Introduction Of New Members

[pwdk]

Greetings all!

First of all - thank you for this wonderful site. I have been lurking for a while and your discussions here have become a great source of both knowledge and inspiration to me, so thank you!

I guess you could say that I am a "weekend buddhist" ;)

I am 33, male and from Denmark. I practice Vipassana, and the best description of how exploring buddhism has helped me is "the feeling of coming home".

[Thomas Knierim]

Hello pwdk ... greetings from Chiang Mai!

Welcome to thebigview.com! How's Buddhist life in Denmark?

Cheers, Thomas

[pwdk]

Thank you Thomas.

I suppose you would actually have to find a buddhist to ask that question ;).

Unfortunately Denmark really does not have much to offer i terms of buddhist-communities etc. so you do feel somewhat alone in your practice at times.

Good thing we have modern technology then :)

[Squirrels Gone Wild]

Greetings all!

First of all - thank you for this wonderful site. I have been lurking for a while and your discussions here have become a great source of both knowledge and inspiration to me, so thank you!

I guess you could say that I am a "weekend buddhist" ;)

I am 33, male and from Denmark. I practice Vipassana, and the best description of how exploring buddhism has helped me is "the feeling of coming home".


Welcome to TBV.

[Dark Moon]

Hello, I am Dark Moon and a refugee from several other sites that offered bits and pieces of what you do. So far this looks wonderful and I am anxious to explore, learn and share what I am able.

I live in the Southern Plains of the US but have traveled quite a bit inside the US and Canada. Love to read and am getting my thoughts and research together on a book about life during the Depression Era in Eastern Oklahoma.

Hope to see everyone around these parts, if I don't get too intimidated. :ph34r:

P.S. Nice smilies, btw.

[Squirrels Gone Wild]

Hello, I am Dark Moon and a refugee from several other sites that offered bits and pieces of what you do. So far this looks wonderful and I am anxious to explore, learn and share what I am able.

I live in the Southern Plains of the US but have traveled quite a bit inside the US and Canada. Love to read and am getting my thoughts and research together on a book about life during the Depression Era in Eastern Oklahoma.

Hope to see everyone around these parts, if I don't get too intimidated. :ph34r:

P.S. Nice smilies, btw.

Welcome. :tao:

[sonrisa]

welcome to TBV all new members. Don't let anybody chase you off this board! :)

[gargola.verde]

welcome to TBV all new members. Don't let anybody chase you off this board! :)

Thanks, sonrisa, and hello, everyone. :)

Initially, I arrived here by following a link to the Dhammapada. After some lurking, I could see that the combination of topics here, the atmosphere, and the tone are unique. Thanks to all of you for your discussions. I've already learned so much just from reading them.

I'm not very good at introductions.... :blink: I live in the southwestern United States, where there are mountains with green forests near deserts with roadrunners, and where rainbow-sightings are frequent. It's a strange, contradictory sort of place. :think:

I'm not very good at listing my interests, either....reading, learning, taking a (very tentative) stab at thinking, while simultaneously trying not to overthink? :goodlaugh:

It's very nice to find this site and to meet you all.... :)

[Taeguk]

Welcome to thebigview, gargola.verde :)

[gargola.verde]

Welcome to thebigview, gargola.verde :)


Thank you, Taeguk. :)

[Gorachand]

New members,

Welcome to thebigview.com!

This thread was especially created for you. Tell us about yourself, let us know what brought you here, and have fun!

Cheers, Thomas
I was just looking for some idea about General Relativity Theory in Google search,I came across you lovely site,thank very much to invest some of your valuable time to design it.

[MidnightSun]

Yes, Thomas has more free time than he thinks.

[JMC]

New members,

Welcome to thebigview.com!

This thread was especially created for you. Tell us about yourself, let us know what brought you here, and have fun!

Cheers, Thomas



Thomas, et. al., Hi.

I stumbled upon your site looking for some approriate info for my own. I was pleased at what I found.

My interest in joining your discussions is to try to get closer to a resolution of a fundamental puzzle posed by Roshi Bob which has perplexed me since I woke up:

God is all. God is nothing.

For hopeless conceptualists such as ourselves this is hard to believe, but that's the way it was in that golden age before language and theology.

Of the "nothingness" of God, nothing of course can be said. So nothing meaningful has ever been said about it, though many have tried (John Cage and Lao Tze in particular).

The mind, it seems, compelled to negotiate chaos on stepping stones of nouns, verbs, and other symbols, has not been geared to articulate this void. So, cavorting in the mundane we choose to avoid it (no pun intended), or, out of desperate need to chase our tail, invent religions. This amounts to the same thing.

--Roshi Bob

This is the central issue and problem with philosophy and religion. The more we talk about it, the less we say. It seems, in this regard, our intellects are useless tools. I'm engaged in an (apparently) futile attempt to find out if this is true.

Jim

[Smurf]

Welcome Jim

Think we should start a topic on this in the Philosophy section ;)

[JMC]

Welcome Jim

Think we should start a topic on this in the Philosophy section ;)

Seems like a worthy subject to me.

[Meesha]

New members,

Welcome to thebigview.com!

This thread was especially created for you. Tell us about yourself, let us know what brought you here, and have fun!

Cheers, Thomas

Hello, my name is Meesha and I live by the sea in Somerset.
I found your site browsing for a copy of the 8/fold path and suddenly here I was like magic! I find the whole site very interesting and most warmly welcoming, thank you.
I am 59 yoa and have a great interest in Vedic philosophy and the teachings of the Lord Buddha.
Once again, thank you.

[Trevor]

lot's of things, what do you interpret it as?

I think Smurf was initially asking you if you really were a Truthseeker.

[Trevor]

Hi everyone! I just joined early this morning. I had stumbled upon the past life page, under a different guise, in 1999. I decided that I would search for it and this forum came up along with it.
I am originally from Edmonton, AB and moved to Vancouver, BC. I was on my way to San Francisco to live on the streets for awhile, but I never did manage to cross the border. Then Sept: 11 happened, and I was relieved that I never fulfilled my dream. I now live in Abbotsford, BC which is just east of Vancouver.
My philosophy is live and let live, but don't kill or be killed. I hope to meet new friends and share experiences and ideas.:loveyou:

[Trevor]

Hi israelstryder. I was in Revelstoke in 1992, when I was 22. I tried to climb Mt.Revelstoke, but because of time I had to stop and go back down. Welcome.

[Smurf]

I think Smurf was initially asking you if you really were a Truthseeker.

Yes indeedy :)

[Trevor]

HI Ganesh_deo,

I thought it would be fortunate for me to welcome you, considering your name. Welcome.

[Cabblesnop]

Hello, I found your site while looking at your perspectives on Buddhism about a year or so ago. But, sadly, I did not know that there were forums or even more than just the Buddhism. Alas, I finally found more, this site is exactly what I am looking for. Where I am from, a small town outside of Vancouver, WA, people are very closed minded, which in turn makes me feel 'lost' because I have no common ground with people I should be relating to. I am 17 years old, but I feel like I'm 30, wisdom wise I could say. Although I cannot compare with the ones who are 30+ because they have a lot more... attained knowledge than I do. But, that's enough of this rant.

Oh yeah, and my name is Kyle. Thanks for leaving these sites open to people who are striving and seeking for a higher knowledge.

[Jocla]

Jocla signing in!!thanks for welcoming me here!!:rofl:

[uina]

Hey,

My name is Cory and i'm from Michigan and i stumbled upon this website and hope to have fun.

