When you go to the beach, what is the first thing you say? B You getup grumbling, with reluctance another day already!? C You have a Ph. B A necessary evil. You go in, get what you need, and get out again before someone pisses you off and you have to kill them. C A nightmare. With twenty brands of cereal on the shelves, how are you supposed to pick one?
What do you have in your home? A Imported chocolate, an extensive DVD collection, and some fine art. B Extra blankets the heat is so low sometimes guests complain , closet and office organizers, emergency flashlights.
In school, you were usually: A Chatting with your friends. B Correcting the teacher. C Doodling or daydreaming. B Obsessive compulsive. C Clueless. When you are collaborating on a project, you mainly: A Have faith everything will work out. B Get concerned about the details being overlooked by your team members. C Act in a supportive role, letting others lead. We can have characteristics of all three types, but one type often predominates. None of these types sounds particularly flattering.
To see ourselves clearly can feel discouraging and scary. You may have friends urging you to join their dharma center and practice as they do.
That's great, but don't let yourself be pressured into joining something that doesn't feel right for you. It may be that the practice that works for your friend is all wrong for you. If you have to travel, look for a monastery or center offering beginner-level retreats with overnight accommodations.
Often people resist becoming part of a Buddhist community. They read books about Buddhism, learn meditation from videos, and practice solo. There's a problem with a purely solo practice, however. One of the foundational teachings of Buddhism is anatta , or not-self. The Buddha taught that what we think of as "I" is an illusion, and our dissatisfaction or unhappiness dukkha comes from clinging to that illusion.
A stubborn refusal to practice with others is symptomatic of self-clinging. That said, many people find themselves practicing alone because they live far away from a temple or teacher.
If you can manage even one-weekend retreat a year, go. It can make all the difference. Also, some teachers are willing to work with long-distance students through email or Skype. Maybe there are many dharma centers in your area. Why not just sample the wisdom of all of them? That's fine for awhile, as you explore and learn , but eventually, it's better to choose one practice and stick to it.
With commitment, working through doubt and discouragement, we drill deeper and deeper into dharma and into ourselves. But the "sampler" approach is like digging 20 one-foot wells instead of one foot well. You don't get very far beneath the surface. Undecided Prioritize your choice above: High Medium Low. Out of these modern-day Buddhist teachers, who do you most agree with? Yes, it's one of my all-time favorites.
Mula what??? Not sure Prioritize your choice above: High Medium Low. To be reborn in Amitabha's Pure Land. The Bodhisattva path: To help all sentient beings toward liberation. Arahantship: Cutting off all greed, ignorance, and aversion in my own life. No opinion Prioritize your choice above: High Medium Low. What is the best way to describe the nature of the Buddha?
Fully enlightened being, the only one of this era. Historical Buddha - he was a human like any other who managed to awaken to truth.
What is your opinion of gods, hell realms, ghosts and other such things? They are literal - they exist as physical realms that most people can't access in their current lifetime. They are metaphorical - existing only as constructs of the mind. A combination of literal and metaphorical.
Yes, as a seed of potential. Deep learners rely on understanding the meaning behind the teaching by making arguments and finding evidence from their life experiences to confirm or disconfirm their assumptions. Keep these things in mind when exploring the various schools of Buddhism.
The Buddha taught that there are 84, paths to enlightenment. Thank you for subscribing to Tricycle! As a nonprofit, we depend on readers like you to keep Buddhist teachings and practices widely available. Subscribe now to read this article and get immediate access to everything else. Tricycle is a nonprofit that depends on reader support. Help us share Buddhist teachings and practices by donating now.
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