group discussion
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let's introduce ourselves!
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Hi! I'm a Buddhist from Kansas! I have a small library of books on Buddhism, most of which I haven't read yet! Let's start a group bookshelf with our reviews!
Hello! I have just been introduced to Buddhism and have only checked out books from the library. I am from Wisconsin and let me tell you, exposure to anything but christianity is rare in this state. I completely second the bookshelf idea!
Hi! I'm a aspiring buddhist living in Michigan. For most of the summer I've had a "buddhist book in the background" - something I'll pick up here and there around the fiction that I read. I've really been enjoying Thich Nhat Hanh (Anger), Sharon Salzburg (Faith), and Sylvia Boorstein (It's Easier Than You Think). And I picked up a sale copy of Best Buddhist Writing of 2005, which is excellent as well. I find that picking something short to read right before sitting helps me center myself and my thoughts and lets me be more open during meditation.Nice to "meet" you! :)
greetings...I'm a buddhist of ten years (give or take) from Providence RI, involved in the local Shambhala group here, and sitting and absorbing dharma books as much as I possibly can, given several other pursuits and committments.
For the curious newcomer, I generally suggest Pema Chodron (i.e. The Wisdom of No Escape, Start Where You Are), Shunryu Suzuki (Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind), Sakyong Mipham (either of his), and Chogyam Trungpa (i.e. Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism, Shambhala: Sacred Path of the Warrier, or Meditation in Action).
For the curious newcomer, I generally suggest Pema Chodron (i.e. The Wisdom of No Escape, Start Where You Are), Shunryu Suzuki (Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind), Sakyong Mipham (either of his), and Chogyam Trungpa (i.e. Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism, Shambhala: Sacred Path of the Warrier, or Meditation in Action).
Hello everyone.
I'm a writer, journalist and teacher, with a new author profile on goodreads. I've been a foreign correspondent and editor for the last 20 years and have recently branched out into fiction, with a suspense thriller inspired by alchemy, riddles, Jung and esoteric religious traditions. I hoped it might be of interest to some of you.
It's not intended to be a run-of-the-mill thriller, nor a theological work, but rather a genre-busting, fresh reading experience for those who enjoy puzzles, games and a dab of strangeness with their entertainment and their religious or philosophical reading. The book is aimed at open-minded people of all, or no, religious persuasions, and draws on Buddhism and Sufism, as well as the secret alchemical work of Sir Isaac Newton, and other wisdom traditions. It is set partly in New York, and explores an array of responses to 9/11 and 7/7 -- fear and love, anger and forgiveness, violence and prayer.
It is called The Malice Box. If you are interested, an article on the origins and sources of the book can be found here: http://www.penguin.co.uk/nf/Au...
I look forward to taking part in the group's discussions whenever I can usefully contribute, and would be glad to talk about The Malice Box if anyone would like to.
Thanks
M
hello to everyone!i both practice and conduct research on tibetan buddhism, especially as it relates to concepts of death and impermanence.
i highly recommend robert thurman's translation of the tibetan book of the dead and sogyal rinpoche's work, the tibetan book of living and dying.
i'm very excited to have found a group of buddhist readers on this site, and look forward to learning from you all.
-clare
Hey! I'm a gay liberal vegetarian Buddhist in the South, which can be interesting at times. Thought not part of any group, my studies focus on Tibetan Buddhism, and I hope with my move to Florida next summer to move towards an area with Buddhist study groups. Peace to you all. Patrick
Hi there. I'm KB. I am what some call a "Jew-Bu"; in other words, I am Jewish by birth and by culture, but Buddhism by belief. I currently don't practice regularly enough (although I do a lot of reading!), and am hoping to find some inspiration here.