[MidnightSun]

Fun? Thats optimistic of you. Welcome abroad though.

[Alfred]

Greetings,

I was doing a search for the Eightfold Path a while ago and came across this site. I tried to leave a comment in the guest book but got an error message. Anyway this looks like an interesting forum so I thought I'd join. :)

Alfred

[strider]

Hello all,
My name is Ryan I am in North Carolina USA. I was raised in a bible touting southern baptist belief structure, which has in-turn led me to become a devout buddhist. Yah, go figure.....
I was raised in Thailand (16 yrs ) and Malaysia(2 yrs). I am now 38 and an Entomologist studying the west nile virus and other mosquito born goodies.
I am currently studying Shambhala Buddhism which was founded by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. I love it. I also love science!!
This site is indeed a wonderful thing and like a lot of the others i have been coming here for years but just never entered the forums. This seems to be a common thing.
I'm dying to get back to South East Asia as it is my home.
I look forward to the Banter!!
Thank you all for being.
R aka : STRIDER

[xqq014x]

I'm new here as well.
Though I signed up a little while ago.

[Brian]

Hello, I'm Brian. I look forward to reading your thoughts on life and matters that influence it.

[James]

Hello All, I came across this site randomly and liked what I saw. I am looking forward to talking with you all.

James

[Mohammed Siraj]

Hi!

My name is mohammed siraj . I belong to largest democracy in the world- India! I am a student in finance. I am an old visitor to this site. I was a frequent visitor back in 2004. Its been 3 years since i last saw this site. I came here in the hope of downloading new articles,but sadly there is nothing new added since i last left. ( I hope i am wrong!)..

Hope to have good discussions and learn more about life and beyond....

Peace :-))

Mohammed Siraj

[Taeguk]

Welcome, Mohammed! :)

Unless I'm mistaken, there should be at least a new article---check out Alan Watts' The Nature of Consciousness (http://thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?p=78351). You may have to scroll up to the top to get the full article. It's well worth a read! :thumbsup:

[Thomas Knierim]

Welcome Mohammed!

There aren't any new sections yet, but a number of things have happened since 2004. The Mind & Consciousness section has been expanded. New articles were added to the Big Views sections. A new discussion board software was installed. Other sections were revised and improved. The entire site was overhauled for XHTML compatibility. I hope I will find more time in 2008 to work on this site, alas with two small kids and a business to manage my free time is limited.

Cheers, Thomas

[Fish]

Hello everyone, I'm Fish and I live about 200 miles south of Atlanta Georgia. I'm interested in Tao, meditation, and Qigong.

As far as I can tell there are only Baptists living within a 200 mile radius of me, so all I've learned and unlearned has come from books (I read like a... like a .... like a reading thing!) and the internets (cue scary music!).

Anyways, I probably won't say much but look out because when I do it will be incredibly unassuming.:D

[Trevor]

No one new since Fish? Something smells fishy!

[AthenWinters]

I suppose I haven't introduced myself, despite that I've already posted a few times.

I'm Athen, I major in Film and Creative Writing at the University of Toledo.

I'm mainly here to discuss philosophy, primarily Buddhism, I am Buddhist. It's hard to find a good conversation on the outside, and so far I'm enjoying what I encounter here.

[It's just me]

Hello there, nice to see you!
I guess I logged in after you did. I'm trying to figure out what to do next. LOL
Have a wonderful day, I'm in Escondido, CA, fooling around with the computer following a link that a pen pal in Illinois gave me. I read an article on addiction, and was reflecting on it and was going to, make a small comment. Then I got involved in signing up and reading other stuff. Looks like a nice place for the thoughtful crowd.
Oh, I'm Ray

[It's just me]

[QUOTE=Thomas Knierim;57586]New members,

Welcome to thebigview.com!

This thread was especially created for you. Tell us about yourself, let us know what brought you here, and have fun!

Thank you very much. You seem to be scholarly and well mannered group of folks. Looks like a great place to learn a few things! I'm not sure what a thread is but I'm sure I'll like it. It seem that there is a technical way to quote something one may be responding too. That makes sense.
HELLO EVERYBODY!
Carry On, It's just me, checking in I'm always curious!
Ray in Escondido, CA USA

[kathy]

Hi everybody!

I live in BC, Canada. I found the site whilst researching meditation. I maybe tend towards Buddhism but sort of have my own beliefs as well. I won't actually say that I am Buddhist because then I am saying that I have found the right path...which would mean that you are on the wrong path. I think we all have our own path to find. I love nature, I hug trees for the energy I feel doing so, my main hobby is sea kayaking, I am trying to learn to meditate, I do yoga, this past year I had a serious brush with cancer that scared the wits out of me and made me see things a little more clearly....and I am always looking and listening...
With metta,
Kathy
:loveyou:

[sonrisa]

hi Fish, Athen, Ray & Kathy! :)

welcome to TBV! Hope y'all like it here!

[Flux]

Hi everone!

I'm also new, and excited to be here. A bit about myself. I've been facinated with western and eastern philosophy for quite a few years, but have only just started really looking into Buddhism. I'm into mathematics as well, especially logic. I'm looking forward to learning what I can from other members here, this looks like a great place.

[sonrisa]

welcome to TBV Fish :)

[Shenpa]

Hello everyone,
I have been reading some debates on several topics which I am interested in for the last couple of days. The thought of joining the debates crossed my mind quite a few times. I guess I finally caved and created an account.
I guess it would be polite if I introduce myself. You, if anyone is actually reading this, can call me Shenpa. I live in the Northwest United states. I am married and have two wonderful children. Let's see, college student, tutor, etc etc. I drive a van. I like long walks on the beach. I am a level five gnome warrior.. Just kidding (somewhat). But most importantly, I am a truth/spiritual seeker, such as many of you seem to be, from what I have read, that is.
I will not waste anymore of your precious time. Shenpa!

[Trevor]

Hello everyone,
I have been reading some debates on several topics which I am interested in for the last couple of days. The thought of joining the debates crossed my mind quite a few times. I guess I finally caved and created an account.
I guess it would be polite if I introduce myself. You, if anyone is actually reading this, can call me Shenpa. I live in the Northwest United states. I am married and have two wonderful children. Let's see, college student, tutor, etc etc. I drive a van. I like long walks on the beach. I am a level five gnome warrior.. Just kidding (somewhat). But most importantly, I am a truth/spiritual seeker, such as many of you seem to be, from what I have read, that is.
I will not waste anymore of your precious time. Shenpa!

Ha. I mean hi Shenpa! It is nice to hear of someone else from WoW. Smurf, who lives in Tasmania plays too, but I haven't seen him posting for awhile. I joined WoW in Jan. and I am a level 27 Night Elf Rogue named Jofrey. I live near you, in southern British Columbia, Canada.

[Akamu]

I never wrote an intro for myself, so here goes.

My name is Adam..."Akamu" = Adam in the Hawaiian language. I thought it sounded cool so it has been dubbed my handle in many different places. I was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada (I'm not fond of it here.) Not too long ago, I up and left my home and made my residence in Portland, Oregon. I loved it there, but things didn't work out and I was forced to move home. I am a college student studying philosophy and English. I hope to write in some form some day whether it be a novel or a screenplay. I am very drawn to Eastern philosophy, specifically Buddhism...I am looking for a way to take my first steps on the path. I have no real material ambition for my future in terms of a career or relationship. I am going to school because I enjoy learning and thinking and expanding my mind in anyway I can. I will also throw in that I am an off-and-on WoW player :) I have a couple level 60's and am currently working on a level 51 priest. So perhaps I will see some of you in the world...of warcraft.

