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.

[YDBH]

Hello to everyone, I'm the newest newbie here as I post this. I stumbled upon this page while looking for some specific teachings about speech. I could really use some community now, as circumstances have led me to be quite isolated lately. I'm happy to have discovered this MB.

[Kosya]

Hi,
My name is Ngue Bayiha i'm 25, Rigth now my life in general is in standby (spiritual life), don't know why. I am awaiting for something to go futher. It's not like i'm waiting for a Messiah or something like this, it's just that i have gone as far as i could with what i had (experience, books, sense, brain, feeling).
Now that i've discover myself, i'm trying to understand how I'm suppose to use it.
Why i'm here, i still dont know, but i will found out.
I'm trying to keep alive a blog, maybe by reading it you may understand why i'm here (www.nbayiha.wordpress.com)

[KarmicVisions]

I come to this website and forum to build a stronger foundation on fundamentals to add to. I'm moving into a Mars period in 2011 and am preparing for the exploration.

Stumbled onto this site while I was surfing and it was exactly what I was looking for.

Much Thanks,
Darlene

[Susan H]

Hi I was helping my son with his homework on values. He had to interview me about my values. I have always had a passing interest in Buddhism and tonight I found your site and I have been quite fascinated by the simple easy to understand language yet the concepts are far more complex than in other material I have read. So thank-you.

As for my son, well he received a greater or comprehensive insight into my values thanks to your site but even better: I decided to begin to teach him how to meditate, something I have wanted to do for ages but just never seemed to get around to it.
So thanks again

[Thomas Knierim]

I decided to begin to teach him how to meditate, something I have wanted to do for ages but just never seemed to get around to it.

Welcome to thebigview.com. That's fantastic! I am glad you found this website helpful.

Cheers, Thomas

[mikej]

hey all, Mike here.
Just joined as I've gotten more and more interested in Buddhism and this was one of the forums which seemed to have a good community. :)

[thetruth]

Hello. My name is Andy. I usually go to forums that have much rancor and animus as is the bane of political banter. I have strong opinions but prefer to actually engage in real debate/argument as opposed to attacking and defending. This looks like a well rounded forum for that exercise. I hope to offer contributions of value and encourage thought and reflection. I'll admit that at times I wear my emotions on my sleeve as it were. But I really love to engage in vibrant dialogue with anyone. Even those I disagree with. Thank you. :)

[Ngawang Drolma]

Oops, I started an introduction thread for myself but I could have just posted here! Anyhow, hi to all, I'm a newb here :dancing:

Best,
Laura

[Thomas Knierim]

Hello and welcome to thebigview.com!

[Ogyen Chodzom]

Hi BigView!

I'm Ogyen, and I love Hypatia of Alexandria, and there's my avatar to prove it! :p

and this place is good for my practice (Buddhist).

Thank you for having me.
:loveyou:
Ogyen.

[Nirvanam]

Hi Folks!

I think I am going to enjoy the company and conversations here...it'll definitely help me learn from you guys and hopefully I can cause others to learn from me.

Let me warn you that I am not too keen on labeling things we don't understand as "woo" :) I love to question conventional notions and argue my viewpoint passionately. I think it is necessary for one to place himself in vulnerable situations to learn new stuff, so you'll notice me present pov's that agree with woo, in an effort to see if the woo can really be argued against and shown to be woo failing which, the woo would actually not be woo lol.

I notice that some of the posts here are really lengthy ones. Now, I've been known to make lengthy posts and my fellow forum-members in other forums have repeatedly requested me to cut down the length of my posts to make them more readable. Well, I guess nothing drives home the point better than experiencing it from the opposite perspective :lol: Now I can empathize with them.

[辛钦荣]

Hi,everybody!I am a chemistry teacher in china.searching 'Tao' in the internet brought me here.I love BV now,I think.

[Monkey butler]

Hello everyone.

Looking forward to some intelligent debate on an excellent site. My interests in philosophy are wideranging but I particularly like Schopenhauer. However, Kant, Marx and Nietzsche all interest me too.

