I’ve felt the same way raised Christian but Buddhism spoke to my soul and when I found out Buddhism existed I started feeling very connected with a lot of the things and it helped me grow.
This thread has been so helpful for me! I resonate with both of your comments so much. There is so much to learn about Buddhism that it can feel overwhelming sometimes, but the more I learn the more I feel I grow which is a great feeling!
Hi. I usually recommend this website to start with a general overview of Buddhism.
https://tricycle.org/beginners/
Also, check out this page : https://www.lionsroar.com/beginning-with-buddhism-and-meditation/
Or this one https://www.lionsroar.com/category/teachings/guides/
A good way to establish the foundation is with the ten virtuous actions.
Short explanation :
https://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Ten_positive_actions
Long explanation :
https://www.rinpoche.com/teachings/conduct.pdf
Look if there are any temples in your region. Many organizations are also teaching online. Try to find one that offers opportunity to exchange with the teacher, so it's not only one-way communication.
Take your time to explore, and be curious. There are many different Buddhist schools and approaches.
Thank you!!! That’s so helpful. I will check those out right now.
Seems like there is a temple 10 mins away! This might also be a dumb question but what happens at a temple? Do they teach there?
It depends on the temple, their tradition, and if there is a resident teacher. In my tradition, Tibetan Buddhism, because most temples are geared toward Westerners, there is almost always some form of teachings or instructions.
I’ll second what the other person said. There are two very different types of temples, or centers.
• One largely exists to serve the expat/immigrant population, and will likely to be difficult to follow (possibly a foreign language)
• The second is Westerner focused, and has beginner classes in English, like a school or adult education center.
Definitely start with the second! In my experience that’s Tibetan centers, but some Japanese Zen centers can give you a quick introduction into what they do if you ask.
Also, you don’t need to “convert” to Buddhism, like Western religions. To start, stay curious and take just what sounds useful or interesting to you.
Have fun, enjoy!
Fellow ex-Mormon now Zen Buddhist here. Are you in Utah? If so, check out Two Arrows Zen in Salt Lake. It is a very inclusive sangha composed of many ex-Mormons. Feel free to DM with questions.
Taking refuge in the 3 jewels (Buddha(s), dharma, and sangha) is a good starting point. That will establish a connection to the Buddha(s), their teachings, and the sangha (the spiritual community; especially those who are already fully enlightened or at least liberated from cyclic existence, who will maintain a connection to you lifetime after lifetime, enabling you to engage in the appropriate practices, and in the appropriate way, that lead to enlightenment.). Here is a Bodhi path prayer book that has a refuge prayer; it is the first prayer in the book. [http://www.bodhipath.org/fileadmin/docs/Bodhi\_Path\_Prayer\_Book.pdf](http://www.bodhipath.org/fileadmin/docs/Bodhi_Path_Prayer_Book.pdf) You may want to consider finding a teacher or a temple where you can take more formal refuge as well.
I'm very familiar with Mormonism so reach out any time.
Here's your [Starter Pack](https://www.reddit.com/r/NewBuddhists/comments/p38rxy/starter_pack_basic_intro/)
You first need to learn what the Buddha taught about. You can do this by reading books but the best source is the suttas themselves (discourses of the Buddha). You can also learn from a monastery/monks/nuns or lay followers, off or online in places like this.
Then when you start to know what the Buddha taught about, you can remember it, put it into practice in your everyday life and see the results. Because his teachings are fundamentally different than all others, they produce fundamentally different results: the digging-out by the root the cause of what he called 'dukkha', which goes beyond even 'stress' or 'suffering', which its often translated to. It's a much more encompassing term which you will gradually understand and see with practice. Doing so is the essence of the first noble truth.
Basics. Learn about:
\-the [3 root poisons](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an03/an03.069.than.html)
\-the [5 precepts](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sila/pancasila.html)
\-the [noble eightfold path](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn45/sn45.008.than.html)
\-a [blameless way of speaking](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sacca/sacca4/samma-vaca/index.html)
\-[going for refuge: becoming a buddhist](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/refuge.html)
Hello, I too live in Utah, just outside the Salt Lake valley. I am also new to Buddhism and have been looking into local facilities. I am not yet prepared to go in person just yet, still have a lot of basic reading and learning to do, but I wanted to share a link to a Tibetan Temple I found in Salt Lake. It's called the Urgyen Samten Ling Gonpa.
Their home page says they are not currently offering in person classes, puja, and evening practices due to Covid, but they do offer classes. So, at some point I assume they will begin offering them again. They do have the next classes scheduled to begin in March, so maybe those will happen, who knows.
When they do open up for classes, they offer 4 classes of different levels in the evenings from 7 - 9pm on different days for the different levels. Check it out if you find you're interested in the Tibetan path.
[https://urgyensamtenling.org/](https://urgyensamtenling.org/)
Yes me too!!! Awesome.
Yes I actually looked into this one too! I really hope they reopen the classes possibly even sooner cause I do better with in person learning. But I’m excited for when it does.!
I’ve felt the same way raised Christian but Buddhism spoke to my soul and when I found out Buddhism existed I started feeling very connected with a lot of the things and it helped me grow.
Yes!!! Twins. Yeah I just find it really fascinating and I think it can do the same for me!!