[sonrisa]

so what don't you like about Vegas?

too tacky? to glitzy? too many tourists? too many showgirls? not enough showgirls?

I like Vegas myself, but then again, I don't live there, & I like to play 21

I like the buffets there too. So much food 4 so little $..... :)

[Akamu]

so what don't you like about Vegas?

too tacky? to glitzy? too many tourists? too many showgirls? not enough showgirls?

I like Vegas myself, but then again, I don't live there, & I like to play 21

I like the buffets there too. So much food 4 so little $..... :)

haha, I am sure it is a dandy place for tourists and those who don't spend much time here.

First of all, I am not a desert person. I absolutely fell in love with the pacific northwest. The atmosphere, the nature, the people, the culture. Vegas lacks these things (though some people love desert...it's just my opinion.)

It is also rare to come across someone who is not so immeasurably immersed in themselves and their "image" here. This city attracts a lot of superficial people and encourages values which I don't embrace all that much. I noticed a huge difference in the overall "mood" of people between here and Portland.

I love culture and independent stores, restaurants and the like...kind of that "smaller town" feeling. Here is completely corporate and big chain businesses. There are nice places here and there, but they are few and far between.

As for the casinos, bars, "adult" attractions...I am 20 years old :) It is difficult to grow up in a town where none of your peers are satisfied with the simple things; they all aspire to turn 21 in order to get wasted every night and go clubbing...not my scene.

The food is good in many places, I won't say anything about that :)

[sonrisa]

haha, I am sure it is a dandy place for tourists and those who don't spend much time here.

First of all, I am not a desert person. I absolutely fell in love with the pacific northwest. The atmosphere, the nature, the people, the culture. Vegas lacks these things (though some people love desert...it's just my opinion.)

-- yeah, I was surprised the first time I went to Vegas. We were camping out at the Test Site, & would go back & forth to Vegas to use the public showiers, load up at the buffets, & in my case play a little 21. Anyhow, I always thought the desert was a dead place, so I was surprised to discover it was actually alive, had it's own ecosystem & all. I thought it was fascinating, altho I can't say I prefer it over other ecosystems.

as to the rest of your post, I can certainly see why there would be alot of superficial types in Vegas. It's definitely a party town. It's fun for a long weekend, but I probably wouldn't want to live there either.

[prairie48]

Hello from Vancouver, Canada. I enjoy exploring The Big View and look forward to reading more of the commentary/comments. Excellent site.
I am enjoying the path. I took a look at Buddhist teachings (more accurately at "the Buddhist temples") in about 1999 but side tracked until late 2007 when I considered meditation and having never tried to meditate I participated in meditation training at the Shambhala Centre in Vancouver. A smooth move. Quiet abiding.
In the past months I have been "shopping" - visiting various Buddhist centres in the Lower Mainland. I found a place where I plan to spend the last of our winter days and the coming spring. It's very small and we are studying Sogyal Rinpoche's Natural Great Peace.
I read and/or listen to Pema Chodron, Soygal Rinpoche (currently reading The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying), Thai thich Nhat Hanh, Chogyam Trungpa, Dalai Lama, Shantideva, Mipham, Merton - Boxes of Allsorts but all delicious.
I don't really have any hobbies. I work full time, I am an empty nester now with two beautiful cats. I enjoy cooking and learning new recipes. I am not a vegan but I eat the best meats, fish and fowl I can purchase and if not I simply fall back on salads, beans, rice, roti. I am a foodie.

I grapple with my Nano Ipod (76 pages of instructions !!! I need a 10 year old to show me how to use the thing). I commute to Vancouver and Ipod Chodron, Shantideva, Nawang Khechog, Mipham, Cantoma and I read, read, read. And I look, look, look at the world ~

I have recently discovered the art of cut and paste (literally). My mini-art, putting together the simplest of bookmarks, cards and paper delights but I don't see this as becoming a hobby. Just a moment's fun with a sharp knife and double-backed tape.

I have my very improvised meditation space at home which is beautiful and the cats love it.

The rest of it - all to be seen.

[the_aphid]

Welcome prairie48!

I'm from Vancouver also, and I have been thinking about getting 'serious' about my meditation and have been looking around for Buddhist centers in the Lower Mainland myself. Are there any other places you would recommend?

[prairie48]

Welcome prairie48!

I'm from Vancouver also, and I have been thinking about getting 'serious' about my meditation and have been looking around for Buddhist centers in the Lower Mainland myself. Are there any other places you would recommend?


I won't recommend any particular Buddhist school or path. However, what I can recommend is a website called buddhanetDOTnet where you can find a detailed and lengthy printout of many Buddhist schools and/or shrines, temples etc. in British Columbia under World Buddhist Directory. I was surprised at the amount and diversity of Buddhist "churches", centres, etc. in Vancouver. Everything from Bon to Zen. I printed out the directory, checked various websites, telephoned a few lamas, attended various classes here and there and had a good time doing it (someone called it "dharma hopping"). I think it is invaluable to check out the various yanas and the diverse practices while looking for a home. I probably learned more by visiting, looking and seeing and practicing with various groups than if I had just stuck to one group.

Let me know how it goes. And thank you for your welcome.

[prairie48]

Welcome prairie48!

I'm from Vancouver also, and I have been thinking about getting 'serious' about my meditation and have been looking around for Buddhist centers in the Lower Mainland myself. Are there any other places you would recommend?


Dear Aphid, I have thought about your query and my response to you frequently. My choice of "words" in particular "won't" bothered me. "Won't" is so like a brick wall. My intention was to not suggest a "way" or "school" of thought because you will do that yourself. I wish I had chosen a better word than "won't". I stated that my looky-see adventure or shopping excursion into Buddhist organizations in the Lower Mainland was fun. And it was, to some extent, as well as tiring. I did learn more than I anticipated and this is what I learned, among other things. If I paid $140.00 a rinpoche of some international fame would empower me with the mantra Om mani padme hum. If I paid a "gift" to a zen master I could attend at "his" zen centre to meet him (having never met this "master" and knowing nothing about "his" centre, I chose not to attend). At another centre if I spent several more hundred dollars on literature, sessions AND the now proverbial buddhist GIFT, I can prepare to take the vows of refuge AND if I do THAT, wow, I can spend yet even more money and take the Bodisatva vows and only after I meet with someone's approval (after of course giving the Gift).

All of this, and more, has played into my decision to avoid the "organized" local buddhist groups at this time. I did find a modest group to study with. And yes, there are modest costs and if one cannot afford it those costs are waived.

I know that it costs money to keep the shop open, to pay staff, to present courses. Of course it does. However, I'm sure I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars to make the vow of refuge. In this case I simply "won't".

[Zofia]

Hello. I'm a renegade from buddhachat hoping to meet broader minded people.
There are some really good folks there, but I would like to meet some new minds.
:)

[Touk]

<first post...need to think of something witty to say...>
So, you guys come here often?
:wallbash:
Seriously though, while I usually do not "do" the chat/msg bd thing, I was impressed with the level and quality of conversation I found here... and not to butt in, but Prairie48, I second your use of "won't".

