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...Moving on... if i haven't already bored you to dath, or turned you off completely...
The other factor is Karma.
This term has been bandied about and used so loosely by all kinds of people, that its central basic tenet is misunderstood.

What is Karma?
Karma is.
It just 'is'.
It is not:
Critical, judgmental, approving or disapproving, analytical, condemnatory, rewarding or evaluative.

It is just what it is.
A simple process.
Do good things and the results will also be good.
Do bad things and the results will be bad.

it may not be an immediate result, or reaction. It may not even be a consequence of something you did in this lifetime. You may not even get a result of current action in this lifetime. But sooner or later, whatever you think, say and do, will return a consequence.

However, what may complicate things - or even simplify them, who knows? - Is that, whatever you do, something, somewhere will experince an opposite result.
if you do something to bring about a good result, someone - or something - somewhere, is going to 'suffer'.
Why?
Because the Third Law of Physics comes into play:
For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."

let me illustrate, very simply.
You're on a way to an important meeting with a client to secure a contract that will make money for your company.
Your car breaks down, you're late for the meeting, in which case your company loses the contract. (Bad result).
But another company, desperate for the work, gets the contract, which pleases the auditors, because it keeps the company afloat (good result).
You call a mechanic, who could do with the work, because he needs to invest in a new compressor, so this job, will enable him to buy that (good result).
But in so doing, his buying a compressor from company 'A' instead of company 'B' means that the sales rep from company 'B' has lost this particular commission, and he'd promised his little girl a trip to Disneyland, which he now can't afford (bad result.....)

You can't foresee any of this. You cannot stop and consider every single possible consequence, or play out any eventual scenarios, because otherwise, we would just never move from this point. The Law of Karma are actually far too complex for us to ever be able to wrap our poor unenlightened litle minds around it!
The Buddha tells us to not waste valuable time trying to figure some things out. This is one of them.

The bottom line?
Just be mindful and do the best you can.
Oh, and keep your car maintained....!!
Simply put (by HH the Dalai Lama):
"If you would like to know what your Karma and Life was like in the Past, look at your body, now.
If you would like to know what your Karma and Life will be like in the Future, look at your Mind now."

To be born in "The human Realm" is a wonderful privilege. Simply put, don't waste it.

How ya doing??

Alexandra:

I appreciate all of your input and it is very good, thank you.
I love all of the reading I have been doing. The book you requested is ready for my to pick up. I am enjoying the current book I am reading as well. I am very happy with the teachings of Buddhism and it has brought a lot of peace and acceptance into my life, after searching many years. I have been studying Buddhism for the last five years but this year I want to make it permanant.
You have been very helpful. I welcome help and teaching and experience from all :O)

Have a great day....

Billie, I hope you do not consider my passing these details on to you, as intrusive or interfering. Doubtless, in different forms, you will come across them again, and again anyway...
If you would like to have information on how to accept the Buddhist Path as your calling, "officially", as it were - Taking Refuge in the Triple Gem - let me know, and I will pass on that which i know. but Lama Surya Das also instructs this, so please be sure to do as you feel and see fit, and most comfortable.
That way, you will find a third way to have a refuge, and maybe add it to your signature - !!

Yes that should be included in my signature, without mention ..... I am also a great lover of music and cats!!

You are definitely not intrusive! You are doing a great job helping me!!!

That last website that you gave me is wonderful. I have been meditating for about a year and a half and it has been very good for me. I am going to try some new meditations.....

Kalachakranet is simply overflowing with great stuff.
Bellaonline is a wonderful forum, and extensively informative, educational useful and very varied, but there is little input or contribution of a Buddhist nature. as far as I know, Jeanette, me - and now, your good self - are it!

I post on the kalachakranet forum as Federica. I had originally logged on as 'Alexandra', and I'm a relatively long-time member. but I had to change some details in my profile, and when I had, mysteriously, I couldn't log in any more, so I actually had to re-register under my middle name.
I post on

www.newbuddhist.com

as Federica, too. (It's just my middle name, and the one I logged on with at the time.) I call this my cosy home-forum. it's the place I feel most at home on, and it has for me, a 'comfy chair and slippers' feel...!! (have I said all this already somewhere? ...
I forget...
I talk too much, sometimes...!

I am one of the few people that don't have the internet at home, so I have to catch a few minutes on slow days on work... I just wanted to tell you because there are some days where I can't get onto the site at all and I don't want you to think I was ignoring the posts.

