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Post by Dragon Zachski on Nov 14, 2011 17:50:06 GMT -5
Lately, I've been thinking about Buddhism and exploring it.
Unfortunately, I know very little about it. Mostly, I've seen the romanticized monks on TV who have a deep inner peace and a fierce fighting spirit, but somehow I doubt that's even anywhere close to an accurate description. Not to mention that's for monks, not for laypeople.
So, I'm wondering... what are some good books to start with for information on Buddhism, for someone who is interested in exploring it and potentially joining it?
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Post by lexikon on Nov 14, 2011 18:42:19 GMT -5
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Buddhism. Also, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Buddhism. And Buddhism for Dummies.
Also the buddhist texts. Obviously.
I got a book called "The Best Guide to Eastern Philosophy and Religion" but haven't reached the Buddhist section yet.
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Post by Vypernight on Nov 14, 2011 19:20:30 GMT -5
'Buddhism, Plain and Simple,' by Steven Hagen was the first one I read. Simple, cheap, but giving you a pretty good overview.
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Post by Dragon Zachski on Nov 14, 2011 20:54:27 GMT -5
Awesome, guys. Thanks.
I'll be sure to check those out from the library when I get the chance.
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Post by Armand Tanzarian on Nov 14, 2011 23:37:45 GMT -5
As a former Buddhist, I urge you to look more into Buddhism as a philosophy (and even then selectively) than as a religion. But the central precepts I think still hold true and are actually fairly sensible, even if the central idea of reincarnation and nirvana isn't exactly a scientifically provable concept.
The one story from Buddha I personally still hold to heart is the one of the zither player. If you wind a string too tight or too loose, you will end up with a bad-sounding zither. The central idea is to always follow the middle path, not to overdo anything. Its a key concept to Buddhism and one anyone can follow without all the other spiritual bullshit.
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Post by Dragon Zachski on Nov 14, 2011 23:59:53 GMT -5
As a former Buddhist, I urge you to look more into Buddhism as a philosophy (and even then selectively) than as a religion. But the central precepts I think still hold true and are actually fairly sensible, even if the central idea of reincarnation and nirvana isn't exactly a scientifically provable concept. Thank you very much for the warning. I do plan on approaching this more as a philosophy/way of life than a religion. I have already rejected the notion of karma (the world is chaotic. Good and bad people end up in bad spots and good spots randomly. That is how life works.) and already hold my own views on what it means to be attached to or detached from something. I also do not believe the stories of the Buddha are in any way literal, but instead meant to convey messages. How wonderful. One story I've heard (though sadly this is a second hand experience) is of a Buddha who was attacked with arrows. And yet before the arrows could strike, they turned into beautiful flowers and landed harmlessly. The meaning behind that to make friends with your enemies. What I want from Buddhism is peace, contentment, self-improvement, and structure.
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Post by clockworkgirl21 on Nov 15, 2011 0:58:05 GMT -5
Only sort of on topic, but tell me how it goes. As silly as it is, I really miss religion. I'm going through a really rough patch with my anxiety and depression, wondering what I'm doing with my life, etc. I remember as a child it was comforting "knowing" a higher power was in charge of everything and that even if I wasn't happy in life, at least I'd be happy in death. But I can't lie to myself and try to believe there is something I just don't think exists.
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Post by Dragon Zachski on Nov 15, 2011 1:26:18 GMT -5
Only sort of on topic, but tell me how it goes. As silly as it is, I really miss religion. Not silly at all. I will. However, it may be awhile, since we've gotta make sure the library system actually has the books, and we might have to order the books to a library we can actually get them from, then I have to actually read the books... this isn't something I can just hop into :-)
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Post by Old Viking on Nov 15, 2011 15:20:22 GMT -5
A Buddhist monk walks into a pizza place and asks, "Can you make me one with everything?"
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Post by Dragon Zachski on Nov 15, 2011 15:57:14 GMT -5
A Buddhist monk walks into a pizza place and asks, "Can you make me one with everything?" ;D
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Post by davedan on Nov 15, 2011 16:15:06 GMT -5
A Buddhist monk walks into a pizza place and asks, "Can you make me one with everything?" ;D An australian morning telivision guy actually told this joke to the Dalai Lama
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Post by gyeonghwa on Nov 15, 2011 16:55:01 GMT -5
I guess you can call me a lapsed Buddhist or a cultural Buddhist. Which is funny because I was still part of the BSA at my university.
I would suggest to stay in the relm of the more liberal schools and teachings that is popular in the West. The tradition that I'm from (the Southern/Theravada tradition) can be just as dogmatic as other religions at times.
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Post by lexikon on Nov 15, 2011 18:26:18 GMT -5
Karma is Hindu.
Religion gets pretty boring when the Gods don't respond back.
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Post by Dragon Zachski on Nov 15, 2011 19:32:37 GMT -5
Thank you for informing me of that. Buddhism doesn't have gods, sooo... :V
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Post by Admiral Lithp on Nov 15, 2011 19:36:21 GMT -5
An australian morning telivision guy actually told this joke to the Dalai Lama "That was funny the first 8 times I heard it...200 lives ago." Buddhism kind of got mixed with Hinduism (and Shinto in Japan), so a lot of Hindu concepts carry over to the religious Buddhism. In fact, Hinduism is part of the reason Buddha is commonly thought of as a God. As for non-dogmatic Buddhism, I'm not sure what there is to know, or even if it's all that practical. "Renounce worldly possessions"? Yeah, I'll get right on that, Siddartha.
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