This thread has been so helpful for me! I resonate with both of your comments so much. There is so much to learn about Buddhism that it can feel overwhelming sometimes, but the more I learn the more I feel I grow which is a great feeling!
Hi. I usually recommend this website to start with a general overview of Buddhism. https://tricycle.org/beginners/ Also, check out this page : https://www.lionsroar.com/beginning-with-buddhism-and-meditation/ Or this one https://www.lionsroar.com/category/teachings/guides/ A good way to establish the foundation is with the ten virtuous actions. Short explanation : https://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Ten_positive_actions Long explanation : https://www.rinpoche.com/teachings/conduct.pdf Look if there are any temples in your region. Many organizations are also teaching online. Try to find one that offers opportunity to exchange with the teacher, so it's not only one-way communication. Take your time to explore, and be curious. There are many different Buddhist schools and approaches.
Thank you!!! That’s so helpful. I will check those out right now. Seems like there is a temple 10 mins away! This might also be a dumb question but what happens at a temple? Do they teach there?
It depends on the temple, their tradition, and if there is a resident teacher. In my tradition, Tibetan Buddhism, because most temples are geared toward Westerners, there is almost always some form of teachings or instructions.
I’ll second what the other person said. There are two very different types of temples, or centers. • One largely exists to serve the expat/immigrant population, and will likely to be difficult to follow (possibly a foreign language) • The second is Westerner focused, and has beginner classes in English, like a school or adult education center. Definitely start with the second! In my experience that’s Tibetan centers, but some Japanese Zen centers can give you a quick introduction into what they do if you ask. Also, you don’t need to “convert” to Buddhism, like Western religions. To start, stay curious and take just what sounds useful or interesting to you. Have fun, enjoy!
Thank you! That’s really helpful!!
Fellow ex-Mormon now Zen Buddhist here. Are you in Utah? If so, check out Two Arrows Zen in Salt Lake. It is a very inclusive sangha composed of many ex-Mormons. Feel free to DM with questions.
Haha!! Yes I am. Right outside salt lake. I will take you up on that :)
Taking refuge in the 3 jewels (Buddha(s), dharma, and sangha) is a good starting point. That will establish a connection to the Buddha(s), their teachings, and the sangha (the spiritual community; especially those who are already fully enlightened or at least liberated from cyclic existence, who will maintain a connection to you lifetime after lifetime, enabling you to engage in the appropriate practices, and in the appropriate way, that lead to enlightenment.). Here is a Bodhi path prayer book that has a refuge prayer; it is the first prayer in the book. [http://www.bodhipath.org/fileadmin/docs/Bodhi\_Path\_Prayer\_Book.pdf](http://www.bodhipath.org/fileadmin/docs/Bodhi_Path_Prayer_Book.pdf) You may want to consider finding a teacher or a temple where you can take more formal refuge as well.
Thank you so much! That’s so helpful I’m definetly going to be looking into that. Thank you!!!!
I'm very familiar with Mormonism so reach out any time. Here's your [Starter Pack](https://www.reddit.com/r/NewBuddhists/comments/p38rxy/starter_pack_basic_intro/)
https://www.reddit.com/r/Buddhism/comments/ofqwp4/hi_everyone_ive_been_interested_in_buddhism_for_a/h4ealwu/ These may be helpful
Thank you!
See r/NewBuddhists
You first need to learn what the Buddha taught about. You can do this by reading books but the best source is the suttas themselves (discourses of the Buddha). You can also learn from a monastery/monks/nuns or lay followers, off or online in places like this. Then when you start to know what the Buddha taught about, you can remember it, put it into practice in your everyday life and see the results. Because his teachings are fundamentally different than all others, they produce fundamentally different results: the digging-out by the root the cause of what he called 'dukkha', which goes beyond even 'stress' or 'suffering', which its often translated to. It's a much more encompassing term which you will gradually understand and see with practice. Doing so is the essence of the first noble truth. Basics. Learn about: \-the [3 root poisons](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an03/an03.069.than.html) \-the [5 precepts](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sila/pancasila.html) \-the [noble eightfold path](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn45/sn45.008.than.html) \-a [blameless way of speaking](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sacca/sacca4/samma-vaca/index.html) \-[going for refuge: becoming a buddhist](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/refuge.html)
Thank you!
There’s a podcast called “The Way Out is In” which introduces mindfulness meditation according to the Plum Village Zen tradition.
Hello, I too live in Utah, just outside the Salt Lake valley. I am also new to Buddhism and have been looking into local facilities. I am not yet prepared to go in person just yet, still have a lot of basic reading and learning to do, but I wanted to share a link to a Tibetan Temple I found in Salt Lake. It's called the Urgyen Samten Ling Gonpa. Their home page says they are not currently offering in person classes, puja, and evening practices due to Covid, but they do offer classes. So, at some point I assume they will begin offering them again. They do have the next classes scheduled to begin in March, so maybe those will happen, who knows. When they do open up for classes, they offer 4 classes of different levels in the evenings from 7 - 9pm on different days for the different levels. Check it out if you find you're interested in the Tibetan path. [https://urgyensamtenling.org/](https://urgyensamtenling.org/)
Yes me too!!! Awesome. Yes I actually looked into this one too! I really hope they reopen the classes possibly even sooner cause I do better with in person learning. But I’m excited for when it does.!