Buddhists/confused

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Expert: - 9/12/2011


Question
I've only been looking at the whole buddhist idea for a little while, but i believe in most things included (reincarnation, karma ect) but, i am still a teenager and i eat meat. i have no intention of having alcohol. i know i cant rush into it, and i have problems with meditation. I want to be able to reach Nirvana before i die.
i also want to find out what zen buddism is, i've heard of it but i dont really know what it means.

Answer
Hi Niamh,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.  You are a young man and have plenty of time to know more about Buddhism.  You can visit the various temples around your area and find out more about the different practices amongst the different Buddhist traditions.  In the meantime you may like to surf through the following sites below. If you have any specific question later on, please come back.

http://buddhanet.net/  (The “mother” of all Buddhist web sites)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/buddhism...
http://www.goodquestiongoodanswer.net/
http://www.buddhistchannel.tv
This is a Buddhist news channel, giving latest news in the Buddhist world.

http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/whatbelieve.pdf

"What Buddhist Believe" by Ven. K Sri Dhammananda. This book explains the Buddhist perspective on life's general questions.
Venerable K. Sri Dhammananda was my revered teacher. His writings have benefitted countless people throughout the world. He had recently passed away (18 Mar 1919 -- 31 Aug 2006)

http://youtube.com/user/dhammatube
Short Buddhist talks
http://www.geocities.com/wave_books

http://www.dhammaloka.org.au/
This site is in Western Australia where Ajahn Brahmawamso resides. He is an English monk and is a very popular speaker. You can listen to his talk through this site.


Take care,
Justin Choo

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Justin Choo

Expertise

When in doubt seek it out. All your questions will be answered, and you may not have to agree with the answers. Such is the beauty of Buddhism. You are free to decide. I follow the Theravada tradition, and have been studying Buddhism for more than 40 years. Please view my profile for more details. I have answered more than 1500 questions since joining this category. You may like to give me the honor to answer your question.

Experience

I was brought up in the 50's as a Buddhist. For the past 40 years I have read numerous books on Buddhism and listened to numerous talks on Buddhism by well-respected and learned monks and lay teachers. I conduct Buddhist classes for parents of Sunday School children in a Theravada Buddhist Temple. My teacher was the late Chief Reverend, The Ven. K Sri Dhammananda of The Brickfields Buddhist Mahavihara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. You can view the relevent website in memory of my revered late teacher @ http://www.ksridhammananda.com

Organizations
I am a life member of the Buddhist Missionary Society Malaysia.

Publications
YOU ARE INVITED TO VISIT MY BLOG @ http://lifeislikethat999.blogspot.com/ Published a book called "The Rainbow And The Treasure". It is a compilation of extracts from various sources to introduce Buddhism to beginners. (Currently out of print)

Education/Credentials
Bachelor of Commerce And Administration, Victoria University Of Wellington, NZ.(1974)

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