Hi, I am new here.

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[Fragrant Herbs]

Caz, Thank you. I think I understand. It is what Christian mystics call God, but we really can't comprehend it all.  Thank you, thank you. One of the things that upset me at my own sangha was that the abbot said that my experience was a hallucination, and it wasn't, and I knew this. And he was worried that I had that experience and said that yoga meditation was dangerous and could cause insanity. And I saw no difference in mantra meditation and in counting, so I was rather frightened away from meditation because it was too easy for my mind to expand. Now to hear that that is part of what it is all about warms my heart.

I came on here for a reason, but I didn't know that this was it. I was just sadden by religion. I knew that Buddhism was closer to my heart than Hinduism, but I also knew that I had kept some of the teachings of Hinduism. I had a Buddhist statue back in 1981 because it looked so peaceful, and when I moved away from Buddhism 3 years ago I kept many Buddhist objects. I didn't like my experience being denied, but still I loved my sangha and the abbots, and I miss them so much, because they were so kind and giving.

[Caz]

Caz, Thank you. I think I understand. It is what Christian mystics call God, but we really can't comprehend it all.  Thank you, thank you. One of the things that upset me at my own sangha was that the abbot said that my experience was a hallucination, and it wasn't, and I knew this. And he was worried that I had that experience and said that yoga meditation was dangerous and could cause insanity. And I saw no difference in mantra meditation and in counting, so I was rather frightened away from meditation because it was too easy for my mind to expand. Now to hear that that is part of what it is all about warms my heart.

I came on here for a reason, but I didn't know that this was it. I was just sadden by religion. I knew that Buddhism was closer to my heart than Hinduism, but I also knew that I had kept some of the teachings of Hinduism. I had a Buddhist statue back in 1981 because it looked so peaceful, and when I moved away from Buddhism 3 years ago I kept many Buddhist objects. I didn't like my experience being denied, but still I loved my sangha and the abbots, and I miss them so much, because they were so kind and giving.

Any experience such as that is a positive step ! Buddha taught a profound path...Training the mind is a most helpful tool. 

[Fragrant Herbs]

Caz, Do you remember what text it is that speaks of Buddha's experience of Love?

[Caz]

Caz, Do you remember what text it is that speaks of Buddha's experience of Love?

Not specifically...But it think there is one called the Metta sutta possibly. 
Mediation upon developing love is an important part in training the mind. 

[Yeshe Zopa]

This may help, if you look under 'Metta':

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/index-subject.html#l

[Fragrant Herbs]

Thank you so much. My favorite teachings of the Buddha were always loving kindness and the precepts. Past that it was hard understanding many other teachings, possibly because of the way they were presented or because my mind isn't that deep.  I came into Buddhist through Jack Kornfields and Thich Nhat Hanh's books. I especially related to Thich Nhat Hanh when I saw him because he was so peaceful; something I had missed in other religions, and then my own abbot was full of that same peacefulness. It was very peaceful being at my own sangha, and so even though I believed in these things I am talking about, I stayed for the peace and kindness and those other teachings I just mentioned. I will still be there if we haven't moved. I have to learn that you can believe what you want and not have to accept everyone of the teachings. This has been hard for me in life. And yet I was there for 3 1/2 years.

[Caz]

Thank you so much. My favorite teachings of the Buddha were always loving kindness and the precepts. Past that it was hard understanding many other teachings, possibly because of the way they were presented or because my mind isn't that deep.  I came into Buddhist through Jack Kornfields and Thich Nhat Hanh's books. I especially related to Thich Nhat Hanh when I saw him because he was so peaceful; something I had missed in other religions, and then my own abbot was full of that same peacefulness. It was very peaceful being at my own sangha, and so even though I believed in these things I am talking about, I stayed for the peace and kindness and those other teachings I just mentioned. I will still be there if we haven't moved. I have to learn that you can believe what you want and not have to accept everyone of the teachings. This has been hard for me in life. And yet I was there for 3 1/2 years.

 

You will find a way to be free from suffering you already have the tools. 

[haydenlaw]

Thanks for the welcomes.

I would like to have that chat with TashNyima. How do I got about doing that.

I have taken the precepts, but I moved away from my sangha and there is no sangha in my area.

I don't believe in worshipping a God nor do I believe in a savior. I don't even believe in the Bible. What I believe is that there is a Consciousness that is Love, perhaps this Consciousness pervades all. I only know that I experienced this in meditation and it is unconditional. Other than that it doesn't seem personal with any other human attibutes. I have no idea as to whether you can take refuge in It or not.

Here's a quote from a longer prayer that I've always loved:

Through your wisdom of great bliss, profound and luminous,
Emptiness manifests as compassion,

Emptiness and compassion aren't separate. 

When we take refuge, it is in the teachers who taught and still teach this - and the refuge is the teaching.  For me being a Buddhist is growing to really comprehend this.

My thoughts, anyhow.

H.

[Fragrant Herbs]

Thank you both for your comments. I copied the quote from the long prayer. May I have the long prayer? fh

[Wonky Badger]

Welcome to the forum Fragrant Herbs. I hope you will like it here! 

[Fragrant Herbs]

Thank you. So far I like it very much. 

[Bodhisatta2010]

Unitarian Church is a good suggestion.  You may also want to consider The Bahai's as well.  They have a system known as Eight Doors to religious practice, one of which is Buddhism.  Baha-u-lah, according to their beliefs was the reincarnation of many prophets including Buddha, Moses, Christ, Mohammed, .....just to name a few.

In any event, your path is your path.  We benefit and acquire karmic debt from our intentional actions.  This is what attracted me to Buddhism, because I personally believe in being held accountable for our actions.  According to Buddha's teachings there is no escape from kamma.  We own our actions.  Our actions are our own.  However, there are no punishers, and no rewarders, which excludes gods of any value to our practice.

Welcome aboard.

_/\_Ron

You might want to see if there's one of the Buddhist fellowships related to the Unitarian Church near you, as many of them come from the same background and perspective as yourself, not to mention that they also have a wide range of members involved in different Buddhist traditions:

http://uubf.org/

[Fragrant Herbs]

Thank you very much Ron. We don't have either of those faiths in the small Oklahama town where we have bought a home. Do do macular degeneration I don't drive far anymore, just to Muskogee or any other town where the traffic is not crazy. Muskogee doesn't have a Unitarian Church or a Bahai. This is the Bible Belt, and I am even surprised that we have a Unitarian Church here since many of the town's people call it evil. They would allow a Buddhist group, but so far all they have is a meditation group that meets there and another that meets at the library. I need to check out the one at the library. Other than that we have a Christian mystical community just out of town that practices healings and psychic readings.

Maybe someday someone will want to get a Buddhist group in this area. It is a college town and just ripe for one.