The titles pretty straightforward. i want to become buddhist, or at least take a look into it....im not really interested in the religious aspect, just the meditative part. Im only looking to attain a higher state of conciousness, i dont see all the myths to be relevant. i want to be learn to "distance" myself from my emotions better, and just be an observer.(not all the time obviously, im still human:P)
As well as just achieving a better sense of being, a more contemplative, balanced reality. I cant really label what i want, its deeper than that, but id just wanna be able to practice the techniques of the buddhist, not neccesarrily the Theology behind them.

tl/dr: Totse....becoming a buddhist..how is it, and where to start?

You could start by asking Totse.

You could try transcendental meditation

this is meditation in which consciousness is focused on consciousness itself.

If you seek spiritual knowledge try the vedas.

The bible is one book whilst the Vedas is an entire culture with enough literature to fill a library

http://buddhism.kalachakranet.org/index.html

Really good site, even if you're not into the "religious" aspect. The "Practice and Meditation" and "Problematic Emotions" sections are pretty informative.

tl/dr: Totse....becoming a buddhist..how is it, and where to start?

You have already begun:P.

Seriously though just pick up some books, start reading and incorporate it into your life. I'm by no means a buddhist but I can recomend a couple:

http://www.amazon.com/When-Things-Fall-Apart-Difficult/dp/1590302265/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228765097&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Glimpse-Nothingness-Experiences-American-Community/dp/0312209452/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228765257&sr=1-1

OP, you need to realize there are various schools and sects of Buddhism, for one thing.

I would recommend going directly to the source, the Teachings of The Compassionate Buddha (I think that is the exact title.)

FYI, the Vedas are more about Hinduism, not Buddhism, and TM is a spirtual practice, not a religious one.

I you live in a town with a sizable Asian population (almost any major city), you'll likely find a local Temple. Just go there and talk to the instructors for information.

Save yourself the time and money and learn about Taoism:

http://www.pages.drexel.edu/~st96m5n8/nellie/nassets/vinegar%20tasters.jpg

Like most people who pick a religion, or break away from their traditional religion, you will probably just wind up picking and choosing what parts you like and what parts don't, using that and wind up calling yourself a spiritualist.

Do this without the religion.

How about you simply decide who you want to be, how you want to live your life, and do it.

If you are hardcore going to become a buddhist I would stay away from Nichiren Daishonin's Lotus Sutra. It involves chanting magic words to a scroll on a wall. Amazing to here a temple of people chanting these sanksrit words though.

Nam myoho renge kyo........FTL.

I would recommend going directly to the source, the Teachings of The Compassionate Buddha (I think that is the exact title.)

I agree, I really liked that book and I think that it changed my life for the better.

How about you simply decide who you want to be, how you want to live your life, and do it.





Yea thats why i was so tentative about even considering an organized way of doing this, i hate organization and boundaries, i WOULD like to do my own thing because thats the only way of doing it...but these buddhists do seem to know their meditation.

the Vedas are more about Hinduism

I disagree; although i admit you are somewhat correct. You understand that Christians follow the bible but that does not mean they follow the teachings completely- they make their own interpretation of it; not to mention it only contains a fraction of spiritual knowledge the Vedas does.

Just like Hinduism is only using a fraction of the spiritual knowledge in the Vedas; it uses the Vedas but that doesn't mean someone who uses the Vedas is a Hindu ( for a start this is a derogatory term used by the west- Hindu's find this term offensive).

Hinduism is formed on the basis of the vedas not the other way around.

The fact that the original incarnation of Buddha is mentioned in detail in the Vedas illustrates this point.

TM is a spirtual practice, not a religious one

couldn't agree with you more; however i was trying to keep it in context to the OP

many people don't understand that spiritual knowledge can be attained without religion, im guessing that because Buddhism is typically known by the west as a more spiritual religion because it lacks theism the OP wanted to become a Buddhist because he wanted spiritual knowledge without the Religious devotional component; not knowing there are other means of this besides Buddhism.

I see vedic culture as a good alternative or at least something worth exploring

Like most people who pick a religion, or break away from their traditional religion, you will probably just wind up picking and choosing what parts you like and what parts don't, using that and wind up calling yourself a spiritualist.

Do this without the religion.

How about you simply decide who you want to be, how you want to live your life, and do it.

Basically the attitude of bare Buddhism

You either swallow the whole pill or none of it.


If you are actually interested in higher levels of spiritual being let me give you a tip: having a closed mind doesnt help. Look at things rationally but that doesnt mean reject teachings and stories (very relevant stories) that dont conform to your understanding of the world. To understanding the rest and the totality is your intention after all.

http://www.wepapers.com/

This should help:

Essentials of Buddhism
8A5
Buddhism in a Nutshell
8A3
Buddha Dharmma for University Students
8A1
Aspects of Early Buddhist Sociological Thought
8A0
Buddhist Arts of Thailand
8A4
The Jesus Prayer
8B1

[make sure you search in paper key]

Be aware in 'Buddhism' there are many sects as in christianity, some of whom have very different ideas. As Galgamech says "the bare buddha" is the best. It's a simple 'self-help' philosophy, not a 'religion' as such.

Buddhism
Not about God
Taking refuge
1. In the Buddha
2. In the Dharma
3. In the Sangha
The Buddha was only a man.
A man who had become a Buddha,
who had achieved enlightenment.

Buddha: 1. Sanskrit; literally, "awakened one"; a person who has been released from the world of cyclic existence (samsara) and attained liberation from desire, craving, aversion, and attachment. 2. Enlightened One. 3. Gautama = 1st Buddha of this age.
Dharma: (Sanskrit): the way or law; the path; basically, Buddha’s teaching, but in a wider sense any teaching or truth.
Sangha: The teachers and community of meditators.

The Four Noble Truths
– Suffering
(Literally: Dukkha - Life is difficult, often unsatisfactory, painful, etc., and;
the impermanence of everything, everything changes nothing remains the same for long)
– The cause of suffering
(clinging and craving, aversions, delusional thinking - caring for one’s false identity - ego)
– The cessation of suffering
(enlightenment, nirvana, awakening, higher consciousness, becoming ‘a’ buddha)
– The eightfold path
(How to do it: Right views, right intention, right speech, right action, right
livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.)


Namaste:)