101-For a beginner

The Watercooler
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Dear community,

I am a beginner who is just getting started on the path of dhamma.

I very much enjoy listening to talks on YouTube especially by Bhante Sujato.

First of all I would like to offer my gratitude and sincere thanks to him and all others who have started this.

Every time I listen to Bhante, I feel like I have discovered a treasure, like a kid in a candy store.

Since I’m not too familiar with the Suttas , I find it a little bit hard to read and get engaged in
them, and I’m at a loss of even where to start.

Is there some guide for beginners like me? It would also be nice to link some videos which go into more depth into them?

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Welcome to the forum, @Sunya.

There’s this page on the SuttaCentral main site, and there’s also this post here on D&D. Maybe that’s helpful. :hibiscus:

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If you’d like a self paced sutta based guide to the Gradual Training, @Starter has very kindly shared one such approach on the forum. There are also very interesting courses at The Open Buddhist University, run by @Khemarato.bhikkhu

The BSWA has a complete series “Word of the Buddha” as well as many more interesting sutta classes and dhamma talks.

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You can also take a look at Bhikkhu Bodhi’s introduction to the Majjhima Nikaya as an introduction to a collection of suttas.
https://bodhimonastery.org/a-systematic-study-of-the-majjhima-nikaya.html

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Amaravati-Library-Tipitaka-A4-Version.pdf (121.0 KB)

I found this to be a very helpful guide to unpacking the Tipitaka

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This is so beautiful and so much great information.

Many thanks to all of you dear Sangha.

While browsing through the Buddhist University, I actually found a reference to Thay, and since I’m most familiar with the Plum Village tradition (I live near one of their monasteries and used to go there pre-Covid), I may start with one of his books first, and try to focus on the Metta sutta, since it was in the top 10 list of Bhante Sujato’s link, and it’s one of the meditations I would like to incorporate.

So far, I had just started with trying to get a regular sitting in the mornings, listening to Dharma talks, and trying to be mindful in my daily life as a lay practitioner.

After listening to Bhante Sujato, I have developed an interest in going deeper into the sutas (it beats reading the news ;-)).

May I also offer a link to all of you:

And a beautiful quote from that page that I will strive for:

When we read a sutra, we can ask ourselves, “What does this sutra have to do with my daily life?” or “How can apply this sutra to a difficulty I am facing right now?”

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To apply the meaning of the suttas effectively it is wise to know they are directed at two levels, the arahant and the beginner. Different conditions apply and to avoid confusion it’s profitable to select those delivered for a general audience. One recommended is about the Buddha’s pre-awakening experience, when he investigated problems familiar to a beginner, and discovered the benefit of metta, Majhima Nikaya 19. He subsequently incorporated non ill-will (metta) in the second link of the noble eightfold path. Others are delivered to or by Ananda, nuns, Rahula, learner monks, or laypeople.

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I’m running a Word of the Buddha program modelled on the BSWA program from October 6 on 12 Wednesdays via the Metta Centre.

It’s designed to be systematic and digestible. We’re doing the “real stuff” from the suttas, but at a pace that aims to be more approachable/in plain English.

If anyone would prefer to join this program live, the details are below (Zoom link will likely be posted closer to the date, stay tuned).

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