Yours

Monkey butler

[kdryan]

Hello all. I found your forum and thought I might give it a go. I am not completely a practicing Buddhist, though I do try to follow the Five Precepts. I don't meditate, though. I came looking for a forum that was a little less restrictive than E-Sangha, where I usually visit. I am not bad-mouthing the site, but they have a proscription about questioning the teachings of the Buddha (at least last time I visited) that I do not understand. Didn't the Buddha himself say to question him?

At any rate, their forum is down again so I went looking for another. Most of the little I have studied is Therevada, but I would love to learn more about Zen Buddhism. From what I have read, it may be more up my alley.

Namaste...

Kevin

[Thomas Knierim]

Hello and welcome to all our new members.

E-Sangha is defunkt for two years or longer. I understand the site was shut down because of legal troubles. The message on their home page still says: "Currently our forum is down due to technical difficulties. I hope to get the forum up and running again in the shortest possible time." Considering the time that has passed it must be quite a difficult "technical" problem.

Cheers, Thomas

[kdryan]

Hello and welcome to all our new members.

E-Sangha is defunkt for two years or longer. I understand the site was shut down because of legal troubles. The message on their home page still says: "Currently our forum is down due to technical difficulties. I hope to get the forum up and running again in the shortest possible time." Considering the time that has passed it must be quite a difficult "technical" problem.

Cheers, Thomas

Two years? I know it's been a while, but I know it hasn't been two years. In fact, I think I was only on there a few months ago...

Edit: I have found references to it going down about a year ago. Could it have really been that long I visited? From the references to the site I have found, it would seem I was better off not visiting anyway. They certainly do not have a great rep. SO now I get to begin my study of Buddhism again. Hopefully it will be with the right people this time...

[scratchmarc]

Hello from Marietta, Georgia.

Interested to hear from and share with people around the world.

Thanks for creating this forum and best wishes to everyone.

[Caz]

Hello My name Is Zach.
Saw the site referanced by a friend earlier not sure if they are here or not anyway a little about me, Ive been a practising Buddhist for 12+years within the New Kadampa tradition, My main practises are Lamrim ( Stages of the path meditations ) Lojong ( Higher mind training ) and eventually mahamudra tantra when the initation finally comes around :)
Look forward to chatting with you and making some new friends.

:loveyou:

[VeeVee]

Hello

I just found this (really good looking and informative) site today searching for reading material on the eightfold path.

Looking forward to reading discussions.

Vee

[NoWill]

Good day to all....my name is Glenn. I found the big view compiling info regarding the four noble truths...and was pleased to find all the additional material as well.

I look forward to lively discussions and sharing of views from the membership.

Respectfully,

"...on my continued journey for peace of mind,,,"

[jmjohnson39]

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

Well, thanks, I think. Not exactly sure of what this is all about, however the site seems to offer an opportunity to discuss interesting ideas with others. That interests me.
Jim

[Bob Schenck]

A friend wanted me to introduce him to Buddhism, which I've practice for 35 years. I googled the Four Truths and found this site to be the most similar to what I started with, a discovery not so different from yours.

[J. M. Hardison]

Hello, This site seems to be set into my foundations of intrest and until recently on subject matter I felt well versed in. Until recently ...
March 17th, 2007 while writting an article about "Down Hill Longboarding" athletes who compete in the X-games I was thrown from a long board at 45mph. and dove into asvault. I broke 17 bones, bled profusely and flatlined twice. None of that compares closely with the three week coma. The inside of a coma is a different universe of a reality that doesn't compare with this one and when you wake up you don't remember much of this one. I spent six months in Rehab just trying to review the bassics.
I watched video recordings of plays I'd bean in and had written before the accident. What was comedy to one inturpritation was trajedy in retrospect. The site seems to have information of my intrest in a way I'd like to learn about them ... again.
Thanks,
Matt

[geoffreymh]

Hi folks

Someone once told me that philosophers are people who like to think. That makes me a philosopher, too.

So I look forward to learning from you.

Kind regards

Geoffrey Morton-Haworth
http://www.yalaworld.net

[Dragoneye]

Thank you for this chance to say hello here. I am on my path and have been drawn increasingly to Buddhist ideas. I found this site during a search and feel I grow here. I will add where I can.