Hello. I have practiced Nichiren Buddhism for nearly two decades. In case you find that alarming the first 20 years of my life were immersed in conservation Protestant Christian thought. I admit to possibly being rather a bit of a rare bird. Concepts of Buddhism explained nonsensical parts of existence my Christian roots could not at complex times in my life. I have sensed my true inner mind & had had no prior exposure to such a concept except for Hathayoga practiced since I was a child and one Kundalini yoga class. Some people simply are older souls than others of us, I suppose, though I do not feel myself to be a truly old soul just one who has learned over time....Some of the concepts of Buddhism simply are. Philosophical & freeing are adjectives I would used to describe my personal exposure to Buddhism & Eastern thought in general. Many described Buddhism as having "no guilt," but I would caution any novice from seeking any other than tranquil or simplistic explanations such as that. Awareness of self or self-responsbility perhaps might be considered one of Buddhist mores, if one could generalize such a broad spiritual philosophy. I actually have a deep belief in God & freely share both! The concept of life being a transitory experience is perhaps one of the most liberating and yet revealing concepts of Buddhist thought. "Buddhahood" is simply defined as "enlightenment," & a "Buddha" is defined as a "teacher."
Hi all. I've been practicing various forms off and on for something like 40 years, primarily Soto Zen with a little Vipassana and Tantra tossed in :-). I live in sunny Ithaca, New York. Regarding Sogyal Rinpoche and the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying ... I love that book. I first encountered it when my mother was dying and we were looking for ways to talk to her about death and generally help her out. I don't know how much we were able to help her, but my non-Buddhist siblings what we could do and all ended up reading it as well.
Currently I'm reading "Self-Liberation through Seeing with Naked Awareness" <http://www.snowlionpub.com/search.php?in_item_id=4866>. This is another I appreciate -- succinct and clear.
I just joined Goodreads this morning and stumbled on this Buddhist group right off the bat. I was raised without any particular religious beliefs (dad is jewish, mom was wasp, neither really practiced anything, outside of typical U.S. holiday traditions). I was first introduced to Buddhism when studying Art History in college and it really resonated with me. I have never practiced in any serious way, but want to do more reading and studying and hoping this group will help guide me. I have been listening to Urban Dharma podcasts, which I really enjoy. I would like to be more disciplined about practicing meditation more regularly.I live in Los Angeles, so am lucky to have many resources available in a generally open-minded and tolerant part of the country / world. The nice weather doesn't hurt either!
Hi, I'm Darlene, a zen-buddhist/christian. I have learned a lot from the writings of Thich Nhat Hanh and Pema Chodron, mostly. I occasionally attend the local dharma center and practice mindfulness each day. I'm happy to have found this group. I also have done yoga since age 5 and try to meditate daily.
Maggie, I live in Los Angeles as well. Are you in the city proper or in one of the 'burbs? We out in Pasadena hate the idea of being a 'burb, but I have to be honest.... we are what we are!
I'd love to know about Urban Dharma podcasts. Where do you download them?
howdy everyone
i practice in the tradition of thich nhat hanh
this has been the busiest month of the year for me, and i just discovered this group, thanx to otis chandler. so i'll be monitoring ["lurking"] for a while, but wanted to intro myself to the diverse sangha
my sangha is at the church for the fellowship for all peoples , where i facilitate sitting meditation, walking meditation, q/a, usually last sunday of the month: next time you're in the neighborhood, please: stop by
because i'm a writer, my practice seeps through there too :
E.G., am editor: what book ~ buddha poems from beat to hiphop now only available either used, as print-on-demand from amazon, or ... as a slightly abridged online version [because it's semi-out-of-print] on books.google ... free ... [proving that what ever is published eventually gets un-published?]
and similarly, you can read most of the first edition of my the complete idiot's guide to buddhism , for free online at books.google as there's now a revised edition -- much better, imho ... known by name as complete idiot's guide to understanding buddhism, second edition. two "insider / author tips" : it's the first book i know of to tell about theravada, zen, pure land, [and vajrayana. what joseph goldstein has since called one dharma [fenixbird, if you're probably wondering right now: why didn't i include nichiren ... well it's only 'cos nichiren's "new buddhism" primarily; that's not a perjorative decision at all, just logistics; nichiren is very deep, very marvelous ... as you know]
the other author tip: this is two books really. first 1/2 = "living buddhism" [buddha - dharma - sangha] ; second 1/2 = "buddhist living [personal relations, work, food, arts, society etc].
i love to write and read, teach and share haiku
and i work with a website y'all might like to peep: the buddhist channel, for daily news [the 'good news']
my home page, http://word.to
my buddhist emoticon: palms joined
_/|\_
HI I joined a few weeks ago and have been meaning to introduce myself, so I guess now is a good time. I have been studying Buddhism in all its flavors for about 30 years now. In 1998 I formally took Refuge Vow and then in 1999 took my Boddhisattva Vow.
