)

 

Stop using google search.

 

ive followed buddhism for many years,books are great but try and go to a buddhist retreat,they are holidays for the mind!and it is best to follow a known teacher(books,ect),i think even albert einstein saw buddhism as the future,its coool man ,it is the opposite to every day life,it teaches you to look inside,instead of ouside of yourself

 

The Way of Zen covers pretty much everything. The first half is a historical overview of the development of Buddhism, how it branched into its various schools, up until the advent of Zen. Then it goes into the specific principles and applications of Zen. The book is basically advocating Zen over other kinds of Buddhism, but it does give a pretty good overview of the other schools as well.

As for meditation, the book covers that as well. Zen has a very specific posture for meditation, but you don't need to follow it exactly. The idea is very simple: you just sit there and don't think about anything. Don't try NOT to think about anything either, because that will only make your thoughts race faster (sort of like "don't think about elephants"). Essentially, you observe as each thought enters your mind, without reacting to it or judging it in any way. Eventually the thoughts will dissipate on their own.

But, don't take my word for it, I'm just paraphrasing what I remember from the books I've read.