Any advice for someone who wants to know more about Buddhism and meditation?

Question

Over the past year or so, I've experienced two tragedies (the death of my father and the death of a close friend) that I've yet to fully move pass. I've also had to deal with the stresses of work and school, and as a result, have been experiencing bouts of depression as well as near constant feelings of anxiety and doubt. One of the things I'm doing to try and combat these feelings is begin to learn more about Buddhism and practice meditation. I'm hoping that, with a more serene mind, I'll be able to handle the grief I still feel for my father and friend, as well as the everyday stress of my life.

My question is, is there anyone here who knows about Buddhism or meditation who can give me a few pointers? I've started reading some books and plan to make a trip to the local Buddhist temple, but I'd love any input you all could give. Thanks. :)

Answer 1

Hi,

As you can see from the posts here already, there are actually a lot of "Buddhisms" and a rather wide variety of different meditation techniques.

I agree with vinslave, though. I am myself a long-time, hard-core meditator; I'm also a psychotherapist. I won't go into a big long rant about it, but it does very much seem to me that much of Western psychotherapy is actually a kind of meditation embodied in two people.

The main thing I mean by that is this: as in good therapy, much of meditation is simply being lovingly present with what you're experiencing here and now. Like good therapy, the essential core of much meditation is just an intimate, soft-hearted honesty.

I'm guessing from what you've posted that a healthy new interest in your life, like learning about Buddhist practice, could be invigorating and benefiting for you. I'm also guessing, though, that you may find that what you're expecting by way of "a more serene mind" may actually turn out to be more like a kind of healing place where whatever grieving you may naturally still have to do will be with you there in your meditations.

Be kind with yourself, pay attention to moments of joy and sources of beauty. Seek them out. Let them feed you.

And do consider working with a counselor. Like meditation teachers and Buddhist centers, some are very good, and some not so much. And sometimes it's all about just finding a good fit.

I'll list below some Buddhist authors I feel are especially insightful and kind.

Take care.

Answer 2

As a Buddhist I would like to agree with many of the previous answers, but would like make an alternative suggestion. This is not meant to discourage you from Buddhism but rather ensure you are aware of option that may better suit your situation.

Meditation is not exclusive to Buddhism. It is a principle activity of many religions and/or practices, including Christianity. I mention this because if your upbringing is in a different faith - particularly Christian it may be more helpful for you to explore meditation through a different perspective than Buddhism.

If, after careful consideration, you feel the Buddhist path is more helpful then by all means follow the replies given by vinslave, william h, david s, bodhidave and the others.

Meditation does not come easy, and must be practiced consistently. There will be many opportunities during your practice for your ego to derail your progress. To have a teacher or some other experienced person to help guide you will be most helpful.

I am happy to answer any other questions you may have, and wish you peace and blessings for your journey.

Answer 3

Start at the bookstore. There are a dozen kinds of Buddhism and at least that many kinds of meditation. This will help you narrow down what you're interested in and you can explore it further either with a book or coming back to the internet with some key words to search. Since I don't know what you'd like to achieve by meditating, I can't guide you further than that. _()_

Answer 4

I see that you weren't happy with my first response as you gave me a "thumbs down"...shrugs... what is it then do you need?

You asked whether there is someone who knows Buddhism. I am a Theravada Buddhist and have been paractising for over 23 years. I know about Meditation and can give you "a few pointers"...there are many many "pointers" to discuss and understand before any real benefit can be made.

Here's a site which gives an in depth talk about meditation practice..it should aid in your understanding. It includes a guided meditation free to download.It has 2 audio files, one on a guided Mindfulness Meditation session and the other a guided Loving Kindness Meditation session....

http://www.vipassana.com/audio_files/

I'll leave you to choose these as a guide and a start.

I hope they help you.

Answer 5

The Buddha said that he taught two things, the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path, all else was commentary on those two tenets of his philosophy. He also stressed that one should try out and test everything that anyone told them regarding spirituality and philosophy or religion to see if it worked for them.

The Four Noble Truths are (1) that every sentient being suffers in this lifetime and they all seek release from that suffering; (2) that the cause of suffering in ignornace, desire and attatchments; (3) that to relieve suffering one must gain knowledge and understanding and rid one's self of desires and attatchments and; (4) one can do this by following the Noble Eightfold Path.

The Noble Eightfold Path is to practice (1) right thinking, (2) right speech, (3) right action, (4) right livelihood, (5) right diligence, (6) right mindfulness, (7) right concentration and (8) right view.

One practices meditation so as to calm one's mind and to develop conscious awareness.