I practice with two Sanghas the Washington DC Shambhala center (http://www.dc.shambhala.org ) and in Luray Virgnina at Lotus Gardens (http://www.lotusgardens.org ) the retreat center of the Venerable Jetsun Khandro Rinpoche.
I look forward to reading your reviews of the works you read and I will offer some from time to time.
Have a wonderful day
Larry
I'm new here in every way possible: to Goodreads, to this group and to Buddhism. I'm interested in Buddhism and some similarities to Christianity, particularly the Christian mystical tradition. I've read some Thich Nhat Hanh, Pema Chodron and Stephen Levine, but I'll be looking up some of the books suggested here.
Nice to meet all of you.
Hello
I find Chogyam Trungpa to be a good place to start as he developed a clear understadnign of our Western Culture frame of reference and his writing puts the theory and practice of meditation into our perspective. His book The Heart of the Buddha is very good for this. One of his students Pema Chodron has written many books that are very accesible to practioners of all levels. Her work Start Where You Are is vary good.
The main point is to develop a meditation practice, then bring additional reading to help inform your growing understanding of your mind.
Yours in the dharma
Larry
Hi, I am Buddhist from Indonesia.I've known Buddhism since my grand parents.
But I started reading, learning en a bit practising since my Academy.
So, I am also a beginner in Buddhism..
Many things in Buddhism, I haven't known en learned.
I read many Buddhism books, but of course mostly in Indonesian language.
Here, I live in a small city, Purworejo.
It's about an hour from Borobudur en Mendut temples.
Metta Cittena,
Yuanita
HIMy name is Linda. I too have been interested in Buddhism for many years but have just formally joined a study group at the Vajrayana Buddhist center in Oak Park, IL. The center was founded by Ven. Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. My sangha is Kelsag Lektso. We are currently studying the text "Universal Compassion" by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. For me, it has been a very beneficial activity.
I also started with Pema Chodron and would recommend any of her materials. I listen to her tapes weekly.
I look forward to exchanging ideas with the group.
Have a great day.
L
Hello everyone! I am living in a small town in Oklahoma where there are no resources available closer than 120 miles. I do attend the Oklahoma Buddhist Conference almost every year and enjoy it each time! I have been reading and learning about Buddhism for almost 20 years but am still a novice.
Nice to meet everyone!
Laura
Greetings!
I am Buddhist, currently living in St. Paul MN.
I was fortunate to be introduced to the practice of Buddhist meditation at a very young age. Have been practicing since then and deepening my practice adn understanding along the way.
I was born and raised in Sri Lanka. Moved to the US for higher education nearly 25 years ago.
My reading of the Dhamma is limited for the most part to the original word of the Buddha--translations of the Pali Sutta pitaka. I also make occasional forays in to the early history of Buddhism and articls on contemporary Buddhism.
Happy to be here.
With Metta
Chamath
hello everyone! you are doing so good! We at namasteezy respect your efforts to connect with dharma...We are here for you!
We are so happy for you! You are doing really well...We help khenpo connect with people like you....
www.denang.org
stay in touch via good reads, but venture out into these other sites to get to know us
namaste
hi everyone 27 yo law student in boston here.got an interest in buddhism almost a year and a half ago. just spent a year living and training under Chang Sik Kim at the temple here in boston
http://www.shimgumdo.org
I go by slix at the lioncity forums if anyone is around there.
always looking for exciting new books to inspire and inform me on buddhism and zen
Hiya...I'm new to Goodreads. I'm a bit of a JewBu myself, and love reading Buddhist texts. I'm 29 and live in Norman, Oklahoma where I work for a non-profit organization that specializes in dialogue (interreligious and otherwise). In May we helped host some Tibetan monks! The Xenia Institute
I'm also wrapping up a degree in Religious Studies at the University of Oklahoma.
I've studied Buddhism for about a decade or so, and generally keep a fairly regular Buddhist practice.
So... Namaste!
Good idea Gideon.I'm a 27 yo law student in Boston. I started an interest in Buddhism after reading Hanh's "Living Budda, Living Christ." It gave me a lot of needed perspective and turned me on to the idea that the practice is more important than the religion. I've since spent a year living and training in a Zen Sword tradition Shim Gum Do here in Boston http://www.shimgumdo.org.
