About Buddhism

Starting to Explore Buddhism

There are two ways to start that journey of exploration - through study and practice. Try reading some introductory books about Buddhism, study the subject, and see if it makes sense to you. Buddhism is not about just accepting things on pure faith; it is about checking things out, learning about them, seeing if they make sense. Then, if you are interesting in learning more - go to some Buddhist centers in your area. Many centers offer free meditation instruction. Go to a center a few times. Check out the people, the teachings, the teachers, and atmosphere. Ask yourself if what they are teaching makes sense to you. If the first center you attend doesn't appeal to you, try another. Not every center or every lineage works for every person. It doesn't mean the center is a bad center, it just means it isn't the right one for you.

You might feel right at home at your local Zen center, and the Tibetan Buddhist one may just seem totally odd - or vice versa.

It is definitely worth finding someone who will provide good meditation instruction. Everyone has different experiences practicing meditation, and it is enormously helpful to have someone who can guide you, answer questions, and offer constructive suggestions. When looking for a meditation instructor, follow your intelligence and intuition. Some people can be wonderful meditation instructors for some people, and horrible ones for others.

There are many different meditation techniques, and they do not all work for everybody. Sometimes with meditation it is important to just stick with one form of meditation, and move through your resistance and blocks with that form, and the resistance is just that. Sometimes it's better if you just pick a different form of meditation. It is always worthwhile to remember that meditation is not the goal, it is simply a tool for working with your mind.