Buddhism and Happiness Meetup Pages



There is no way to happiness.
Happiness is the way.

The Buddha


"To say that Buddhism, or the Dharma, as it is called by Buddhists themselves, actually originated with the Buddha, in some sense misrepresents it. The Buddha did not invent what he taught any more than Newton invented gravity. He discovered it. What Siddharta Gautama discovered when he became the Buddha, is more difficult to say. It is sometimes called a form of psychotherapy, because it offers a cure to the frustration and unhappiness of life. It is sometimes allied with the science of psychology, because it offers a thorough-going analysis of the workings of the mind and because its theories are to be confirmed by direct personal experience. It is called a philosophy, because it focuses on the central mystery of human existence and how best to live in an ethically skillful way and because it pursues these aims undistracted by premature conceptual resolutions, divine revelation, or doctrinal imperatives. It is of course called a religion, because it arouses faith and devotion and employs myth and ritual and because its goal is beyond the limitations of mundane existence. Finally, it is called a culture, because of its contribution to oriental art, literature, history and to the whole way of life of large populations of the East and now, increasingly, of the West. ... But in its essence, it presents something that is quite different from anything else."

Jinananda: "The Middle Way"


What is the Buddhism & Happiness Meetup?

It is a group of people who get together about once a month to talk about Buddhism, Happiness, and related topics.

We -- Suzanne, Annette, Bob, and Craig -- are the organizers of this Meetup group. We schedule and lead the discussions. We do not claim to be experts on Buddhism or meditation, just regular people interested in the Philosophy of Buddhism.





What is Buddhism ?
Is it a religion ?

Many people think that Buddhism is a religion because it is often classified as such (for example here on Meetup.com and on Wikipedia). Whether Buddhism is a religion or not, depends on the definition of religion, obviously, and there are many different ones. If you define religion as a faith in a god or several gods, then Buddhism is not a religion, because there is no god in Buddhism. If you use the widest definition for religion, 'a set of myths or sacred truths held in reverence or believed by adherents', then you could say that Buddhism is a religion.

To quote Wikipedia:
"Sociologists and anthropologists tend to see religion as an abstract set of ideas, values, or experiences developed as part of a cultural matrix. For example, in Lindbeck's Nature of Doctrine, religion does not refer to belief in "God" or a transcendent Absolute. Instead, Lindbeck defines religion as, "a kind of cultural and/or linguistic framework or medium that shapes the entirety of life and thought ... it is similar to an idiom that makes possible the description of realities, the formulation of beliefs, and the experiencing of inner attitudes, feelings, and sentiments." According to this definition, religion refers to one's primary world-view and how this dictates one's thoughts and actions."
I would think that Buddhism fits this definition.

But obviously, if definitions of religion differ so widely and Buddhism is only a religion under some of these definitions, asking whether Buddhism is a religion is a rather futile question.

Buddhism could better be described as a philosophy or even as behavioral therapy (psychological cognitive therapy).





For whom is this group? How do you join?

This Meetup group is for anyone who wants to talk about Buddhism. You do not need to be a Buddhist or know much about it. But you should have an understanding of the basic ideas in Buddhism, so you can take part in the conversation. If you don't know anything about it yet, just read a book about it before you come to the first Meetup. Here is a list of topics and concepts that you should be familiar with before attending our monthly conversation event.

Whether you are religious, agnostic, or an atheist does not matter.

If you are interested in becoming a happier person and to live in harmony with others, this Meetup is for you.

To become a member, you must have a photo of yourself posted. It helps us to recognize you when you come the first time, helps the organizers and group members to remember your name, and builds community sense.

Members should be kind and should be respectful and considerate towards others.

Minimum age is 18.

Membership is free.

To apply:

  • read this page completely.
  • Make sure that you have a photo of yourself as your main photo or I won't accept your application.
  • click the "Join Us" button and answer the questions.







What are we going to do at the events ?

We have conversation events about every three weeks. At these, we have one common conversation moderated by the organizer, rather than a party-style Meetup. For this reason, please be on time. Our events are usually not going to be the kind of event where you can come at any time throughout the evening.