IN the beginning, meditation is usually learning to follow one's breath while learning to dismiss the seemingly constant stream of random thoughts that often fill one's mind.

Although not common in the rest of the world, here in the United States many practicioner follow and eclectic path, taking what they find to be useful from the various schools of Buddhism. The two most popular seem to be Tibetan and Zen.

Shambala Sun and Buddhadharma magazine each provide a list of Buddhist centers and monasteries in various areas in the United States.

A good deal of infomration is available online, as is true for all philosophies and religions.

Thich Naht Hanh is a very popular teacher and writer, as is His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Most libraries will have a sectoin of Buddhist wrtings by a variety of wrtiers.

may it all be well with you.

Answer 6

Hello. I am so sorry about your friend and father. It must be so hard to accept what happened. Sometimes we face something that we didn't expect . Me too, I feel so hopeless and pessimistic when I hit the wall.
Since I started to practice Nichiren Buddhism and study, I learned that everything happen to me has a meaning and I can create a value from it. Also I gained confidence that I can make changes ,there is no deadlock. Because this Buddhism teaches that each of us already possesses unlimited potential within---This is Buddha nature.And This Buddhism teaches that how to bring out our unlimited potential
that is needed to live meaningful life.
We chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Nam---means to dedicate one's life. Myoho-renge-kyo---means our Buddha nature. When we
chant Nam- myoho-renge -kyo, we are calling our highest potential from within. Our thinking does become more positive as result of chanting. It definitely make positive changes through our words and our actions.
We can apply the inner
strength, courage, compassion we gain from practice to help succeed at home, work and school...etc . Please check this website for more information. I also recommend that book called " The Buddha in your mirror " thanks

Answer 7

Hon, first thing you need to do is get help with the depression and anxiety, trust me from personal experience. Buddhism can help, but if you're not approaching it with correct understanding it can cause you worse misery than you already have. I study Buddhism and I sunk into depression and anxiety after my surgery, so Buddhism isn't a band-aid fix. It can HELP with correct practice and a good Dharma friend and/or teacher, but it's not a correct-all to start off w/. We have to grieve when we're suffering.

The reason I say all of this is that most of us here, in the Western world, are accustomed to Western philosophy, and Eastern philosophy and terminology can be confusing because they start off life differently than we do and their use of some terms don't translate over the same way (ex: terms like ignorance, emptiness, etc.). Standard Western philosophy is dualistic (white/black, evil/good, us/them,etc.) and if you get into teachings and not understand the terms used, it just might turn you off, make you more sad or angry.

Make your trip to the temple or meditation center, and choose a "flavor" of Buddhism that works best for you. A good website to start off w/ is www.buddhanet.net and then you can peruse from there. There are lessons in basic meditation available for download. Be careful who you choose as a teacher. A good book to help you choose one safely is Alexander Berzin's "How To Relate To A Spiritual Teacher". It's available, still (I think) for free download at the Berzin Archives website if you want.

I hope some of my crap rambling helped some. If you need to ask specific questions I'm always lurking here in cyberspace. (wink wink nudge nudge) There are also good teachers who lurk here.

_()_

Answer 8

well, I'm a buddhist myself. In buddhism, we believe that people who have passed away is going to a place where they are punished for their wrong doings in their previous live. When they fullfilled their punishments they get reborn.

I have a book on how buddhism was found and the teaching of it if you're interested. It's not those big thick books it's actually a book with pictures and the story of the main buddha on how he created the religion. If you have any other questions feel free to ask me :D

On Meditation I can't help much... I don't meditate much unless I'm very sad or something. It helps me forget for awhile.

Answer 9

The following sites should provide you ample infor. Take your time and be patient. :-)

http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/whatbe...
"What Buddhist Believe" by Ven. K Sri Dhammananda. This book explains the Buddhist perspective on life's general questions.

http://www.allexperts.com/ep/948-61982/Buddhists/justinchoo.htm
Ask more questions from the “Expert”.

http://www.buddhanet.net (The “mother” of all Buddhist web sites)


http://www.bswa.org
This site is in Western Australia where Ajahn Brahmawamso resides. He is an English monk and is a very popular speaker. You can listen to his talk through this site.

http://www.lioncity.net/buddhism/index.php?act=idx
This is a very active and highly authoritative forum.

Answer 10

It's the right way if you have Buddhism as your guide. For I can say, this what we call "Dukkha" or suffering. It's right if you try some meditation, all the "Dukkha" is caused by our mind. in meditation we try to control our mind, so you will slowly understand that all in the world is not mortal.