I have done a Goenka ten day retreat. I am a yogi. I grew up during the sixties in San Francisco. Merry Christmas, peace and warm blessings,
DE

[Pamela Canaday]

I'm not new but I haven't been here for a few years. I've changed since my last visit so don't expect me to back up anything I once said. I just randomly remembered this place and thought I'd see whether a few more years of experience would make it feel more accessible.

I am a comfortable atheist (no longer searching) who enjoys thinking about brain development and how different practices affect mental health.

[spiritbabe1210]

Hi guys im new on here and any help would be great cheers x:huh:

[Josiah]

Hello,

This is my first post on any website. I felt this was the best place since I am truly at a crossroads in my life and looking for some opinion.

I have read a lot of what has been posted on the forums and some of the information on this site and it seemed like a good place to start.

I will find my way.

Jos

[Angelus Sol]

Hello everyone, I have no official religion, but I do believe there is a god but, I still believe science is correct, I really just spend most of my time pondering the universe, and I feel this website can help me in my pursuit of knowledge,
thank you,
Sol

[hawkrunner]

Hello. I came across this forum by way of a link but it caught my interest. Here's my favorite prayer. Infinite Divine Spirit, Use me as a channel of light, love and healing;
Make me an instrument of your peace today;
I give thanks for the multitude of blessings in my life and for the guidance, direction and healing that I recieve from your hands. Amen.

[Gulielmus Beta]

I like that prayer, hawkrunner!

Hello all. I joined only a few days ago. I am "Nel mezzo del cammin de nostra vita", which I believe means: in the middle of the road of life's way" or something like that, and that being the first line of Dante's la Divina Commedia , which is to say, at a turning point in my life.

A weak atheist/agnostic for forty some odd years, I went through a dire emotional crisis recently and came out the other side with a warm and confident faith in God. I have never been happier. It is a deeply personal feeling and one from which I would never again wish to be parted. Never ever.

I hope I can be of some service here, and I hope to be able to continue learning and growing in heart and mind. Peace to all, and greetings to you!

[Gulielmus Beta]

Hello everyone, I have no official religion, but I do believe there is a god but, I still believe science is correct, I really just spend most of my time pondering the universe, and I feel this website can help me in my pursuit of knowledge,
thank you,
Sol

Hello Angelus Sol! I like that name. I am pleased to meet you.

[MariaCelesteG]

Hi. I'm new here. Looking forward to learning and sharing much with everyone. Sending ripples of unconditional love and gratitude from my end to yours. Glad to be here. :)

[valiond1974]

Good morning.

I'm from Louisville, Kentucky, USA and I stumbled upon this website as I searched for online publications of Buddhist texts. I'm very impressed with the sensitive treatment of all the subject matter as well as with the concise presentation and how simple the site is to navigate.

I'm relatively new to Buddhism, but I'm deeply moved by its spirituality and teachings. I very much appreciate having a resource I can turn to when I don't have the texts handy. Well done!

[dneril]

Hi all! I'm new here and I'm looking forward to conversing with you guys in this awesome community!

[MJFI]

Hi, stumbled upon your essays section and read through a few, decided to join.

[AnonyMiss]

Warm greetings from Southeast Asia! I first came upon the beautifully and clearly presented sections on Buddhism, and decided to join. I look forward to pleasurable hours of reading and discussing.

[Ron-the-Elder]

Welcome to all the new board members. Looking forward to reading your posts.
No doubt you'll find our members very interesting and engaging.

_/\_Ron

[datapoint zero]

Is it an accident or was it karma? Whatever, I am very pleased to have discovered The Big View.

Hello to All. My areas of "View" encompass art, technology, and Soto Zen and, of course, gaining perspective from everyone's view. Thanks for the opportunity; It will be an adventure.

[nielz7]

:)Hi - found this site while looking for info on the Four Noble Truths. I am impressed by the variety of discussions going on. I am interested spiritual truths and what religions do to them and how individuals reclaim the truths back from the churches.

[Walden]

Hello everyone! This has been exactly the type of place that I've been searching the internet for: a place with an intelligent community, discussing all areas of life from different backgrounds.

I look forward to our time together!

[cloudcave]

Hello everyone! This has been exactly the type of place that I've been searching the internet for: a place with an intelligent community, discussing all areas of life from different backgrounds.