[Taeguk]

Welcome to the big view! :) It's nice to see some new faces here---I hope you'll be staying and posting, because while we get new members at an astonishing rate the vast majority of them don't post more than once or twice.

[Touk]

Thank you for that, Taeguk. Only a couple of posts, hunh? All environments and communities have their own learning curves, which can be daunting. Knowing what you know, what would you pass along to new members as unwritten rules or even just positive pointers? I'm not so smooth with this cyber tete a tete, and I would like to not alienate.

[Taeguk]

Nah, there's not really any unwritten rules---just post away! :) It looks like you've got the hang of it already. :)

[ABrutalKind]

Just joined after falling in love with the site. I am an absolute lover of knowledge and question just about everything. While I do hold certain core beliefs I try to maintain a balance between being open to new ideas without compromising my essential beliefs too much, although it happens sometimes. I look forward to some great discussions on this site. thanks so much

[scameter]

Ninya, if you see this post, I would like to ask (though I may be far off the mark here): is your name, ninya, in reference to one of the three Elven rings of power in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings book?

[daveo]

hello all. i'm dave, and i'm new. :D
i've already posted on a couple of threads here, and find most of the reading to be very interesting. you all have a great board, and i look forward to posting on a semi-regular basis.

[thimbuktu]

Hello everyone,

I am new. My name is James Seah and I am from Singapore.

Just joined this forum a few minutes ago.

Found thebigview website when I searched on Google for 'Four Noble Truth'.

Had a quick lookaround and this place looks good. Thanks to Thomas and everyone for sharing their views on Buddhism.

May the blessings of The Triple Gems be with you and your family always.

Happy Vesak.

[Jastle]

New members,

Welcome to thebigview.com!

This thread was especially created for you. Tell us about yourself, let us know what brought you here, and have fun!

Cheers, Thomas

I was look up the the tao te ching when when I found taoteching.org. I went the links and found this site. I keep on coming back to this site because of the quality of material.

[Jastle]

I was look up the the tao te ching when when I found taoteching.org. I went the links and found this site. I keep on coming back to this site because of the quality of material.

[FalseReality]

Salutations my life loving friends. With out further ado let me introduce myself. I'm nineteen and I'm crazy. Actually that may not be totally true, but would it not be interesting, exciting and stimulating to see the world through such a unique perspective, if only for a day. I'm a dreamer and quite fond of tangents, as you might have already ascertained, but despise sines and cosines.

I can't exactly remember how I discovered this forum, I only know that I looked at the parts on Buddhism and since then it has been quietly residing in my long list of favored sites.

So now I'm here and quite ready to jump into the mix and see where the currents of thought takes me. After all, is there a not more noble pursuit of than of knowledge? Forget happiness. 'Better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a pig satisfied' as good ole John Stuart Mill would say.

[Thermaltake]

Hi,,im new here too,,looks great. I really appresiate the style of this forum,,and lots of great info.
Thx.

[Paul.Lauer.Klein]

Hello. I am Paul, and I thirst knowledge. I came across this site while looking up Buddhism, and actually a few years ago while looking at past life tellers... the knowledge on this site is really informative, and I hope to learn from it and the people in the forums.

[Patheya]

I’ve been studying ‘life’, if you will, for the past 15 years. I recently had a major break through.
I’ve dappled in a few ideologies. Nothing really helped me like my personal experiences, though I love to read and learn.
Some books have helped.
I found this site when I needed a quote for the four noble truths. I was seriously impressed with the layout and the simplicity.
Happy to be a part of it all.

[schrodinger]

I’ve been studying ‘life’, if you will, for the past 15 years. I recently had a major break through.
I’ve dappled in a few ideologies. Nothing really helped me like my personal experiences, though I love to read and learn.
Some books have helped.
I found this site when I needed a quote for the four noble truths. I was seriously impressed with the layout and the simplicity.
Happy to be a part of it all.

Welcome to our simple Home. I am very interested in hearing more about your major breakthrough.

[Patheya]

Welcome to our simple Home. I am very interested in hearing more about your major breakthrough.

:)

Never thought you would ask!!!

I believe there is a link to it in my profile page....

I'd be interested in what your opinion was... I have just me to talk to myself about it... its enough some times... and sometimes.. it would be ok to talk... and healthy.... :)

[The OM]

hey there, everyone!!! i just found this website, and loved looking through the sections on buddhism. i just found the forum, and thought to myself, why not? my name is rudy, i'm 17, and i can't wait to see you all on the forum!!!

peace & light

[wayland]

Greetings to the thebigview. I've begun reading some of the new, new Member introductions and there seems to be quite a few spiritual people out there. Enlightened, zesty people. http://www.thebigview.com/forum/images/smilies/unsure.gif
:unsure:
Is there a place specifically for beginners like me with the basics in philosophy in mind? Philosophy is where my interests seem to lie because I've noticed my conversations tend to start with a story someone is telling me and then within a few minutes into the story, I'm asking questions like "Why do you see things that way?" or maybe asking "What is your goal in life?", " Do you think people are inherently good?" etc... and this has all started for me in the past two or three years.
I've never had a "page" of any sort. I've never subscribed to any sites except a porn site and that was and is a lot of fun. In fact, this is the first time I've done anything, outside of an email, in an attempt to make contact with people who might share some common interests. Apologies for all the run-on sentences. It's been a long time since I've had to use typing skills in public.
Looking forward to looking forward and back with you.

:unsure:

[sonrisa]

welcome to TBV Wayland & any other newbies who have posted gere since I last checked this thread. Hope y'all like it here & will share your big views with us :)

psssssst to Wayland, just don't go sharing that porn site. Thomas won't like that :nono:

[jufa]

Hi, I'm jufa. Looking forward to being a member.

Never give power to anything person believes is their source of strength - jufa

[MultipleTentacles]

Hi, I'm new here, looking forward to posting.

I feel like an alien with multiple tentacles trying to get all sorts of things done all at once. My only problem is, while one part of my brain is capable of working with multiple projects, the part of my brain that actually completes the projects can only do one thing at a time!

[Akamu]

Hi, I'm new here, looking forward to posting.

I feel like an alien with multiple tentacles trying to get all sorts of things done all at once. My only problem is, while one part of my brain is capable of working with multiple projects, the part of my brain that actually completes the projects can only do one thing at a time!

Welcome! Unlike you, I have an aversion to undertaking multiple projects...I have enough trouble with even one! However, I feel as you do when it comes to learning new things...a little here, a little there...I just want to learn and experience everything I can in my short time here. So I am thankful for new "faces" to emerge on this forum because fresh, interesting perspectives begin to present themselves. Thanks for joining, I look forward to having discussions!

Nice site as well. :loveyou:

[MultipleTentacles]

Nice site as well. :loveyou:

Glad you liked it... thanks!

If you're interested in music, I also write music. You can check out my music at my other web site: ArtistServer.com/neotone (http://www.artistserver.com/neotone).

[wayland]

welcome to TBV Wayland & any other newbies who have posted gere since I last checked this thread. Hope y'all like it here & will share your big views with us :)

psssssst to Wayland, just don't go sharing that porn site. Thomas won't like that :nono:


Hey sonrisa, thanks for that new member reply on August 8th. Any advice on using this site?
Do you find new threads by looking on the calendar? Do you keep a tight group and since I have little to offer, how do I make connections to groups? It's my guess that since you've been around since 2003 that there's a lot you could give me a history on, like Thomas's aversion to pornsite information trading. Are there some major members that you keep your eyes on? Lots of questions here and I appreciate anything you can give me.