In the first year of the existence of this Meetup group, we discussed the basics of Buddhism, like the questions below. At present, our discussions are more loosely related to Buddhism. Members are welcome to suggest topics for discussion.

BASICS OF BUDDHISM
  • What is Buddhism about? What is the Dharma?
  • What is enlightenment? How do you become enlightened?
  • What makes a person a Buddhist? At which point can you call yourself a Buddhist? Are there certain criteria? Is there an official "process" that one must go through or is it solely a personal journey?
  • Can a Buddhist also be a Christian, Jew or Muslim?
  • How do the various schools of Buddhism differ from one another?
  • What are some of the criticisms of Buddhisms and relevant responses to them?

BUDDHISM IN OUR LIVES
  • Has Buddhism made a difference in your life?
  • How can buddhism help you overcome difficulties in your life?
  • How can we practice Buddhism in our daily lives?
  • Bringing the philosophy of Buddhism into work environments.

HAPPINESS
  • How can Buddhism and other spiritual teachings help you become a happier person?
  • What is meant by detachment and how can it help us?
  • Why did Buddha say that desires are the source of suffering and how can be reduce our desires?

MEDITATION
  • Do you need to meditate to be a Buddhist?
  • What is meditation good for? What kind of meditation do you practice?
  • Where can you learn meditation?
  • How is meditation working for you? How are you dealing with the challenges?







What is the cost ?

Membership is free. At events, everyone is expected to order beverages or food to support the venue where we hold the event. Sometimes there is a rent for the room and everyone is asked to chip in. Usually, the expense will be about $5 to $10.





Rules

  • RSVP for events. To RSVP just means to let us know whether you are coming or not. (RSVP stands for "Respondez s'il voux plais" and is French for "please reply") Whether you reply Yes, No, or Maybe, it's important that you let us know. Even if your answer is No, it tells us you've checked out the event and are still interested in the group's activities.
  • Keep your RSVP up-to-date. You can change it as often as you like. If you RSVP'd Yes, but find you cannot make it, please do change it to No, even if it's an hour before the event. Maybe-RSVP's should be changed to Yes or No at least three days before the event.
  • If your RSVP is Yes and you do not show up, this is called a "no-show". After you no-show twice, you will receive a warning, after the third no-show, you will lose your membership.
  • Be on time. If people are late, they disturb the flow of the conversation. If the event is scheduled for 7 pm, plan to be there a few minutes before 7. If you realize you won't be able to make it before 7:30, don't come at all.
  • After events, leave reviews and comments, not just ratings. Positive feedback helps to win more members and is a great way to make your organizers happy. If you have a complaint, please be kind and email it directly to the organizer instead of airing your grief in public.
  • Do not contact members who you haven't met yet for dating purposes. This is not Match.com. If you have received such an unwanted email from one of my group members, feel free to report it to me.
  • Members who are disrespectful, rude, or unfriendly towards the organizer or the members of this group are going to lose their membership.
  • Members who joined to promote their business or faith are going to lose their membership.







Places to Learn and Meditate

Buddhist and Meditation Centers in Manhattan


Other Places that Offer Courses and Lectures on Buddhism and Meditation





Recommended Books, Audiobooks, E-Books, and Websites

Recommended Introductions to Buddhism


Further Books on Buddhism


Recommended books on Cognitive Therapy


Recommended books on Buddhism & Therapy


Audiobooks and lectures on Buddhism


Free eBooks on Buddhism


Webpages with information about Buddhism

  • Wikipedia Page on Buddhism.
  • [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Buddhist_topics]List of Wikipedia pages on Buddhism-related topics[/url




If you know good websites, books or other resources, please email Suzanne, she will add them above.


Hope to see you soon,

Suzanne, Annette, Bob, and Craig






Table of Contents

Page title Most recent update Last edited by
Concepts in Buddhism January 29, 2008 12:07 AM Susanne
About Buddhism and Happiness Meetup September 17, 2009 11:59 AM Susanne
People in this
Meetup are also in:

Log in

Not registered with us yet?

Forgot your password?

or
Log in using Facebook

Sign up

Meetup members, Log in

or
Sign up using Facebook
By clicking the "Sign up using Facebook" or "Sign up" buttons above, you agree to Meetup's Terms of Service