I look forward to our time together!

Dear Walden,

If we have convinced that we are intelligent, our work is now done.

But have fun with us anyways...

[Bradfordian]

Greetings and Salutations :) New member to the community here. Look forward to exploring ideas with you in the future-ous now.

Regards,
Michael.

[Martin]

:applause:Hi, I am new, came across this warm and interesting website when searching the net for arenas for discussions of the interface between (Eastern) sprirituality/psychology, mindfulness, neuroscience, and perhaps, if I can catch a glimpse of understanding, quantum physics/philosophy. Hello to you all!

[Elizabeth Isabelle]

Hi again Thomas; it has been awhile. I'm not sure how I drifted away, but I did. I'm back :)

[Thomas Knierim]

Hi Elizabeth, nice to see you're back. Hello and welcome also to our new members!

Cheers, Thomas

[Thomas Knierim]

Hello missjennibrown, Matt (JesusGreen), Abbegail, and Simplicity!

I am sorry that I did not get around to greet all of our new members personally. The admin work, mainly spam cleanup, keeps me fairly busy lately. I hope you will enjoy your stay on thebigview.com.

Cheers, Thomas

[saforaRM]

Warm greetings to all. I'm looking forward to this new adventure.
Love and light,
s

[ZPol]

Looove this forum!

peace,
ZPol

[~riverflow]

Hello, my name is Josh. I am something of a "philosophical mutt" -- I engage in some Soto Zen practice, being particularly drawn to Dogen. I have a peculiar Buddhist take on the Daodejing and I often write haiku as a kind of "spiritual" exercise. I love the writings of Thoreau and Carl Sagan.

~josh

[paulyn8]

Hi, I'm Paulyn. Stumbleupon brought me here - along with my own search for something to ponder upon beyond Facebook. And I think I hit a goldmine. :D

[Cilla]

Hi. I'm not quite so new now as i only found this section of the forum a week after i signed up. I have written my intro in the buddhist section. I also was unable to start a new thread in this section as well. I don't know what's going on there.

Anyway, to repeat my other intro, i'm getting into buddhism. I'm an atheist. That said there are not many buddhist centres around where i live so i have had to join a tibettan centre which i've done to help me maintain focus in my mindfulness meditation practice which is what i'm mainly trying to achieve.

I find all the estoteric stuff disheartening and distracting.

[Enchanting Pixie]

Hi,
I stumbled across this site looking for a translation of The Tao Te Ching. I was impressed this site has been active for over 10 years and has remained ad free.
Kudos to you! :applause:

[abba]

Hello again. I'm back after a 6-7 year absence. I got my start on BV in 98-99 I think, but left to be fully involved with DarwinAwardsForum... which unfortunately has lapsed into non-payment of their forum for the 3rd time.

I've also been intermittantly on epenguin forum - which is more drinking and exhortation than discussion.

My current name and all my earlier names were language variations of the word "father" - I have 8 grand-children, but also a big father in the sky... yeah, I'm a believer, but I learned temperance and appreciation of others viewpoints a long time ago. I had a habit of changing names every 500 posts, but that eventually got wearisome.

So, anyway, I'm back. Wow - what a different board! Thomas has really modernized everything... and seems to have attracted a new crowd. I'll enter gently to see where I might fit in. Just as a flashback, here's a poem inspired by Thomas and discussions way back (there used to be a Poetry thread).

A Chaplain's Memories of Bangkok

Many's the night
When the moon is bright
And I'm sitting on the side of a hill.
My mind goes back
To a tar-paper shack
Where I first saw "Buddha Bill".

It was way back when
Even boys were men
And Bangkok backstreets were dark.
You walked with care
If you wandered there
And a dog was afraid to bark.

Twas back in an alley
With a girl called Sally
Though I knew that wasn't her name.
I saw Bill frown
As a man dropped down
But I knew he wasn't to blame.

Bill fell to his knees
As quick as you please
And held that wounded man's gut.
Bill whispered a word
That I never heard
And laid both hands on the cut.

The light in his face
Hinted of grace
The wounded man saw it too.
He let out a sigh
As the pain passed him by
And I saw I had nothing to do.