[jufa]

Hi The OM, I am new here myself. And if you have, or don't have a viewpoint that will make someone look up and say huh, don't matter to me. Jump right in anyway I say, and greetings!

[jufa]

Hi Wayland, glad to have you as a part of my life?

Look forward to asking and answering some of your questions as best I can.

[sonrisa]

hey Wayland! how's Fay treating ya? Been watching it on The Weather Channel. Usually when I come here I click on the New Posts link to see what's been posted since I was last here. Never did use the Calendar feature.

[aviatrix]

I just thought I'd say hello to everyone and kind of make it official by posting on the Introduction Of New Members. So, Hi Everybody! I hope to make lots of new friends and learn many new things here.
Sonrisa, did you get the wind we had down here Sunday? 75 mph, looks like the tornado of 1974 went through here....twice! Lots of power out, trees down, etc. How did you fare in Cincy?

[sonrisa]

Ike caused a massive county wide power outage up here. I heard a transformer blow & the boom nearly made me jump out of my skin! Since I live near some hospitals, I got my electric back around 2AM Mon, but my sister didn't get hers back til Tues AM & my Mom on Wed afternoon. Some folx are still without electric. We had to throw out some of my Mom's food. Some shingles blew off my roof, which I have to get somebody to put back on, but at least the trees held up. There were- & still are in some places- whole trees uprooted & lying on the roads & sidewalks. The cops say some streets could be blocked off for weeks. But for the most part, everything is getting back to normal. I went back to work on Tues already, the kids went back to school yesterday.

[aviatrix]

Sonrisa, I can relate to how you felt up there. It was absolutely wild here. I'm glad you got your power back on so quickly. I guess that makes up for hearing sirens in the middle of the night? Some of my family is still without power, the kids don't go back to school til Monday most places here. That old Ike sure had far reaching effects, huh. Glad all is getting back to normal.

[sonrisa]

I heard on the radio yesterday that Duke is running behind schedule. Now they're saying everybody won't be back up til Tues. But I guess they're doing the best they can. Ike was a very odd storm afterall.

hope your family all has their electic back by now. Mine does, even my brother in Houston! :)

[aviatrix]

It seems my family has all gotten the power back on thank heavens! I'm happy yours has too. You have a brother in Houston? If he has power I'm going to assume (bad word!) that all is well with him. I was thinking this morning that if people would be as giving and caring to each other as when there is a disaster this world would be a better place. I think I'll start something along the lines of, Live Like There's A Disaster. What do you think? :unsure:

[sonrisa]

yes, my brother & his family are fine. He said the kids slept straight thru it. They didn't have much damage- some shingles & a solar panel blew off their roof, part of their back fence blew away, & a pine tree snapped but did not hit the house. So they came out pretty good. They also had a generator going while their electric was out.

He said they started getting Ike around 9-10pm Fri nite. We started getting here in Cincy around noonish, maybe little earlier- 11-11:30am. Throw in the time difference & we're talking 36 hrs or so here. Ike was travelling.

[aviatrix]

Sonrisa. yep, he was a bad little booger! Still cleaning up here. Hope all is well with you and yours. Have a great day!

[sonrisa]

right back atcha!! :)

most everybody up here has electric (finally!) but there are still plenty of dead trees lying around around blocking the roads. It may take weeks to get rid of them

[lbshadows]

Hi, I'm new to all this but hoped to learn and share on different topics as time goes so greetings to everyone :tao:

[aviatrix]

Hi, I'm new to all this but hoped to learn and share on different topics as time goes so greetings to everyone :tao:

Hey LBShadows! Welcome to TBV. It's very interesting here and definitely has something for everyone! Watch out for sonrisa though, she's a pistol! A very cool one though! She's usually the first to welcome you, I guess I just beat her this time. :rofl: Enjoy, okay?

[sonrisa]

well thanx Aviatrix, I think :think:

so let me be the 2nd to welcome you to TBV Lbshadows! How's things out there in Big Sky Country? :)

Aviatrix, the headline in the paper today said Ike cost around $657 million, the most expensive storm in local history. On a grosser note, I talked to my sister-in-law in Houston the other nite, she said the bodies are starting to wash up on the beaches down there.....

[aviatrix]

Yes Sonrisa, that was a compliment! Ya' know, they were saying the same thing down here. I still find it amazing that a hurricane could do all this damage way up here! Definitely Ike wreaked havoc like no other!
I guess I've never thought about bodies washing up, however it makes all the sense in the world. How terrible for those poor people. How's your brother and family doing? Just out of curiosity, what do you think you'd do if you were told to leave your home because a hurricane was coming? Would you stay or go?

[sonrisa]

that would depend upon the storm. Here is the barometer my sister-in-law (who grew up in Louisiana & has experience with these things) uses:

cat 1 or 2- stay put (they ride these out with not much trouble)

cat 3- go stay with my cousin & his wife (my brother & his family live on the Gulf side of Houston, my cousin & his wife live on the opposite side, on higher ground)

cat 4 or 5- get the hell outta there!

they rode Ike out at home becuz it was projected to come in as a cat 2 (it was actually a cat 3) & it was projected to go thru the Woodlands, where my cousin & wife live. Now there's a reason it's called the Woodlands, & as my sister-in-law pointed out in her message to us all announcing that they were staying home for Ike, there aren't many large trees in her neighorhood so she didn't have to worry about a 4ft diameter oak crashing thru the roof. Fortunately Cuz & wife lucked out- they had some fallen trees, but none of them hit the house. Ike did leave a nice leafy mess in their pool, however. So everybody's doing fine, thanx for asking :)

[Rishabh]

Hello People, my name is Rishabh Shah. I am an 18 year old music composer from India(Mumbai). I hope that this site will be of use to me and I'll be of use to you people. Take Care. God Bless.

[Rishabh]

Hello People, my name is Rishabh Shah. I am an 18 year old music composer from India(Mumbai).

[Kerouac]

Folks,

New member here from Canada, geologist, with lots of free time on its hands to think and read when not describing rocks and minerals!

Cheers!

[TheGreatOne]

this place has changed a million ways... wonder if any of the orginals are still here? Nicolasa Tapien? or Vicentae? most sorry if mis spelled I remember how tempermental u get... whats up with the crazy letters took about ten times to figure out what they were. testing if i'm human?

[Thomas Knierim]

Hello and welcome back!

Not too many of the original posters are still here. Ah yes, Vicente has dropped by once in a while.

Cheers, Thomas

[Trevor]

I thought that Wayne Gretzky was the Great One? Oh well, I guess you are among the Great Ones. :lol:

[kris]

I am new here too, but already have made a few posts. This is a good place.

[DaD]

Hi, glad to be in such good company.............I'm Domagoj, from Croatia...........
I'm impressed with the site

[tigerseye]

Helluuuu:)

I stumbled onto this forum after googling The Four Noble Truths - what a wonderful page, and just the kind of message board I've been looking for.

I hope to learn some and share some things with like minded people.

I choose Julia as my temporary AV - I honestly don't know who Julia is historically, but Julia is my name, so I guess she is me! :lol: -

[T.N.T.]

Hello! I'm excited to join such an educational and interesting board. I'm currently a college student minoring in philosophy. I hope to contribute some things to your boards. I love reasoning, thinking, observing, understanding as much as I can about the world around me. I have strong interests in technology, computers, internet. I run a successful vb-forum with almost 3,700 members now and growing. I hope to learn from some of the educated minds here. I am almost 21 years old and am from the New England, east coast, United States.

