How Did You Discover Buddha And Buddism

[cm-happy]

I hope I don't boor you with my story of discovering Buddha and Buddhism.

I had visited Thailand many times, as a tourist prior to moving here. All of the visits were strictly as a tourist, and thats all I had ever seen or experienced in Thailand, tourist Thailand, not the real thing. Fell in love with the country, people and culture, and wanted to have a much more profound understanding. not just from a tourist perspective. Thought to myself, how to do? Thailand is predominately Buddhist, let me learn something of Buddhism, which I knew nothing about. Purchased a book THE TRIPLE GEM AN INTRODUCTION TO BUDDHISM by Gerald Rocoe, and read it many times and still use as a reference in times of need.

At the time I was a Protestant Christian (in name only and by accident of birth). Weak faith, with many personal disagreements with general dogma, and had been looking for something else in my life to believe in. I FOUND IT AFTER READING THE TRIPLE GEM, and whole heartedly embrassed Buddhism.

What i find particularly appealing is its emphasis on self reliance and personal responsibility. Also don't believe and accept everything people teach you, just because of their position or authority, but try it for yourself and discover for yourself what I, The Buddha, teach is true. No THOUGH SHALL NOTS, but try not to as per the 10 commandments vs. the 5 precepts. Lastly, how many people have died in the name of Buddha and how many in the name of God or Christ, or through internal religious strife?? There are many other reasons as well, but do not want to ramble on and wind up teaching Dhamma, not that I'm qualified.

Anyone else, have their story they would care to share.

[jumnien]

The short story:

I was a crack cocaine/alcohol addict who ended up in a treatment center in Northern California. I started having panic attacks when I sobered up. Coincidently, the treatment center was a couple miles from Spirit Rock Meditation Center run by Jack Kornfield, who was a monk in Thailand for many years. I started regular meditation, in 4 months the panic attacks disappeared. I met Ajahn Jumnien, a monk from Krabi. I met him again a year later. I asked him if I could stay at his temple if I came to Thailand. That's how Buddhism became a part of my life.

[chutai]

I suppose the glib answer is that I didn't discover it but it discovered me. I mean when ones karma ripens, etc, Hmm.

But as an old hippy it was a time of discovering alternative religions and Zen appealed at that time. Zen Bones, Zen Flesh became a sort of Bible if you like. But upon studying further people like D.T.Suzuki and Christmas Humphries deepened my knowledge. Latterly I also became very interested in Theravada and in particular Ajahn Buddhadasa.

Now after many years I seem to have turned something of a full circle. Not that I've returned to Zen but more to Mahayana. One thing that I'm still learning is that we can be very close to the Buddha in our knowledge but very far away in our daily living. Nowadays it's more the case that the more I know the more simple or non-esoteric my Buddhist faith. I would like to think the wiser that I have become.

But that's inevitable really as the deeper and sincerely seeking ones practice, the more one reveals ones innate Buddhahood or Buddha nature. I am very grateful for the good karma that I must accumulated in past lives to have encountered Buddhism. But sometimes sorry that I have slandered the Dharma in such a wasteful way in this life. But we all carry the baggage of karma whether good or bad and I know for sure that it's fruition is also inevitable.

It's really all about taking responsibility for every aspect of our lives and being aware of the conseqences of our every though , word and action which appears more an actuality than a theory as we polish the mirror of the true aspect of reality.

[lost_in_space]

I was in a geography class when the professor, who was a born again christian, classified the world's religions into monotheistic, polytheistic and atheistic religions. there was theravada buddhism under atheistic religions. i was so curious as to how that was possible, i went and read 'what the buddha taught' and bought into the dharma right away.

a couple of years later i mentioned to him that it was because of him i became a buddhist! i still remember the crestfallen look on his face.

[rikpa]

Hmmm... I still recall very clearly the first time I heard mention of the Buddha, when I was in seventh grade (and our teacher mentioned that her sister was a Buddhist), and for some reason just a tangential hearing about this system of thought intrigued me. I have almost no other memories from that age, but I can still see every detail of the scene where I heard about it. For some reason just hearing this made me feel a warm vibe, whatever that means.