We all like to think
When we come to the brink
That we'll listen and do God's will.
But none have I found
Who know better God's sound
Than ragged and poor "Buddha Bill".

When my time comes to end
All that God has to lend
And my body finally is still.
My friends will draw nigh
Then I'll say goodby
And go see Jesus and "Buddha Bill".

[Thomas Knierim]

Welcome back, abba! Nice to see you again. Eight grandchildren? Joy and fun times eight? I am impressed.

Cheers, Thomas

[Arsinoe meri Ma'at]

Greetings!

I stumbled across this website while reasearching consciousness and mind for a metaphysics class I am writing for my group.

Disclaimer: I am Wiccan. Yes, one of those. If that weren't bad enough, I'm High Priestess of a large (by Wiccan standards) coven in the metro Atlanta area. I worked hard, studied, and earned this position. And I am still studying and learning.

OK, that's out of the way. Honesty up front.

I have a scientific background, a BS Degree in Geology, with minors in Physics and Mathematics. While not of genius level, I have more than cotton between my ears. I am ever seeking Truth in all its aspects. I believe there are many things we practice that could be called "magic" that can be explained by science. Then again, I also believe that there are many things that can't. Science is still catching up. The study of the mind and consciousness are, I think, avenues to finding that Truth.

On a more personal note, I knit. A lot. Yeah, I know. Crazy! My poor husband is continually trying to corral all my string, which is very similar to herding cats. So far, he has done an admirable job, but yarn, like guitars, tends to accumulate and breed.

Speaking of guitars, we have 10. My husband plays more than I do, and he's darned good at it. Me, I piddle around on the guitar mostly. I get up in front of people every once in a while, when I have a darned good reason, like if someone chases me. Other than that, my poor PRS gathers dust.

I hunt wild mushrooms. My family makes me eat them first to make sure they aren't poison. If I haven't been rushed to the emergency room within 3 days, they'll eat what I pick. I also pick and eat wild foods. My poor coven-mates have been on the receiving end of some of my culinary "wonders" at our Sabbat feasts. Not all of them were disasters...

I have a rabbit for a pet. No, not dust bunnies (though I have those, too), a real one. She's quite entertaining, so I will probably bore you senseless with her antics. Like the time she stole a cheese stick out of my mouth...O! and she loves ham sandwiches, too. Beware carnivorous rabbits...as my husband can attest (that's another story - ask sometime).

Thank you for providing this forum. I think there is a huge body of knowledge here that I can incorporate in my own personal search as well as information and wisdom I can pass along to my students and covenmates.

[kennedx87]

Hello, hello!

I was actually a member of this site a few years ago under a different name, but I have since forgotten both my original user name and password. Perhaps it is appropriate this way because I feel as if I am a completely different person from then anyway. I have returned to enjoy the discussions that take place here, and hopefully to partake in them once again. A brief reading of the most recent threads brings familiar names once again to my attention but, most noticeably, I have come to realize how much my opinions have changed concerning certain topics in such a short span. I hope that a few years of experience have enriched my perspective enough to contribute in a significant way to this forum. I look forward to typing with all of you! :loveyou:

[doloresthomas]

Hi!
A friend sent me the link to the main webpage, and I immediately felt this was a nice place for me. I feel a great deal of curiosity for buddhism. Aside from that, I'm a pretty average person. I like to run, listen to indie rock and find it completely contradictory to feel the pull of buddhism, being the complete carnivore I am. Go figure!

[daft]

Hi all.
I got here by change due to google. You all know google only shows you the right info if you already know what you want to find but i googled: pastlife and was already convinced i remembered i was female my last life but in the year 700? I love life sure there is no one saying you must wait 1300 years. unless this whole samurai spirit stuff is gained on the other side of life.

o well if you take your time you have ages to find out.

[qwertyportne]

Hello everyone. Like many others, I "stumbled" upon this forum while searching for information about unified theories of physics.