Looks forward to the discussions!
-T.N.T.

[schrodinger]

Well, I am not the “Official Greeter” by any means, but I would like to say welcome aboard, just the same. It can be said that a person dies when he stops thinking new thoughts. The same can be said about this forum. In order to survive, it must have new thoughts, ideas, or at least new questions. The best source for new ideas is new people! So, now that you are here, think something!!!!!:lol:

[steven7]

Hi,
This is Steven. I like this site given interesting topic. Find the latest news about Depression, Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia. Discuss Mood Disorders topics with members of the Health Community.

==========================
steven7
visit
Manic Depression News and Discussion Forum (http://www.manicdepression.us.com)

[Raymond DeMeriden]

Hello everyone.

My name is Raymond DeMeriden.

At the age of 23 I incurred brain damage. My heart stopped. I was without blood or oxygen to my brain for a span of time (perhaps 5 to 10 minutes - I really do not know). When I came back (I had one of those death experiences with the tunnel and the light and God etc..) ... my world had changed.

I was missing what some call 'associative memory'. Neurological damage. Which is to say that I had no emotional connection to - anything - neither on a day to day basis nor in memory of life events. It is quote strange to have no 'depth' attached even to what had been your most valued personal items.

Was it like amnesia? No. I knew who I was and could remember very much about my life - but it all meant nothing to me - it all might just as well have happened to some other person and not to me.

Was I actually missing any memories? If so - not too much was missing - but then again - what may be missing is entirely gone without a trace and so one has absolutely no way to know that there is a hole what a memory should have been. A hole is a hole and there is nothing in it to say that something had once been in it or that something should be in it. And so to my own mind - all memories of past events and facts were available. What I did not know ... I did not know I did not know it. Catch 22.

During my recovery (no one was sure if I would recover) my therapist gave me the book [The Art of Loving] by Erich Fromm - a psychiatrist and 'mystic' and I read it and adsorbed it all (you would be surprised how throughly you do absorb a book when you do not have your own emotional memories blocking and tinting what you are reading) and I began the meditation the book recommended.

Aware that my life had been misguided (by my parents and by myself) I thought that ... only existential reality itself was able to 'reprogram' me. Broken programming can not fix itself. Getting back to reality is a task best left reality itself. This was best left to a direct experience of existential reality without the filtering of my own emotions (that was easy) or thoughts and reasonings.

I began to have unusual experiences. Call the psychic or call them mystical. These experience lasted intently for about three years. After which time the intensity diminished and I was left with (what I shall call) a residue. During the time of their intensity - keeping in mind that I still had very little associative memory although it was beginning to recover - I was not intimidate by these experiences at all. I neither feared them nor sought them. I just accepted them.

Once I had recovered fully - these unusual experience actually became a problem. I was not like 'normal' people. I began to feel like an alien on a strange planet. Someone who did not belong here. An odd-ball. And so I hid what had now become a part of me.

Desperate to now find out what had happened to me .. and why .. and understand these 'events' which were still happening to me (though the intensity had subsided) I began research into psychology, religion, new age, mythology, hypnosis, and a ton of other areas which seemed to 'promised' and answer. Such experiences seem to be at the core of many 'systems' which claim to explain them or offer methods to gain them.

For a time (many years) I became attached to the mystical side of the Roman Catholic church. I will not give details of that here. I no longer adhere to the social and institution aspects of that church (Infallibility of the Pope or the exclusivity of God to a any particual membership) while I do retain many aspects of the mystical theology of both the Eastern theology (Orthodox) and Western (Roman theology).

While my time of being so attached to Roman Catholic mystical theology had done me good - it also gave me its own set of problems which I will not detail here.

Today, I would describe myself as a Christian-Buddhist or Buddhist-Christian ... if pressed for a label :) after all ... in this world one must be something in the same way that one is described as either average hight, short, or tall ... we all fall into the category for the sake of discussion.

I apologize at the onset for three things ...

1) I am a four finger typist and always look at the keyboard so my posts usually have typos.

2) My love of philosophy, theology, myth, and all things that delve into human nature and the mind - plus - my the history of my own odd experiences - can seem to some as a type of arrogance.

3) My posts are long and often not easy to read. I really admire people who say things concisely - and that is seldom me :(

-ray

[schrodinger]

I think you came to the right place, Ray. I went through the same tunnel and have spoken about it without going into detail. Looking forward to hearing more from you.

[Raymond DeMeriden]

I went through the same tunnel and have spoken about it without going into detail. Looking forward to hearing more from you.

Can you enable private messages? I went to send you a PM and it was not enabled.

I would like to share details with you a bit.

Re-reading my own post I see that my spell checker has a mind of its own and does some word substitutions when it detects a mispelling.


As your journey through life progresses, all of your previous doubts and fears will be clarified and reconciled, soon to be replaced by much deeper paradoxes and mysteries.

How true!

-ray

[schrodinger]

Can you enable private messages? I went to send you a PM and it was not enabled.




I forgot I had it disabled. No wonder I never hear from anybody!:lol:

[Mario Braga]

hello to everybody,im new here,and i discovered this site after a friend tried the past life analysis thread,i want to know more about philosophy,tao te ching,and eastern philosophy,etc.

[dottywine]

Hi! I'm new! I love philosophy. Found this place as I was searching for a correlation of Leibniz with Quantum Physics! :D I'm an African girl in college.

[rdx4u]

Hello all

This is Prashant from India, I got information about this site through one of my friends. I am an Engineer by profession and inclined towards finding an answer to the basic questions of existence.

:lol::lol::lol:

[chrisny15]

Learned about this through a friend in connection with our journey to hopefully become more conscious through experience and knowlegde. Seems like an amazing site with a load of interestring topics. Spread the word! Make it happen!!

[roni]

Brought up in a Buddhist country but know nothing about it.
Visited Thailand and was spell bound by how the Thai's incoporate
the way of Buddha in their daily life.
Wanted to study more and found this site!
A lot of inspirational things going on here,
and just wanted to say thanks to all for the beautiful works. :loveyou:

[PeDr0]

Hi my name is Pete, I am interested in learning more about Buddhism :blink: and I thought this forum seemed like a pretty good place to be! I get the idea that any subject is open to discussion, even if it goes against the orthodox view, which is refreshing. :rofl:

Pete

[Thomas Knierim]

Hello everyone and welcome!

Pedro got it right. We don't mind unorthodox views and questions at all. Everything is open to discussion and investigation. This has been the predominant theme of thebigview.com since its beginning.

Cheers, Thomas

[Life of Luxury]

I've already posted a few times but I'll take this opportunity to formally introduce myself. My name is Ben, I'm 20 years old, and I am in no shortage of opinions/ views on a great many subjects. I'm open to innovative and creative ideas, especially when expressed poignantly. I've subscribed to these forums to find shelter from the storm of apriorism that becomes increasingly harder to avoid. I was browsing the internet at work :unsure: and was lured in by all the fascinating articles. Thanks TBV!

Does anyone know how to upload a custom avatar? I keep getting an error message that says "Unable to load image," even though it complies with the forum restrictions.

[Dan]

Hi. I followed Thomas here from E-Sangha, where I occasionally post. I've lived in Thailand for a few years and have an interest in Buddhism but I'm not sold on it. I've also got an interest in philosophy but I'm not sold on that either so The Big View seemed like an ideal compromise.

