Advice for a novice buddhist
-
Hi,
I'm a young working adult.
I would like to understand more on Buddhism.
I had attended the basic dharma classes in Kong Meng San previously.
Together with self-study through materials from the internet, I would say I have a basic understanding of Buddhism.
Would now like to go on to the next level. However, I am not sure what is the best way of doing so.
Would appreciate advice from bro and sis from this forum.
-
Hi Gaomu, people are drawn to different path and practices according to their 1) understanding 2) inclinations 3) experiences.
Some people like Zen style so they seek Zen teachers, some people like Vajrayana, some people like Theravada meditation, and so on.
So take some time, look around, then make your own decision and focus on that path.
For me, I document my path in my e-book, Click Here (Regularly Updated)
-
today we go to Buddhist Lodge near Great World City got buffet & a lot free Buddhist Books + CDs
-
I am recommended by Buddha Sakyamuni to adore a sutra that has「光ä¸æž�尊，佛ä¸ä¹‹çŽ‹ã€�
-
An Eternal Now, I have downloaded your e-book. I only managed to glance through it because it is 463 pages long. From the content I have read, I have no doubt that your understanding level of Buddhism is higher than the average person of your age. I would like to suggest contructing a taxonomy and systematically placing each section of the content of your e-book into the relevant category. This would greatly enable your readers, especially the first-time readers to: - Have an overview of the content; and - Zoom into the topic which they are most interested in. Ultimately, this will benefit everyone who seeks to understand more about Buddhism when reading your e-book.
-
Thank you for your suggestion... will take that into consideration later this year when I do editing of the ebook. Thanks.
-
Thank you to An Eternal Now, JerryJan and Amitayus48 for your advice. In Singapore's context, mainstream learning takes place in the following ways: - For a student, it is usually through schools, from kindergarden to university; and - For a working adult, it is usually through on-the-job training or courses. These are formal learning. Then on the other hand, informal learning takes place too, though it is less specific. Similarly, for Buddhism, I am just wondering if there is formal learning too? Personally, I prefer formal learning. It then becomes clear what I have been taught, and from there, to pursue what has not been taught.
-
What kind of tradition of Buddhism are you in?
If you like formal learning, you can explore the courses at Amitabha Buddhist Centre for the Vajrayana emphasis... I don't know about the other streams of Buddhism in Singapore. But my experience with formal learning has been that it is usually quite limited and biased. It is also important to explore non-sectarianly and with an open mind.
Best of luck!
-
gaomu, Sure u can learn formally lah, to collect certificates, to collect badges, to know your''self'' u cannot stick to the four corners of a document or ... so it is a question of earnestness, thirst and the latter is what for ??? Only u know and no one, can do that for u
-
Originally posted by gaomu:
Thank you to An Eternal Now, JerryJan and Amitayus48 for your advice.
In Singapore’s context, mainstream learning takes place in the following ways:
- For a student, it is usually through schools, from kindergarden to university; and
- For a working adult, it is usually through on-the-job training or courses.These are formal learning. Then on the other hand, informal learning takes place too, though it is less specific.
Similarly, for Buddhism, I am just wondering if there is formal learning too?
Personally, I prefer formal learning. It then becomes clear what I have been taught, and from there, to pursue what has not been taught.
yeah if you want formal learning, you can try Amitabha Buddhist CentreYou can start with the dicovering buddhism, which take 1~2 yrs
then follow by basic buddhism which take min if 5 yrs
and then follow by the master programme, which not sure how many yrs...
by the time you finished these, i guess it will take you at least 10 yrs
-
Muse over this Wisdom that is repeated or borrowed or even purchased can only fulfil one function lah = that of it being an exhibition. It can only be of decoration, existentially, it is an anomaly, an incongruency!
-
any advice for those who want to renounce?
-
knowledge
-
"newbie", Other than Amitabha Buddhist Centre, any other organisations offering formal learning? To complete all the courses, it may take a long time. But no doubt, compared with someone who doesn't do anything, or stops at only comtemplating in doing something, at least he has taken the first step in striving to gain a deeper understanding of something he believes in.
