going_nutz ([info]going_nutz) wrote in [info]buddhists,
2011-11-25 03:30:00
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Finding peace.

I am looking for peace within myself. I was born and raised as a Free Will Baptist and I have very strong beliefs in Christianity so I am not looking to "replace" my God. What I am looking at (at the suggestion of my therapist) is peace thru meditation. I have been reading up on Buddist principles and it is a no-brainer for me. Buddism is where I belong. What I am asking is what do you suggest for reading for a begining meditator?

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  • 13 comments

[info]teletai

November 25 2011, 09:56:51 UTC 6 months ago

I've found some nice led meditation mp3s on freebuddhistaudio.com-- these are where I started.

The Meditation group on Reddit has very comprehensive lists which I've found helpful: books and websites/podcasts.

I signed up for Insight Meditation Center's January online class, which is free and offers one-on-one teacher support-- might be worth it for you, too. :)

Hope that helps.

[info]going_nutz

November 25 2011, 10:04:46 UTC 6 months ago

Thanks very much. I will give these a try!

[info]kawachen

November 25 2011, 14:42:01 UTC 6 months ago

My suggestion is
- books written by Dlai lama XIX Tenzin Gyatnso ("How to practice", "Inner peace" and others);
- "How to meditate. A practical guide." written by Kathleen McDonald (Wisdom publication, Boston).

Good luck with your practice!

[info]gemmagic

November 25 2011, 20:52:26 UTC 6 months ago

Welcome to the community. :) There are lots of great books on meditation written by David Fontana, I also read "awakening to the sacred" by Lama Surya Das, and "everyday enlightenment - how to be a spiritual warrior at the kitchen sink" by Sister Yeshe Chodron... I recommend going online or into a bookstore and looking for books that suit your needs. I also recommend that you just start doing it! Start by setting an alarm for 5 or 10 minutes and spend that time just focusing on your breath and letting your thoughts flow. Wishing you all the best of luck exploring your path!

[info]icono9

November 25 2011, 21:08:57 UTC 6 months ago

I always recommend Ken McLeod. He does an excellent job teaching meditation and Buddhist psychology in a non-religious context:

http://www.unfetteredmind.org/

[info]jkndrkn

November 28 2011, 18:47:54 UTC 6 months ago

Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki is excellent. This book focuses on the *practice* of meditation and not the philosophy (dogma/religion) behind it. Zen practice can be said to be compatible with any form of religious or philosophical belief.

[info]charged_chaos

November 29 2011, 02:58:49 UTC 6 months ago

http://www.truerecovery.org/learning-center/dbt-dialectical-behavior-therapy/126-guided-mindfulness-meditation-exercises

[info]going_nutz

November 29 2011, 04:04:11 UTC 6 months ago

Thank you again. This is why I am looking into Buddhism, it seems like a very helpful, caring, and understanding community.

[info]thewritinglotus

December 16 2011, 17:13:40 UTC 5 months ago

Have you had any success with starting any regular meditation routine since this post?

[info]going_nutz

December 16 2011, 19:48:37 UTC 5 months ago

I have actually been using the breathing techniques here: http://eiriu-eolas.org/online-version/ and they seem to help. The biggest wall that I run up against is MAKING time to do it. I guess it just going to take will power to do this... nothing comes easy.

Thanks for asking :-)

[info]thewritinglotus

December 16 2011, 20:15:57 UTC 5 months ago

For what it is worth, that is also one of the hardest parts for people even with established routines.

The only advice I would have now that you have found a basic method you like is find ways to incorporate it into your life in ways that are as easy as possible. 5 minutes a day is worth a lot more than 25 minutes once every 5 days. When you wake up or before you go to bed are great times. Even in the car for 5 minutes before you get wherever you are going is much better than nothing. Make it easy. It does not need to be formal. It does not require a quiet room and dedicated time in your schedule. If you are able to make it easy and casual it will find a home in your life. If it remains foreign and something else you have to get around to it will only add more stress.

Good luck. If there is anything I can do to help please let me know.

[info]going_nutz

December 17 2011, 03:15:30 UTC 5 months ago

thank you so much!

[info]daruma doll

February 1 2012, 20:43:04 UTC 3 months ago

Read nothing, simply start watching yourself breathing, thinking acting...
Be present in whatever you do, in every state, be it a wholesome or a unwholesome state.
This is meditation: to not meditate, but simply be yourself and be aware of what you are.
Sometimes it helps to sit down cross legged on a round cushion in a quiet place, but basically anywhere is the place of meditation, and every situation a good situation to practice awareness.

Good luck with your practice.
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