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3 years ago ::
Feb 05, 2009 - 10:04PM
#1
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Hi I'm Lady Guin. I am a Buddhist as of about three months ago. I can't seem to find enough info on Buddhism that satisfies me. Can someone attempt to answer my questions please?
Can Buddhists eat meat? I've heard many different answers. Are there any insanely important holidays? When are they? How do I celebrate them? Can I still do Christian holidays with my family? When should I meditate? Do we have any books like the Bible? Is there a hell? I personally don't believe in a hell, but do other Buddhists? Is there any temple like places?
Thanks in advance for any help you all can give me. I really need it.
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3 years ago ::
Feb 07, 2009 - 6:48PM
#2
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I'll try to respond as pithily and helpfully to your questions as I can, and at the bottom I'll try to point you to a few good online resources. Feel free to ask any further questions or let me know if my explanations aren't satisfactory.
Can Buddhists eat meat? I've heard many different answers.
Buddhist laypeople are not prohibited from eating meat, though some are voluntary vegetarians.
Are there any insanely important holidays? When are they? How do I celebrate them? [/i}
There are many diverse traditions of Buddhism that consider certain days to be sacred or auspicious for various reasons. Generally, I think, there are days important to all traditions because they commemorate an important event in the life and teachings of the Buddha, and there are days or months important to specific traditions because they commemorate a particular individual within a given tradition. For example, in the Tibetan Gelugpa tradition, in which I am pretty well grounded, an entire month is considered auspicious because of Je Tsongkhapa, the founder of that school. There are other days which are thought to be auspicious for astrological reasons. This usually has little import for westerners, while for people like Tibetans this can be quite important. I haven't followed the Tibetan calendar in quite awhile, though I don't dismiss it all as mere rubbish. I think it's important that, while we may have trouble accepting something at face value, to avoid cultural bigotry.
[i]Can I still do Christian holidays with my family?
Certainly.
When should I meditate?
Anytime that is convenient for you. The bottom line is you should be in a quiet, safe, comfortable environment where you don't have to worry about distractions. There are times that may be advantageous; many teachers recommend doing it early in the morning, for example, because it's a quiet, mellow time before you jump into your daily routine. Doing it before you go to sleep can improve your sleep quite a bit, but you should distinguish between meditation for the purpose of relaxing and meditation for the cultivation of concentration. That is, you shouldn't get used to meditation as something to make you sleepy.
Another essential point is that you should set aside time specifically for practice and do it then, without pushing yourself beyond the time frame you have set aside (10-30 minutes for beginners is about right, I'd say). Trying to meditate whenever you have a free second is ineffective and distracts you from being in the moment, which is a pretty important part of practice. When you meditate, meditate. When you eat, eat. :)
Do we have any books like the Bible?
The entire corpus of Buddhist scripture is known as the tripitaka, which is divided into three large collections or "baskets" (trimeans three, pitaka means basket in Sanskrit). These are sutra, vinaya, and abhidharma. Sutras are spoken discourses of the Buddha. The Vinaya contains the monastic rules of behavior for monks and nuns. Abhidharma is a systematic collection of elaborations on Buddhist doctrine. I will link to more info on this below.
Buddhist scripture is generally quite vast and diverse. On top the tripitaka, there are thousands of years worth of dharma literature in all the various traditions.
Is there a hell? I personally don't believe in a hell, but do other Buddhists?
In Buddhism, conventional reality (the ordinary world which we percieve around us) exists on one level, but at another level, it does not (in Buddhist jargon, we say that it is empty). Sentient beings can experience a reality which is characterized by intense, obvious suffering because of their negative karma (the effects of their actions). This kind of reality are described as "hell" or "hell realms".
In another sense, we are all in hell, because we are in samsara, cyclic existence. We experience the pervasive suffering of cyclic existence, but this is not obvious to everyone. It becomes apparent through contemplation. So while it's perfectly understandable to say "well, I have a hard time swallowing the idea of demons torturing people in a place called 'hell'", it is fundamental to understand that cyclic existence is hell for everyone, and that some kinds of suffering are more obvious than others, and that beings experience suffering in diverse ways.
Is there any temple like places?
The names and functions of Buddhist temples vary somewhat from tradition to tradition, but generally they are places where you can make offerings and prayers. In the Tibetan tradition, a gompa is a place where dharma teachings are given, and contain many statues, paintings, and other representations of Buddha and other gurus.
Buddhanet.net is a really good, non-denominational site with lots of resources and educational media. Among many others, lywa.org is a good resource, as well as lamrim.com. A trip to your local bookstore is also a great place to start.
Good luck!
LozangK Beliefnet Host, Buddhist Teens
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