Anyway.... now that I am seriously studying Buddhism, I will be asking more questions/more threads in the future.....

OK: You are at complete liberty to do this either in English, or to try reciting the refuge Vow, in the original language. I thought it was a bit daunting at first, and thought I would never be able to recite it in this way, let alone memorise it... I was wrong on both counts, but I did take my own personal Refuge Vow in English. It is just as acceptable, and just as valid.

TAKING REFUGE:

Buddham Saranam Gachami
Dhammam Saranam Gachami
Sangham Saranam Gachami

(I Go for Refuge in The Buddha
I go for refuge in The Dharma
I go for Refuge in The Sangha.)

Dutyam-pi Buddham Saranam Gachami
Dutyam-pi Dhammam Saranam Gachami
Dutyam-pi Sangham Saranam Gachami

(For the second time, I Go for Refuge in The Buddha
For the second time, I go for refuge in The Dharma
For the second time, I go for Refuge in The Sangha.)

Tatyam-pi Buddham Saranam Gachami
Tatyam-pi Dhammam Saranam Gachami
Tatyam-pi Sangham Saranam Gachami

(For the third time, I Go for Refuge in The Buddha
For the third time, I go for refuge in The Dharma
For the third time, I go for Refuge in The Sangha.)

The Five precepts are also normally recited after taking the vows: These five are those normally taken by any lay person deciding to Take Refuge. Monks and nuns have a whiole lot more....!! There is an informative link to them here. The whole site itself is also very good....

The Five Precepts:

I vow to train myself to:
� Not hurt any being � to do no Harm;
� Not to take anything, which is not freely or willingly given;
� Speak wholesomely and pleasantly
� Not to indulge in improper sexual pleasures;
� Not to consume intoxicating substances which confuse the mind and cloud the judgement.

The followung facts are meditative aspects to ponder on ant to realise the truth of:

There are these five facts that one should reflect on often, whether one is a woman or a man, lay or ordained. Which five?
I am subject to aging, have not gone beyond aging.
I am subject to illness, have not gone beyond illness.
I am subject to death, have not gone beyond death.
I will grow different, separate from all that is dear and appealing to me.
I am the owner of my Karma, heir to my Karma, born of my Karma, related to my Karma. Whatever I do, for good or for evil, to that will I fall heir.

The following four factors are known as The Dharma Seals - that is to say, they really put a full stop under Practise, and are indisputable. They tie in, and work closely with the Four Noble truths.....

Accept that:

� All things are impermanent and there is no essential substance or concept that is NOT permanent.

� All emotions bring pain and suffering, and there is NO emotion that is ever purely pleasurable.

� All compounded phenomena are illusory and empty.

� Enlightenment is beyond concepts: It is not a blissful �heaven� but instead a Release from delusion.

These are the standard signposts that help to illustrate Buddhist thinking and teaching. I guess you could call it our very own Buddhism in a nutshell.....

If there is anything which gets your head scratching, and you need some input, feel free to ask. If I know something, I'll give you my view. Or maybe you can check on the fora of the other websites I have given you. As always, don't take my word for it. I will never lie to you, and if I don't know, I'll tell you, 'I don't know'. But I will always tell you what I have learnt, on the proviso that you also maybe consider getting different angles on it....all Buddhists will do and say whtever they can to help you.
We're all strolling the Eightfold Path* together. Wear good shoes, bring some water, a few biscuits and a walking staff to help you over the rough bits....!!

(*The thread on the Eightfold Path is one I posted to give an outline of this teaching. the first page is quite interesting, but the remaining lesson really starts on page two, second post....!!)

I know what you mean about internet access... I used to not have a PC, so all i could do was visit the library...

Aaah well...
Thank you for telling me that.
but I wasn't worried...I was more concerned about my possibly boring you rigid....!!

Mine is Living buddha Living Christ.. only just because im a progressive christian.. also the Zen teachings of Jesus..

I'm really happy that you are able to reconcile the two faiths. For my part - and this is just me - I did this, or tried to do this at various levels for about 10 - 15 years, but found, after much strenuous struggling, that, for me, I had to finally "Choose" one way or the other. I was able to reconcile my Buddhist practice and weave it into my Catholicism. but I found it impossibleto reconcile my Catholic practice and weave it into Buddhism.

But this was just me.

How very nice to meet you.