I'm now about to finish my last year of school and plan to go into Urban Renewal through parks development. :)
if anyone is looking for a good buddhist forum site i found one last week www.lioncity.com
ciao
Hi! I have a growing interest in Buddhism and a quickly growing need to explore my own spiritual path. My Buddhist experiences come from my yoga and meditation practices, but I am hoping to broaden. I 'm really excited to be a part of this group!
Hi everyone!
I practice Vajrayana Buddhism (Drikung Kagyu).
I live in southeastern VA. I read a lot- various traditions... for anyone who is looking for good intro authors or a variety to their reading list, I recommend anything by The Dalai Lama, Pema Chodron, Lama Surya Das, Sharon Salzberg... I'm sure there's others but those just come to mind.
Can I add some of my books to the list here too?
There is a great resource online if you haven't found it http://www.snowlionpub.com -- they have books on everything & anything Buddhist- and lots of other fun stuff (statues, prayer flags, jewelry, you name it...)
Hello,Hello from all of us at the Namaspirit collective, A yoga studio rooted in Dharma practice, and we also have a record label.
We LOVE Tibet and take refuge in the Dharma, The Buddha and the community. Help us to find and connect and create community more and more and still yet more.......
Now many types of people attract to many many types of practice, and so you get the mainstream, and the mystic. And what are you?
We welcome prayers and questions and support, in all our online shrines and hubs.........
Visit our profile page and leave some comments.
Peace everyone!!Hi, I'm Muslim. Living in Malaysia.
I study comparative religion.
Now, i'm doing a research on environmental ethics in Buddhism and Islam.
I'm very happy if anybody can suggest me books or websites on this subject.
Hi . I am a christian b4 lives in a chinese cultures n believers. Revert 2 islam 5 years ago. any question regarding 2 buddhist n chinese cultures can b straight forward 2 me. ASSALAMUALAIKUM! PEACE B UPON ALL OF U
Hello everyone.Nazifah. If you want to see the intertwining of buddhism and ecology I would recommend looking more closely into the 'engaged buddhism' aspects as you will find more literature. I know there are several (allbeit recent) resources on Amazon available.
I've been practicing a few years I'm a grad student in Boston not looking forward to finding a job. I'm urrently studying and sitting on my own and actively looking for a teacher. Will be taking a class and visiting the shambhala center in brookline :)
HI Nazifah,I live in the Washington DC area and ama member of Shambhala there. I have visited the Boston Shambhala Center it is a great place to sit. Lots of good people and programs there. The aspect of Shambhala most attractive to me is Chogyam Trungpas focus on building Enlightened Society, essentially being engaged in every activity, every moment, is buddhism.
I like to read Pema Chodron and Thich Nhat Hanh. I have Pema Chodron's Compassion Box. Not much of a joiner. Like Emerson and Thoreau and Jon Kabat Zinn. All of those save my sanity occasionally. I feel a great compassion for those struggling to get enough to eat, for those surrounded by violence, for those just struggling. I feel compassion for the planet and its struggles to survive humans.I also like to have deep, satisfying belly laughs that are hard to stop and leave me weeping.
I'm not a practicing Buddhist, per se, but use a lot of the Buddhist practice in my everyday life, mindfulness and breathing being my main focus but I very much like many of the other aspects. Carla, thanks for your sanity-saving list! It is a constant lesson to me every day to work on being in the Present and remembering to breathe, but also to have right thinking and right actions. I'm a work-in-progress, what can I say? Last week, I went to hear Thch Nhat Hanh speak to a huge audience. I'm a HSP (highly sensitive person) and this was the very first time in my life that I felt every person's energy in that auditorium in a calm state. It was very moving. Like being on a sea without wind and only gentle waves on a balmy day. Of course he had to simplify his message to fit it into a short time span, though simple is good, but I still feel his voice and am still digesting much of what he said. Such a gentle and beautiful person. Currently reading some of his writings and have also enjoyed "The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying" by Sogyal Rinpoche. Ideally, I'd like to find an English speaking group here in The Hague to practice some meditation with but at the moment do what I can on my own and through practicing yoga almost every day.