--Bill

[Preacher]

I am a brand new member and unsure how to proceed or use the site. My confirmation mail said I should make a post within 7 days. I hope this qualifies. I am very new to the sight and still not savvy. I can only say that I need guidance and I am ready to receive it. Hope someone can help

[micrometer]

Hello everyone.
My name's Mariah.
I found this website because of a link saying something about what you were in your previous life.
Things like these really make me think so hard. Well i guess this applies to all? we're humans. :applause: -- rational beings.

How i wish by joining in this site, my questions will be answered. :lol:
But of course, i'm certain i'd still enjoy just by reading others' opinions about interesting matters.

i don't have any fave subj. in school, but when it comes to topics like this, my sleepiness tends to disappear! but we've got nothing in school teaching about these things. we have philosophy, but we just started. that's why we're still on the not-so-interesting stuff. I'm hoping i'll learn a lot from the people here. ^^ it'd be a big help for a student like me. :)

[Ashley]

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

My name is Ashley I am 28 live in California and I am single mom to a 8year old. I was talking to my boss one day about a dream he had and it lead into quantum theory and a bunch of other random topics like we always do and I asked him where he gets all this good insight on and he referred me to this webcpage so i went home looked it up started to read and instantly I was pulled in. I am trying to do things different in my life and be open minded about things. I want to know more and learn more about other facts and thoughts and beleifs and so on and so on. I think that this website you have built with all this information is really great and I cant wait to know more. Thank You

[Leoprado]

Hey there, my name's Leo, and I'm glad I'm here again. Knowledge is eternal and as long as we live we learn. That's why we'real here that's why I'm here. To learn and contribute to the learniing of others too.

[rachael]

It is New Years Eve / Day. One of my favorite things to do on this night is to go out and look at the stars, contemplate our place in the universe. Tonight I was thinking about time, and what we call "2012", came back in from star gazing and looked up physics / time, and ended up on The Big View. I started reading the "Space Time" section, moved on to "Time Dilation", and then went to the table of contents. I am completely overjoyed to find such a place:rofl::rofl:
I am a registered nurse, and working on my masters degree to become a Family Nurse Practitioner. I have studied Buddhism, and consider myself to be a Western Buddhist, which means to me that I am practicing the aspects that fit me best. Between these two things I do a lot of reading, and studying. My search for my life's path has included reading about some physics, but I know relatively little, so I am here to learn, but I enjoy participating.
I live in Colorado with my spouse, niece, and three big cats. I am surrounded by peace and solitude of the mountains, and I am a night owl. :)

[Thomas Knierim]

Welcome to thebigview.com and a happy new year (it's still new...)!

Cheers, Thomas

[Br1gh7]

TGIF! Today is the first of many Fridays to come in 2012.

I am Tim. I practice Theravada Buddhism and am a member of the community at Wat Dhammasala in Perry, Michigan.

The Big View has been a source of joy to me for sometime already, and I've enjoyed reading many of the essays here. Never one to anonymously lurk about, I thought it best to create an account in the off chance someone's post inspired me to ask a question.

Wishing everyone well, see you online.

[denizen]

Hello Big View! I am an occasional lurker on the forums and fan of the main site, so I thought it was past time that I registered. Wishing all of you well for the new year and hoping to have long discussions in the future. :)

[denizen]

test, test....is this posting thing working?

[un-titled]

hey my name is Rodney...i like shiny objects and am a world class planker!

I will be f'n with people as much as possible i hope lol...but really am all about ideological circulation...

[Andrew_Roxby]

Hey everyone. I am a prospective psychology student (considering graduate school in psychology, but undecided), with disparate but potentially connected interests.

Buddhism I would have to list as chief among them. Particularly Zen, Tibetan Buddhism interest me, but the entire history of Buddhism and its permutations is fascinating me. I consider Buddhism the faith of the future, providing a logically rigorous and epistemologically sound basis for a future global society.

Aside from Buddhism, my deep and abiding interests include hypnosis and hypnotherapy, poetry, comedy, philosophy, and logic.

Good to meet everyone and looking forward to learning collectively here on the forums.

[Cloud101]

Hi, great website and forum. I'm a mature Philosphy and Society student in the UK and found you via StumbleUpon, lucky find I think :)

[Thomas Knierim]

Hello cloud, Andrew, Rodney and everyone else who is new! Welcome to thebigview.com. Glad you dropped by.

Cheers, Thomas