Hello, I am eager to chat!

Introduce yourself to others at Dhamma Wheel.
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Gideon
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Aug 04, 2014 1:14 am

Hello, I am eager to chat!

Post by Gideon »

I am not a regular forum user of any sort, please forgive me if I ramble. Typing out a short introduction feels as if I am talking to myself, hopefully that will change once I get to know some of you.

Now let's see, I need to share some basic details...
I am 19 years old, live in Canada, am a student in high-school, have a menagerie of medical conditions that spend a considerable amount of time to regularly treat, and am not sure how I should start pursuing Theravāda Buddhism or otherwise similar beliefs. If any of you could please recommend some foundational literature, I would be extremely thankful. And please, assume my cursory knowledge is slight, it's better to err on the side of caution in this regard.

I would like to share some excess details, they're a bit unnecessary; please feel free to skip them.
There are too many medical problems for me to list, so I'll put down the prominent offenders;
- cyclical vomiting syndrome
- extreme insomnia (8-16 hours of sleep/wk. on average)
- inability to retain food of any sort
- various bouts with cancer
These are the reasons I had to miss a year of school for medical treatments and a temporary medically induced coma (to balance my age and the fact that I still attend high-school).
Otherwise, I spend the entirety of my time reading, mostly in preparation for university (I'd like to attend for a double major in Social-psychology and Anthropology, with a minor in Theology).

That's about all I have to say for my introduction, but I would greatly enjoy any sort of conversation with you all.
And I hope you all have a great day.
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Mkoll
Posts: 6594
Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2012 6:55 pm
Location: USA

Re: Hello, I am eager to chat!

Post by Mkoll »

Hi Gideon,

I'm sorry to hear about your medical conditions. I hope they abate.

IMO, the best introductory resource for someone interested in Buddhism is In the Buddha's Words by Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi. There is a forum thread here where you can basically read it online. But it's also well worth the ~$15 or so for a copy of the book.

Take care.
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
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DNS
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Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 4:15 am
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, Estados Unidos de América
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Re: Hello, I am eager to chat!

Post by DNS »

Welcome to Dhamma Wheel!

Good luck with your treatments. I am sure you are following your physician's instructions.

:anjali:
SarathW
Posts: 21237
Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2012 2:49 am

Re: Hello, I am eager to chat!

Post by SarathW »

Hi Welcome!

This is my standard recommendation.
a)Read Buddhism Course. (Take about 12 hours to read and give you a good idea about the teaching)
http://www.urbandharma.org/pdf/PDF_BuddhismCourse/

b)Print a copy of this Dhamma Chart and refer to it while studding Buddhism.
http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=16785

c) Read Buddha’s Teaching by Narada. Start from chapter 15.
http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/buddh ... gsurw6.pdf
You are ready to go!
Get well soon!
:reading:
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
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cooran
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Location: Queensland, Australia

Re: Hello, I am eager to chat!

Post by cooran »

Welcome to DhammaWheel! :group:

Good to have you here, Gideon.

With metta,
Chris
---The trouble is that you think you have time---
---Worry is the Interest, paid in advance, on a debt you may never owe---
---It's not what happens to you in life that is important ~ it's what you do with it ---
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retrofuturist
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Location: Melbourne, Australia
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Re: Hello, I am eager to chat!

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings Gideon,

Welcome to Dhamma Wheel.

Best wishes for your health and happiness.

:buddha1:

Metta,
Retro. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
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Aloka
Posts: 7797
Joined: Wed Jan 21, 2009 2:51 pm

Re: Hello, I am eager to chat!

Post by Aloka »

Hello and welcome, Gideon

You can find lots of free resources on this website:

http://forestsanghapublications.org/

With kind wishes,

Aloka

:anjali:
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bodom
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Joined: Fri Jan 09, 2009 6:18 pm
Location: San Antonio, Texas

Re: Hello, I am eager to chat!

Post by bodom »

Welcome!

:anjali:
Liberation is the inevitable fruit of the path and is bound to blossom forth when there is steady and persistent practice. The only requirements for reaching the final goal are two: to start and to continue. If these requirements are met there is no doubt the goal will be attained. This is the Dhamma, the undeviating law.

- BB
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Sokehi
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Re: Hello, I am eager to chat!

Post by Sokehi »

Welcome, I hope you'll be well soon :anjali:
Get the wanting out of waiting

What does womanhood matter at all, when the mind is concentrated well, when knowledge flows on steadily as one sees correctly into Dhamma. One to whom it might occur, ‘I am a woman’ or ‘I am a man’ or ‘I’m anything at all’ is fit for Mara to address. – SN 5.2

If they take what's yours, tell yourself that you're making it a gift.
Otherwise there will be no end to the animosity. - Ajahn Fuang Jotiko

https://www.youtube.com/user/Repeataarrr
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wornoutskin
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Joined: Fri Aug 01, 2014 10:37 pm
Location: Newfoundland, Canada

Re: Hello, I am eager to chat!

Post by wornoutskin »

Welcome, Gideon!
He who neither goes too far nor lags behind,
greedless he knows: "This is all unreal,"
--such a monk gives up the here and the beyond,
just as a serpent sheds its worn-out skin.
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