[brother alan]

i'm your brother alan. i think you are the Son of God. yes, you.

seeking the courage to believe what i know.
repenting my religion for God's sake.
old, old, i feel on this site. what a blessing.
beloved, let's start a thread about the joys of not needing to "be right."

all my blessing in the bond of peace :loveyou:

[schrodinger]

i'm your brother alan. i think you are the Son of God. yes, you.

seeking the courage to believe what i know.
repenting my religion for God's sake.
old, old, i feel on this site. what a blessing.
beloved, let's start a thread about the joys of not needing to "be right."

all my blessing in the bond of peace :loveyou:

You making moon shine up in them there mountains?

[brother alan]

You making moon shine up in them there mountains?

Life is a cosmic muffin. Chew!

[schrodinger]

Life is a cosmic muffin. Chew!

So, no moonshine? Just chewin tobaccky?

[brother alan]

So, no moonshine? Just chewin tobaccky?

76 degrees with a sweet breeze on a bad day in August; who needs moonshine? an' hit's "chawn baccer" up in here, homes.
despite some strong metaphysical convictions, i'm not patient with jargon and religiosity... which helps me appreciate your posts around the forum, thanks. :applause:

[schrodinger]

76 degrees with a sweet breeze on a bad day in August; who needs moonshine? an' hit's "chawn baccer" up in here, homes.
despite some strong metaphysical convictions, i'm not patient with jargon and religiosity... which helps me appreciate your posts around the forum, thanks. :applause:

Oh right, thats North Carolina!:duh:Doh! What was I thinking? You'll need all the help you can get to appreciate my posts, but thanks for the sentiments. Welcome aboard, Bro.

[troysantos]

Well, if this is the spot where new members introduce themselves, I will do that now.

My name is Troy Santos. 45 years old. American. Practicing Zen Buddhism at a temple in South Korea. I eat mostly raw foods.

That's actually what brought me here. I just joined a group called giveittomeraw. I don't really know for sure but it seems that 31 members of that group belong to a group of raw Buddhists. I clicked the link and it brought me here.

So, well, now I'll say what I'm looking for. A Buddhist temple - not necessarily in any of the Zen traditions, just Buddhist - where I can eat raw foods.

So, yeah, if anyone has any information on such a place, LET ME KNOW please!

I'll leave Korea next month, September 2009. I'll go to Thailand for a few weeks or a few months. Don't know where I'll head after that. Maybe Belize, maybe Hawaii.

It's time to settle. I've been moving around for 25 years or so.

So, I'm interested in any Buddhist temple where I can eat raw foods.

But you know, I'm not attached to Buddhism so if there is any temple of any spriritual practice where I could live, and eat raw foods, yeah, please tell me.

While I'm at it, might as well say that I'm also open to an intentional community where there is a strong spiritual practice and raw foods is acceptable. I lived with a great great group of Buddhists in Thailand for four years. Two years at two of the their temples. I ate raw most of the time. But I don't want to go back. Great group, really, but too too busy for me. It's part of the philosophy. I understand it, but I disagree on some major points.

Maybe I should start a thread with this but I will just do it this way first. Introducing myself and stating that I'm looking for a place where I can eat raw.

Glad to have met this group.
Thanks much, Troy.

[Nineteen]

Hi, I'm Sarah, and while I would prefer to read the comments given by others, I suppose an introduction could do no harm. I'm an 18 year old college student, Buddhist, and this website gives me something to do between classes. So hey.

[Thales]

Hi.
I'm David. I live in Wales U.K. and I'm 55 years old. I first came to Buddhism in 1986 and a wonderful peace came with it. Over the years I've drifted but always found myself never going completely. I guess I've reached that time in life where I need that peace again. Look forward to reading the forums.

[_underline_]

Hello I am J, 26, Christian, and from London (GB). I am interested in self-reliance, aesthetics, politics, and ethics.

[dfift]

Hi I'm David, 39 and from Portsmouth in England and I generally talk nonsense. Forgive me:(

[lolipop]

I didn't notice this thread until just now. :duh: Anyway, my name is Ashley (but you can call me lolipop; I don't mind). I'm 16, and I'm a senior in high school. I live in Perry, Oklahoma, where it's nice and quiet. Since I've lived among Mormons most of my life in Utah, it was a little strange to move into a mostly-Baptist community.

I love to learn all that I can, and I have a low tolerance for people with little common sense and no desire to learn anything more than what they are force-fed. I think that's what drew me here, though I first came here because of some search results on philosophy for a school project. I'm already liking it here!:thumbsup:

And if you haven't noticed already, I really like to talk. :)

[LittleFrog]

Hello Everyone,
Whew, had a hard time getting this messageboard to let me post...database troubles.
Anyway, love the topics here and lots of smart people from what I've been able to read. I came here from keywording Buddhist mantras and other Buddhist information. I'd like to learn more about this religion and hopefully get some guidance over at that thread.
Just thought I'd pop in here to say hi and let the people in charge of this site know I finally made it through...(e-mailed them for help posting, as the database errors disallowed)
Good Sunday to all!
LittleFrog

[floydk]

I my names floyd Im from PA, looking forward to some insight from other people.

[Nix O'Neill]

Greetings one and all from Victoria, BC Canada. I came across The Big View on a wet, autumnal morning, and found it to be just the place for one committed to life-long learning.

Husband and father with very few formal classifications, I am integrating ideas from many sources, so long as they make me more balanced within and without, and allow me to remain open to the possibility that everything I believe in is wrong.

[Anti]

Hey guys; I'm new.

[Kaosu]

I'm new here. My name is Kaosu.

Please be good to me.

[warrior poo flinger]

New members,

Welcome to thebigview.com!

This thread was especially created for you. Tell us about yourself, let us know what brought you here, and have fun!

Cheers, Thomas


Hi! My name is Kathy, but on the internet I go by the warrior poo flinger or wpf for short. The username has a story, but I have found more and more reasons why it is relevant and accurate as time goes by.

I have been answering questions on Yahoo! Answers, Religion and Spirituality, for nearly five years and I often refer people to this site, especially the section on Buddhism. I think it's perfect for the beginner or for one who is curious about basic Buddhism.

I've moved away from Yahoo! recently as the answer forum has become a place for disparaging, insulting, harassing, and proselytizing. Instead I am creating a social network focused on religion and philosophy, one that enables chat, discussions, and most importantly, links to other sites such as this one.

I thought it was about time I joined The Big View too, as I have grown so much in my studies, I thought perhaps I could contribute here as well. It's good to finally meet all of you, and I look forward to being a part of this site.

[sonrisa]

welcome to TBV y'all

[Thousuasp]

What's up everyone, I'm new to the forum and just wanted to say hey. Hopefully I posted this in the right section!

[akatsuki]

Hello Everyone,My name is Push-kar...I am following this website for more than a year now..but this is the first time I have actually created a profile..just wanted to make sure that ..i test the pitch before playing the match..lets see how long I can last..;)

[Ron-the-Elder]

Hello Everyone,My name is Push-kar...I am following this website for more than a year now..but this is the first time I have actually created a profile..just wanted to make sure that ..i test the pitch before playing the match..lets see how long I can last..;)

Welcome, aka-tsuki. (Correct Pronunciation?)