I didn't get into a formal practice until many years later. I had just divorced, and I was staying at the Okura Hotel in Amsterdam (Japanese owned), and was waiting for the car to the airport. I had an hour or so to kill, and I looked in one of the drawers, and they had a "Buddhist Bible" right next to the Gideon bibles.

When I cracked it, the first passage I found was that "the Dharma is a raft for crossing over and not for getting ahold of." I was hooked from that passage on! It made perfect sense, and the Buddha was the only true "bootstrap" philospher I'd come across, whose system was just a strategy, not an end in itself. Huzzah!!!

On returning to my home in Rochester, NY, I went to the bookstore and picked out "What the Buddha Taught" by Walpola Rahula, and what really intrigued me was "The Three Pillars of Zen", because it talked about the point of Buddhism, which is awakening. I was like all wowed by that. I consumed the Three Pillars in a single gulp, and when I got to the end of it, it said that the author roshi Kapleau had founded the Rochester Zen Center, the very first Zen Center in the USA. The Rochester thing got me--I had no idea when I bought the book! So I flipped open the phone book and it turns out the center was 3 blocks from my home, and I'd never known! What a coincidence!

Thus began my formal training in Zen. Which later led to a real appreciation of Tibetan Buddhism after I moved to NYC (especially the emphasis on logic in te Geluk-pa school), where I was lucky enough to study with a Tibetan Geshe who'd made it out of Tibet in '59, particularly the emphasis on the Madhyamika definitions of Shunyata and the Prasangika interpretations of Dignaga and Dharmakirti's treatises on logic.

But Walpola Rahula's great book had let me with a strong apreciation for the Theravada, which I never abandoned throughout my training in Zen and Tibetan Buddhism. I studied the Pali Suttas alongside the Tibetan texts. And I was heavily influenced by Professor Richard Hayes all along, who I consider one of the most knowledgable Buddhist teachers in this world.

This eventually led me to Thailand (I got really interested after talking a lot about Thailand with my Thai business partner in NYC whose father, I found out later, was an ajahn for meditation, who had published a couple of books on it!).

In Thailand I inquired about studying the Abidhamma at Wat Mahatat, and where I might learn more (I had been studing the Sravastavadin Abhidharma with my Tibetan teacher before this). This led to a recommendation from one of the monks there to study with Khun Sujin. I had no idea Nina Van Gorkom was one of Khun Sujin's students at that time--I had already committed much of the basics from her book "Abhidhamma in Daily Life" of citta, cetasika, etc. to memory before going there, so it was a blast--especially to compare the Tibetan and th Pali systems. I feel very lucky to have had amazing teachers in every one of the major traditions.

And funny enough, just reading here I found out there are folks who have had the same teachers, and we even know some of the same people! I find that very amusing.

Anyway, now I am just a lazy shit who doesn't study or meditate or do anything, but that is gonna change, if I can get off my ass first!

[TaraLotus]

I'm so glad I found this forum and I found it very interesting reading about how you all found Buddhism and the Dharma.

When my husband and I met about 6 years ago we started our friendship with long discussions over wine and dinner about all manner of things. Back then I was a Lutheran, born, raised, entire extended family (bar none) are all Lutherans and we have 3 Pastors in Dad's side of the family alone. I was however a non-churchgoing Lutheran as right from my early teen years, something about the belief didn't sit well with me. Need I say that my family are mightily disappointed in me ...

So we spent many hours talking about Buddhism and what it entails. I agree with the very first poster's sentiments in that Buddhism makes sense, teaches responsibility for own actions and words. That rang a true bell with me and I began to read, meditate a little and, as you all know too well, I found a true and wholly practical way to live my life. It's like a guidebook. It doesn't say "you must, you must" ... the Dharma teaches "here is a way, discuss it, contemplate it, make sure it means something to YOU, and then practise some more". Simple.

The clincher for me was the way Buddha taught "Do not listen to what I say and believe it. Find out for yourself." Not exact words of course but you get what I mean.

I have never been to Thailand however we have a trip planned for early 2007 in readiness to bring home our adopted child sometime in 2007/2008.

I am so ready to see Thailand. Everyone I've ever spoken to sings the praises of the beautiful nature of Thai people and the wonder of their country.

