BellaOnline Forums Religion and Spirituality Buddhism Hi, Im new :)

Hi. I'm new to the Buddhist forum. Often I've read huddled quotes or sayings and felt very moved by them. I'm looking to gain more knowledge about this practice. I have a friend inCA that practices a certain type of Buddhism for which I cannot remember the name.i know she s affiliated with SGI... Anyway, I'd like to hear stories about how this practice has affected you.

Hi Misstalia, and welcome to the forums

I've always thought Buddhism is such a beautiful, and peaceful practice. For me, it was having friends who practice Buddhism, and seeing that they really walk their walk, that drew me to learn more about it.

Hi misstalia, welcome! SGI (Soko Gakkai International) teaches a form of Nichiren Buddhism - I haven't done a full post on this yet, but I talk a little about it in this post on Japanese Buddhism if you are interested. Otherwise, the articles in the Basics section of the site are a good place to start, and/or the Meditation section if you want to focus more on Buddhist meditation. I do have an introductory e-book available too, if you are interested in that.

For me, I love Buddhism because it really does emphasize our life as our spiritual practice - that everything we observe and experience in our lives is part of our spiritual journey, and conversely that the spiritual truths we discover through meditation and other formal forms of practice inform every aspect of our lives.

I also love the fact that Buddhism is experiential, not purely theoretical/theological. The Buddha shared his experiences and teachings and then encouraged his students to walk the path themselves - attain enlightenment themselves. It is empowering in that way. And our personal practice will therefore be rooted in our actual lives, and our personal life experiences.

I look forward to sharing more with you here, please feel free to post any questions or comments that arise as you explore Buddhism more...

Hi, ladies. Thank you for the warm welcome I'd love that info, Lisa.