[akatsuki]

Welcome, aka-tsuki. (Correct Pronunciation?)

thank you very much Ron-the-Elder..:) i am feeling happy at least someone took the effort to welcome me....yupppieee..:blink:

and yes you have correctly decomposed the word as "aka" and "tsuki"..

[catraeus]

Thank you Thomas and everyone. I am an engineer, which means (to me) that I take science and mathematics and try to make them work for people. I have had thebigview appear in google searches many times over the years, so I figured I'd join the fun.

Regards

Duncan Gray
Northern, California: USA

[ash_nair2]

Hi,

This is Ashok, i have just joined the group, and going through the site, looks very interesting so far.

regards
ashok

[wuwei]

Many new members this month. Welcome, all.

:thumbsup:

[akatsuki]

Many new members this month. Welcome, all.

:thumbsup:

Thank you very much Wuwei..:)

[Slartibartfast]

Hi all, My name is Steve, from Northern Ireland. How are you all doing ?

[KokoNor]

Hello all -- I've been lurking awhile. I came to this whole scene in a highly roundabout way. I breed and show dogs - a Tibetan breed - and was searching the web for appropriate names for puppies. I happened on this site's list of Mudras. From that topic came an interest in, then a fascination with and a commitment to Buddhism.

And I still have never given a puppy a Tibetan name.

KokoNor, in the snowy Atlantic coast

[schrodinger]

Hello all -- I've been lurking awhile. I came to this whole scene in a highly roundabout way. I breed and show dogs - a Tibetan breed - and was searching the web for appropriate names for puppies. I happened on this site's list of Mudras. From that topic came an interest in, then a fascination with and a commitment to Buddhism.

And I still have never given a puppy a Tibetan name.

KokoNor, in the snowy Atlantic coast

That is definitely a roundabout way to find this place and to develop an interest in Buddhism! How about posting some photos of the dogs? I have successfully bred the standard Thai "soi dog" with pure bred Dobermanns and have come up with an entirely new breed of dog (as far as I know). They are very much in demand but I don't sell them, I give them away to people who can provide a nice home and take care of them. I have five right now that are looking for homes (Thomas, are you interested ?) I am running out of names, "Shorty" and "Happy" is about as original as I get. Maybe you can try "Buddy" for the Tibetan breed, but I imagine some of the more serious Buddhists might be offended!:lol: Anyway, welcome to TBV.

[sonrisa]

well, let's see, in addition to Happy, there's Bashful, Sleepy, Grumpy, Doc, & Sneezy. Also Dopey, but I don't think I'd call one of the dogs that. Unless they really deserved it of course!

[RedVerse]

Hello there. My name is Rachael.
I'm not fond of telling people my age, so I'll skip that for now.

I see things in black and white, even when the black and white is the same thing. o_O Woo dimensions.
I find the 10 dimension theory to be highly plausible and intuitively beautiful, and most of my own personal theories are based off of that one.

Right now my focus is trying to come up with a proof that demonstrates the relationship between concept and matter. I think. The whole area is a little fuzzy.

I believe in an absolute God. I am also Christian. Because the two match.

Einstein is my hero.

If anyone knows MBTI, I'm hardcore INTP.

I like to read, unicycle, ballroom dance, and pwn n00bs at video games. I buy from Woot and am a loyal fan of Steam.

The end.

[Ron-the-Elder]

Thank you Thomas and everyone. I am an engineer, which means (to me) that I take science and mathematics and try to make them work for people. I have had thebigview appear in google searches many times over the years, so I figured I'd join the fun.

Regards

Duncan Gray
Northern, California: USA

Happy New Year, Duncan. Welcome to TBV.

(San Francisco or Oakland?)

[Ron-the-Elder]

Hi,

This is Ashok, i have just joined the group, and going through the site, looks very interesting so far.

regards
ashok

Welcome and Happy New Year!

[Ron-the-Elder]

well, let's see, in addition to Happy, there's Bashful, Sleepy, Grumpy, Doc, & Sneezy. Also Dopey, but I don't think I'd call one of the dogs that. Unless they really deserved it of course!

Welcome and Happy New Year.

( I like Bashful, Larry, Curly, and Moe.)

[Ron-the-Elder]

Hello there. My name is Rachael.
I'm not fond of telling people my age, so I'll skip that for now.

I see things in black and white, even when the black and white is the same thing. o_O Woo dimensions.
I find the 10 dimension theory to be highly plausible and intuitively beautiful, and most of my own personal theories are based off of that one.

Right now my focus is trying to come up with a proof that demonstrates the relationship between concept and matter. I think. The whole area is a little fuzzy.

I believe in an absolute God. I am also Christian. Because the two match.

Einstein is my hero.

If anyone knows MBTI, I'm hardcore INTP.

I like to read, unicycle, ballroom dance, and pwn n00bs at video games. I buy from Woot and am a loyal fan of Steam.

The end.

Hi, Rachael!

I thought there were 11 dimensions now and an infinite number of universes.
(But, who's counting besides Hawking, Green, and Kaku?!!)

Welcome and Happy New Year!

[Ron-the-Elder]

Hello all -- I've been lurking awhile. I came to this whole scene in a highly roundabout way. I breed and show dogs - a Tibetan breed - and was searching the web for appropriate names for puppies. I happened on this site's list of Mudras. From that topic came an interest in, then a fascination with and a commitment to Buddhism.

And I still have never given a puppy a Tibetan name.

KokoNor, in the snowy Atlantic coast

Welcome, Koko Nor!

It will be stimulating to hear the Vajra perspective on the boards.

Our grand dame of a doggy (age fifteen) whose name is Bianca has been given the special title of "Maha-doggy Biankani" due largely to the large pillow upon which she sits in the back of her domain in the back of our Subaru.

Perhaps you could use HDL for the dominant of your next litter for His/Her Dominance of the Litter.

Happy New Year.

[Boudreux]

Glad to be here.

I stumbled across this site looking for info on the Pre-Socratic philosophers. Looking forward to some illuminating discussions.

[ilikebuddha]

Hi,

My goal in life has become one of finding balance and moderation. For a few years I've had a growing interest and understanding of Buddhist viewpoints on acting and reacting in the world and would like to explore and apply these ideas further. I hope to be able to find some middle ground between living life as a fully devoted ascetic and still having a family, a career and a home. I live in Buddhist Thailand, much removed from westerners out in the rural countryside, which further inspires my inclination towards a Buddhist line of reasoning.

Thanks,
Ben

[ilikebuddha]

Hello,

I've come looking to learn how to obtain balance, moderation and consistency. I am an expat living in rural Northeast Thailand, far from western minds, and with influence lived out daily in the lives around me I have begun a path embracing a practical, Buddhist view on life.

Thanks,
Ben

[Thomas Knierim]

Hello Ben,

Welcome to thebigview.com. I live in the outskirts of Chiang Mai, kind of... semi-rural, quiet and peaceful.

Cheers, Thomas

[ilikebuddha]

Thanks, Thomas. Glad to be here and to know a fellow "Thai." I look forward to participating.

Ben

Hello Ben,

Welcome to thebigview.com. I live in the outskirts of Chiang Mai, kind of... semi-rural, quiet and peaceful.

Cheers, Thomas

[sonrisa]

welcome to Ilikebuddha, & everybody else who has posted here since I last checked in :)

[precipice]

in the comfort of joy, hello. i seek & offer opportunities for joy effervescent.
my joy being in knowledge received, in knowledge continued, in knowledge shared. reading all the welcomes/introductions adds courage to be absent from the sorcery of fear.