Tara Lotus

[cnxpat]

I'm so glad I found this forum and I found it very interesting reading about how you all found Buddhism and the Dharma.

When my husband and I met about 6 years ago we started our friendship with long discussions over wine and dinner about all manner of things. Back then I was a Lutheran, born, raised, entire extended family (bar none) are all Lutherans and we have 3 Pastors in Dad's side of the family alone. I was however a non-churchgoing Lutheran as right from my early teen years, something about the belief didn't sit well with me. Need I say that my family are mightily disappointed in me ...

So we spent many hours talking about Buddhism and what it entails. I agree with the very first poster's sentiments in that Buddhism makes sense, teaches responsibility for own actions and words. That rang a true bell with me and I began to read, meditate a little and, as you all know too well, I found a true and wholly practical way to live my life. It's like a guidebook. It doesn't say "you must, you must" ... the Dharma teaches "here is a way, discuss it, contemplate it, make sure it means something to YOU, and then practise some more". Simple.

The clincher for me was the way Buddha taught "Do not listen to what I say and believe it. Find out for yourself." Not exact words of course but you get what I mean.

I have never been to Thailand however we have a trip planned for early 2007 in readiness to bring home our adopted child sometime in 2007/2008.

I am so ready to see Thailand. Everyone I've ever spoken to sings the praises of the beautiful nature of Thai people and the wonder of their country.

Tara Lotus

Beauty is only skindeep, Thailand is just a country of people, some good , some bad. I learnt about the bad in 6 years time, and about the good. Bring a nice wallet, and life will be good on you, be poor, and people will ** on you, trust me!

so before you get disappointed (or ripped of in 1 ,2 or 3 years) .... Buddhism is not part of the daily life here (yeah, I know they have 10 kg's of Buddha around their necks .... to impresse the neighbours)

Ratree sawasd kap!

[TaraLotus]

I have never been to Thailand however we have a trip planned for early 2007 in readiness to bring home our adopted child sometime in 2007/2008.

I am so ready to see Thailand. Everyone I've ever spoken to sings the praises of the beautiful nature of Thai people and the wonder of their country.

Tara Lotus

Beauty is only skindeep, Thailand is just a country of people, some good , some bad. I learnt about the bad in 6 years time, and about the good. Bring a nice wallet, and life will be good on you, be poor, and people will ** on you, trust me!

so before you get disappointed (or ripped of in 1 ,2 or 3 years) .... Buddhism is not part of the daily life here (yeah, I know they have 10 kg's of Buddha around their necks .... to impresse the neighbours)

Ratree sawasd kap!

Thankyou for your reply and I appreciate your caution. You missed a couple of relevant bits in my post ... I said beautiful 'nature'!

I understand where you are coming from and that not all are the same. Perception is a grand thing.

[sabaijai]

Buddhism is not part of the daily life here

Pretty sweeping statement, and one at which many Thais would take offense. Certainly not every Thai professing to be Buddhist actually participates in any meaningful way. But one could argue that Buddhism plays a significant role in the culture, and for many Thais I know Buddhism is an important part of their daily lives.

Your nick suggests you live in Chiang Mai. There are several monasteries here where you can see the practice taken seriously.

[chutai]

But one could argue that Buddhism plays a significant role in the culture, and for many Thais I know Buddhism is an important part of their daily lives.

Although to be honest, most Thais that would call themselves Buddhist break about every precept on a daily basis. Buddhism may play an important part in Thai culture just as Chrisianity does in Western ones. But that is cultural phenomena and not necessarily a spritual one in most instances I think.

[wix]

I first became seriously interested in Buddhism while travelling in India about ten years ago. I began reading some books by HH the Dalai Lama there. I then went on to do a course at the FPMT Centre in Dharamsala and visit the major sites of Buddhism in India.

When I returned to Australia I found a very good Buddhist Centre near my home and also joined the Buddhist Society at my university. This is where I really learnt about Buddhism.

I have since spent a total of about two years living in Thailand. I often became quite cynical about Thai Buddhism and Thai "culture". I was fortunate to spend some time working with Sulak Sivaraksa and I learnt a lot from him and also met many wonderful people he was connected to. There are some wonderful monks and people working for Buddhism in Siam, but they are definitely in the minority.