Is there anyone that can talk to me about buddism?

[Superworm]

I've been feeling the need to find some sort of spirituality recently. I had my first experience with Buddhism around ten years ago in Thailand. I practiced mediation on and off for a while.

I'm would like to go back to it and wondered if there us anyone that could talk to me about it? Starting points etc.

TIA

I'm not a Buddhist but have dabbled over the years. I think it helps to be clear about the different schools of Buddhism, so you have an idea what to expect from any group you may encounter - all obviously have the teachings of Buddha at the heart but some are entirely secular, some believe in reincarnation and some in rebirth, some have more emphasis on meditation than others. Discovering which is right for you may be something that develops as you go along rather than at the outset, but it is worth thinking about the differences.

The emphasis in most though is on practice and experiential learning rather than beliefs. I would think going on a retreat would be an excellent way of connecting with Buddhism, or try to find a meditation group - these have classes over most of the uk for example, but there are many others. I mostly practice mindfulness meditation these days, and if you are interested in that then this is the classic introduction on the practice.

I really enjoyed reading Buddhism for Mothers - it's v good for those with young children. Also I like looking at the Plum Village website (it's the HQ of Buddhist monk Thich Naht Hanh). Occasionally I read the Buddhist magazine The Tricycle.

We had a buddhist monk speak at an event I organised, and whilst I like some things about Buddhism, the attitude to women was not something I felt comfortable with. Basically, in his line of Buddhism, a nun with twenty year's experience would still be thought of as less than a monk of one day's experience. To be fair, the monk was unhappy with the attitude but tolerated it because he felt so drawn to Buddhism.

I know wikipedia isn't a great source but may provide links to further reading:

Limitations on Women's Attainments in Buddhism

According to Bernard Faure, "Like most clerical discourses, Buddhism is indeed relentlessly misogynist, but as far as misogynist discourses go, it is one of the most flexible and open to multiplicity and contradiction."

In the Buddhist tradition, positions of apparently worldly power are often a reflection of the spiritual achievements of the individual. For example, any gods are living in higher realms than a human being and therefore have a certain level of spiritual attainment. Cakravartins and Buddhas are also more spiritual advanced than an ordinary human being. However, as Zen nun Heng-Ching Shih states, women in Buddhism are said to have five obstacles, namely being incapable of becoming a Brahma King, Sakra, King Mara, Cakravartin or BuddhaThis is based on the statement of Gautama Buddha in the Bahudhātuka-sutta of the Majjhima Nikaya in the Pali Canon that it is impossible that a woman should be "the perfectly rightfully Enlightened One'", "the Universal Monarch", "the King of Gods", "the King of Death" or "Brahmaa'".

(From a personal point of view, most Buddhists I know would be happier as pagans but have never felt comfortable with all the societal judgement such a religion brings - Buddhism is much more acceptable.)

I've come across this too, but it isn't a universally held position. There is no one authority on Buddhism, and there are many different interpretations by the different schools and many contradictions. There is no doubt that there has been a lack of gender equality for a very long time, but there are now also schools where monks and nuns have equality. Interesting piece here in the Huff Post about feminism and Buddhism.

It always seems to be the way, that regardless of the value of the wisdom at the core of a faith, the institutions built up around it invariably reflects the society they come from, with all their flaws. There are also criticisms of Buddha himself - that he abandoned his wife and children to seek his own enlightenment, that he initially refused to ordain women. Most of the more discriminatory elements however were certainly added after his time.

< note to self - never name change after a bottle of Merlot. Bad enough changing it to a bad pun, let alone a bad pun with a spelling mistake, duh! >

Buddhism for Mothers is a brilliant book.

eegls

Thanks everyone, lots of food for thought here. I have the miracle of mindfulness book already and have practiced it on and off over the years. I also have a young DC and have been recommended buddhism for mothers so might start with that.

I'm not really sure what I am looking for tbh. I just need to feel part if something bigger I think. Will have read through the links, thank you.

Quite interested in the feminism/Buddhism as I had no idea women were viewed that way. I chatted to many young male monks in SE Asia but rarely saw any women at the temples now I think about it...

Buddhism for Mothers is an amazing book,I downloaded it on my kindle and read it in two nights,brillliant,I think everyone should read it.

There are indeed female nuns, and there are actual nunneries within SE Asia. you need to seek them out. Buddhism has a long standing history, and it has evolved within the whole of the SE Asia area. There are many "schools" as you can imagine, and that may have been split from the main schools for different purposes. e.g. for gender segregation for example, and to respect one another's gender by being respectful and not bring sexual politics within the religion itself.

Man of the main branches of Buddhism, and the purity form, like Tibetan Buddhism really is a preservation of an entire kingdom and country based on an actual religion and lineage, and hence why this is seen to many others as one of the remaining few type of Buddhism that is "pure" politically and religiously. The leaders are practiced individuals from generations, and destine their life to such practices.

If you live in the SE Asian areas, then sometimes monks will visit different countries to allow "blessings" to happen. Or some will try and allow followers to praise the birth of Buddha.

I do not meditate, but I would love to do so now. I used to be more spiritual when I was younger, but I feel that I need to get back to my true self.

There is a book, which I find very enlightening, as a guidance and ethic of one's life. It really is very spiritual in nature and describes people's behaviours in general in Buddhism terms.

"The Tibetan Book of the Living and Dying." It really is about to show compassion, based on written understanding, and Tibetan Buddhism terms of what they see trauma, or what they see compassion is.

I was raised with Confucianism, and Taoist values, with some ties to Buddhism.