-
Originally posted by gaomu:
“newbie�,
Other than Amitabha Buddhist Centre, any other organisations offering formal learning?
To complete all the courses, it may take a long time. But no doubt, compared with someone who doesn’t do anything, or stops at only comtemplating in doing something, at least he has taken the first step in striving to gain a deeper understanding of something he believes in.
If u want to learn about Buddha n Buddhisism it is fine to go for a course. However, u want to find out what is true - the former is utter waste of time. Why do I say that? Truth cannot be spoken nor can it be boxed in. when one is totally empty of all isms one partakes of what is or what is not. Many here adopt this stance of wanting to awaken, wanting to be enlightened. The irony of it is one seems to overlook that even identifying with Buddha, even identifying oneself as a Buddhist - one is already in a cage! One can find a Buddhist mind, can one find a buddhist heart? the heart knows no scriptures, knows no laws, no tenents and .... one has to be self-honest lah, is one earnest enough, serious enough to risk to explore, to question ...... -
_/|\_
@gaomu, there are various systems of thought and practice, referred to as “yanas” or vehicles. If you have gone through your basic education thoroughly, you will be able to define the meaning of “vehicle” with complete understanding and distinguishing clearly (1) The vehicle of the humans and divine beings and (2) The Brahma Vehicle.
However, this does not mean that these systems are complete in themselves in presenting a path leading to full liberation from suffering and from the cycle of existence. Genuine freedom and liberation can only be achieved when our fundamental ignorance, our habitual misapprehension of the nature of reality, is totally overcome. This ignorance, which underlies all our emotional and cognitive states, is the root factor that binds us to the perpetual cycle of life and death in samsara. The system of thought and practice that presents a complete path towards liberation from this bondage is called the Vehicle of the Buddha (Buddhayana)
Within the Buddha’s Vehicle there are two major systems of thought and practice:
(1) The Lesser Vehicle or Hinayana
(2) The Great Vehicle or Mahayana
The Mahayana consists of the Perfection Vehicle (Paramitayana) and Mantra Vehicle or Vajra Vehicle (Vajrayana).
HINAYANA VEHICLE
Hearer’s Vehicle
(Sutra Vehicle)
Solitary Realiser’s Vehicle
(Sutra Vehicle)
MAHAYANA OR BODHISATTVA’S VEHICLE
Perfection Vehicle
(Sutra Vehicle)
Mantra Vehicle
(Tantra Vehicle)
For beginners, find out the followings on your own:
(1) The difference between the sutra vehicles;
(2) The difference between the perfection vehicle and the mantra vehicle.
To appreciate the special distinctiveness of tantra, it is necessary to determine the difference between the sutra and tantra vehicles, and to do that, first it is necessary to settle the differences between the vehicles in sutra – Hearer’s Vehicle, Solitary Realiser’s Vehicle, and Bodhisattva’s Vehicle or Great Vehicle – and then consider the further division of the latter into its sutra and tantra forms.
In addition, it would be contradictory to propound that one should not train in the scriptural collections of the Hinayana because one is a Mahayana practitioner. All Mahayana followers must practice all those things taught in the Hinayana scriptural collections, with only a few exceptions, such as diligently seeking a blissful peace for oneself alone. This is the reason for extensively teaching all three vehicles in the very vast scriptural collections of the Bodhisattvas. Furthermore, a perfect Buddha has not extinguished just a portion of faults and accomplished a mere portion of good qualities, but rather has extinguished all types of faults and accomplished all types of good qualities. Mahayana practitioners seek to achieve this.
Advice to new practitioners:
Do not use your own incapacity as a reason to repudiate what you cannot actually engage in or turn away from. Rather, think with anticipation, “When will I practice these teachings by actually doing what should be done and turning away from what should not be done?” Work at the causes for such practice – accumulating the collections, clearing away obscurations, and making aspirational prayers. Before long your mental power will become greater and greater, and you will be able to practice all of the teachings that you were previously unable to practice. Have confidence that all of the teachings are free of contradiction.
