Many people wanting to learn about Buddhism are intimidated by the plethora of “ritual” items pushed upon practicing Buddhists. These items aren’t really needed to successfully be a Buddhist. Anyone can practice Buddhism without ever spending a dime or only spending a few dimes. Here are some suggestions.
Books about Buddhism
Some of the most important tools when learning about and practicing Buddhism are books. You can never read too many books on any Buddhist subject. Many local libraries have very nice selections of Buddhist books. If one is unsure of where to begin discovering books about Buddhism, librarians are there to point a patron in the right direction. Even though many people do not like the "Complete Idiot's Guide" books, The Complete Idiots Guide to Buddhism and Buddhism for Dummies are great starting points and pretty easy to find. These two books use easy to understand explanations.
Buddhist Websites
If you want to have books that you can keep, there are many sites that offer eBooks for free or cheap. These can be printed off at home or at the library. Purchase a large binder for storage of the pages you find. There are many great sites that can be found for free information and free books.
- Dharma Material is by far the best place to get free books. It takes several weeks to receive your shipments BUT it is completely free!
- BuddhaNet is one of the most popular reference sites for Buddhists. Anyone new to Buddhism would greatly benefit from a visit to this particular site.
Tools of Buddhism
There are also other types of materials that you will often see for sale. One very popular item is prayer beads. While these are a nice item to have during meditation, they aren’t necessary. Prayer beads help you focus during meditation. Meditation mats and pillows will aid in comfort but you can use pillows and cushions you already have around the house. CDs or DVDs that teach meditation can be checked out at a library. eBay is a great place to find deals on books, prayer flags, and other Buddhist items.
There are a growing number of cities that have monasteries, meditation centers, and teaching centers. Major metropolitan areas in California have very nice centers. One of the fastest growing Tibetan Buddhist Centers in the Mid-West is Dagom Gaden Tensung Ling located in Bloomington, Indiana. Stuart Marshall, also a writer for Suite101.com, wrote a great article about The Buddhist Society which is located in London.
Reaching enlightenment doesn’t have to cost a small fortune or break a tight budget! Namaste’!
 |
