How do I find a teacher?

General discussion, particularly exploring the Dharma in the modern world.
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SittingSilent
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Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2011 10:41 pm

How do I find a teacher?

Post by SittingSilent »

I live in a very small town far from any Buddhist centers (about 2.5 hours from the nearest Buddhist center, further from others). I was wondering how I would go about finding a teacher? I'm going in January to one week of a dathun which is all I could afford and is also what I thought would be a good introduction for my first time at a retreat. But I would like to have a teacher to guide me. How does one go about finding a teacher? :shrug:
floating_abu
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Re: How do I find a teacher?

Post by floating_abu »

Zen centres of the world directory

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Heartfelt prayers can also help.

Best wishes,

Abu
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Grigoris
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Re: How do I find a teacher?

Post by Grigoris »

Dear Silent,

I live a 13-17 hours trip by boat (or about an hour by a currently unaffordable plane) from my teachers. I go once or twice a year, overdose on Dharma and go back to recoup for 6 months. Having started ngondro I have more than enough Dharma to deal with on a daily basis. I am sure the dathun will give you plenty of material.

Don't rush finding a teacher. Check out as many as you can until you find the one(s) that click.

The 35 Confession Buddhas practice (a sutra practice) will help clear out obstacles due to past karma and does not require tantric initiations etc...

Calling the Lama from Afar, although considered by some as purely a lineage prayer, is a plea for all the lamas of all the lineages to heed you.

Both these practices certainly helped me.
:namaste:
"My religion is not deceiving myself."
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE

"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
SittingSilent
Posts: 34
Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2011 10:41 pm

Re: How do I find a teacher?

Post by SittingSilent »

:oops: I have Asperger's Syndrome, a variant of autism, and when you said "Calling the Lama from Afar" I was picturing that you were wanting me to call up every teacher and speak to each one and interview them. After re-reading the sentence about seven times, I'm guessing that's not what you meant, but rather that it is also the name of a practice/petition??? Where do I find these two practices/prayers? I guess as someone who is a big fan of rules (key in the Asperger's) I like the idea of having an authority figure to answer all of my questions definitively!

:namaste:
Ethan
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Thomas Amundsen
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Re: How do I find a teacher?

Post by Thomas Amundsen »

SittingSilent wrote::oops: I have Asperger's Syndrome, a variant of autism, and when you said "Calling the Lama from Afar" I was picturing that you were wanting me to call up every teacher and speak to each one and interview them. After re-reading the sentence about seven times, I'm guessing that's not what you meant, but rather that it is also the name of a practice/petition??? Where do I find these two practices/prayers? I guess as someone who is a big fan of rules (key in the Asperger's) I like the idea of having an authority figure to answer all of my questions definitively!

:namaste:
Ethan
Calling the Lama From Afar
Yudron
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Re: How do I find a teacher?

Post by Yudron »

SittingSilent wrote::oops: I have Asperger's Syndrome, a variant of autism, and when you said "Calling the Lama from Afar" I was picturing that you were wanting me to call up every teacher and speak to each one and interview them. After re-reading the sentence about seven times, I'm guessing that's not what you meant, but rather that it is also the name of a practice/petition??? Where do I find these two practices/prayers? I guess as someone who is a big fan of rules (key in the Asperger's) I like the idea of having an authority figure to answer all of my questions definitively!

:namaste:
Ethan
Yes, there are things to do in both Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism that are suitable to people with Asperger syndrome -- most groups have lots of rules and routines based on tradition.
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Grigoris
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Location: Greece

Re: How do I find a teacher?

Post by Grigoris »

Confession Buddhas practice: http://www2.fodian.net/world/0326.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The easiest way to do the practice is to read all of the section where you name each Buddha individually, and then do 38 prostrations (one to each Buddha and one to each of the three jewels) before reciting the closing part of the practice.
:namaste:
"My religion is not deceiving myself."
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE

"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
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