_/|\_
-
Originally posted by gaomu:
Hi,
I'm a young working adult.
I would like to understand more on Buddhism.
I had attended the basic dharma classes in Kong Meng San previously.
Together with self-study through materials from the internet, I would say I have a basic understanding of Buddhism.
Would now like to go on to the next level. However, I am not sure what is the best way of doing so.
Would appreciate advice from bro and sis from this forum.
You should ask advice from the abbot of Kong Meng San.
if you having problem in your choice because all dharma masters recommendation is so deliciously satisfying, you have to ask here for help in å� 察善æ�¶ä¸šæŠ¥ç»�. And if you do not know how to apply it, you may learn for this : http://www.jzfjw.cn/move/vodhtml/14/3292.html - 《å� 察善æ�¶ä¸šæŠ¥ç»�》梦å�‚è€�和尚[全集].
May you realize bodhi and attain buddhahood spontaneously for the wellness of all.
-
Originally posted by Amitayus48:
You should ask advice from the abbot of Kong Meng San.
if you having problem in your choice because all dharma masters recommendation is so deliciously satisfying, you have to ask here for help in å� 察善æ�¶ä¸šæŠ¥ç»�. And if you do not know how to apply it, you may learn for this : http://www.jzfjw.cn/move/vodhtml/14/3292.html - 《å� 察善æ�¶ä¸šæŠ¥ç»�》梦å�‚è€�和尚[全集].
May you realize bodhi and attain buddhahood spontaneously for the wellness of all.
I would ask the abbot of Kong Meng San if I have the chance. :) Not sure how to do that though - by email, gatecrash his office, call him or ...? :) -
Originally posted by Fugazzi:
If u want to learn about Buddha n Buddhisism it is fine to go for a course. However, u want to find out what is true - the former is utter waste of time. Why do I say that? Truth cannot be spoken nor can it be boxed in. when one is totally empty of all isms one partakes of what is or what is not. Many here adopt this stance of wanting to awaken, wanting to be enlightened. The irony of it is one seems to overlook that even identifying with Buddha, even identifying oneself as a Buddhist - one is already in a cage! One can find a Buddhist mind, can one find a buddhist heart? the heart knows no scriptures, knows no laws, no tenents and .... one has to be self-honest lah, is one earnest enough, serious enough to risk to explore, to question ......
I choose to differ in my views. Learning about Buddha/Buddhism is basic. (Just like going through education up to Sec 4.) As you learn more, you can become more critical, and that's when you start to realise the truths. (If after Sec 4, you come out to work, you will see the REAL World. A PSLE, a GCE 'O' or Degree holder will deal with the situation differently) Not many people go to this stage of being critical. It will either strengthen you or bust you.I understand that what you are trying to say is, at the end of the day, we must "Stop Unwholesome", "Cultivate Wholesome" and "Purify the Mind". These can be done without going through any Budhhist courses. But by going through Budhhist Courses, it kinda put everything into perspective.
-
Just to add, "Stop Unwholesome", "Cultivate Wholesome", "Purify the Mind" are things I learn from Buddhism.
Remember, whatever you learn, dont take for face value, contemplate on it. Budhha never force anybody to believe in anything. "Ehi Pasiko"
-
Originally posted by gaomu:
“newbie”,
Other than Amitabha Buddhist Centre, any other organisations offering formal learning?
To complete all the courses, it may take a long time. But no doubt, compared with someone who doesn’t do anything, or stops at only comtemplating in doing something, at least he has taken the first step in striving to gain a deeper understanding of something he believes in.
it all depends what you actually meant by formal study.There is many organisation that offer teachings. but imo many are part here and part there not so many stage by stage path.
Previously i heard there is some education centre that cater Diploma in Buddhist study up to degree level.
maybe you should try 1 or 2 lesson of those recommended and decide which suit you more