Hi :)

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Seeker of Wisdom
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Jul 12, 2013 6:57 pm

Hi :)

Post by Seeker of Wisdom »

Hi all :)

I am so happy to be able to join this forum and participate in discussion of Buddhism. I began practicing Transcendental Meditation about two years ago, and it had helped me achieve a good degree of mental stability and relaxation; however, about six month ago, I sensed that there's a cap to how far TM will be able to take me. That's when I began to explore other meditation techniques. In my search, I was led to Buddhism, and I began practicing shamatha meditation. I attended a two weeks retreat in Phuket Thailand, and read Attention Revolution written by Dr. Allan Wallace. My interest in Buddhism grows stronger and stronger each day as my studying makes me realize that there is such a broadness of scope and depth to the wisdom, knowledge, and insights of Buddhist teachings on human mind, emotions, and consciousness.

I am currently practicing shamatha meditation because the very amateur knowledge of Buddhism that I have have me believe that shamatha is the prerequisite for all other forms of meditation including insight meditation. But at the same time, while I practice shamatha, I am also reading all materials that I have on Buddhism. Specifically, I am studying trying to understand what jhana is, what its place in Buddhism is, its relationship to vipassana, shamatha, and samadhi. There are all these different terminologies that seem to mean the same thing; but I know enough to know that there's an nuance which I must grasp for me to meditate effectively and correctly. This is something I am still trying to figure out for myself. So that's where I am in my journey.

Again, I am so happy to have found this forum. I have so many questions, and I am very confident judging from the high quality of discussions that I have seen here so far that I will be able to learn much. I am grateful to be able to stand on the shoulder of so many giants!
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Khalil Bodhi
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Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2009 6:32 pm
Location: NYC
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Re: Hi :)

Post by Khalil Bodhi »

Welcome! I hope our forum proves to be useful! :group:
To avoid all evil, to cultivate good, and to cleanse one's mind — this is the teaching of the Buddhas.
-Dhp. 183

The Stoic Buddhist: https://www.quora.com/q/dwxmcndlgmobmeu ... pOR2p0uAdH
My Practice Blog:
http://khalilbodhi.wordpress.com
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tiltbillings
Posts: 23046
Joined: Wed Dec 31, 2008 9:25 am

Re: Hi :)

Post by tiltbillings »

Welcome
>> Do you see a man wise [enlightened/ariya] in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.<< -- Proverbs 26:12

This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” HPatDH p.723
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DNS
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Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, Estados Unidos de América
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Re: Hi :)

Post by DNS »

Welcome to Dhamma Wheel!

:meditate:
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cooran
Posts: 8503
Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2009 11:32 pm
Location: Queensland, Australia

Re: Hi :)

Post by cooran »

Welcome! :group:

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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