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Hello Everyone

Posted: Tue Jun 04, 2013 8:46 pm
by UrbanContemplative
Hello Everyone!

I was searching the web on Theravada Buddhism and discovered this forum. I am so happy to have found it!!

About me in brief: I am 35 years old and live in the state of Ohio. I am a Christian and ministry student who is studying to be a Pastor. I am a Methodist. That said, I have a deep love and admiration for other faith traditions and have been studying comparative religion for over ten years now; reading sacred texts from the world's major religions as well as travelling to experience them directly. You could say that I have a deep love for religion, faith, and the sacred in general. I cite people like Thomas Merton and Huston Smith as my heroes. This is why when I start graduate seminary next year, in the Master of Divinity program I plan to specialize my MDiv in "Interreligious Contexts" which is a Methodist program to cultivate and improve interfaith relations. This is one of my greatest passions, and to be able to go to school for it and hopefully one day work in that field is a dream come true for me!!

More particular to this forum; I have a deep love for the wisdom of Buddhism and the Theravada tradition. I was first exposed to it in a deeper way when I read Bikkhu Bodhi's "In the Buddha's Words". I then began to devour his other translations, and now have read nearly all the works that he did of the Pali Canon. This has had a tremendous impact on me spiritually.

I have often told my friends the almost paradoxical, yet totally true statement that "Buddhism has made me a better Christian and Christianity has made me a better Buddhist."

I very much look forward to taking part in the discussions on this forum!!

Re: Hello Everyone

Posted: Tue Jun 04, 2013 8:49 pm
by mikenz66
Welcome UrbanContemplative,

:hello:

Like you, my first extensive study of the suttas was In the Buddha's Words.

:anjali:
Mike

Re: Hello Everyone

Posted: Tue Jun 04, 2013 8:52 pm
by Coyote
Welcome :)

Re: Hello Everyone

Posted: Tue Jun 04, 2013 10:21 pm
by DNS
Welcome to Dhamma Wheel!

:popcorn:

Re: Hello Everyone

Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2013 1:28 am
by Hickersonia
Welcome, friend. I hope you find your time here enriching. :)

Re: Hello Everyone

Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2013 1:49 am
by Khalil Bodhi
Welcome!

Re: Hello Everyone

Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2013 1:56 am
by retrofuturist
Greetings,

Welcome to Dhamma Wheel.

:buddha1:

Metta,
Retro. :)

Re: Hello Everyone

Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2013 4:10 am
by Ben
Greetings Urbancontemplative,

Welcome to Dhamma Wheel.
My teacher, SN Goenka, has taught many thousands of people ordained in the Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Jain religions a non-sectarian approach to the Dhamma and vipassana meditation. If this is something you are interested in exploring - then I recommend it.
www.dhamma.org
kind regards

Ben

Re: Hello Everyone

Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2013 5:26 am
by tiltbillings
Welcome

Re: Hello Everyone

Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2013 6:27 pm
by UrbanContemplative
Thanks all!!

@ Ben; I appreciate the recommendation!