Start with the basic:

So you want to be a Buddhist.
Start with the basic.
[1] believe in the self first before you can think of no-self.
[2] believe in suffering first before you can learn from suffering.
[3] believe in things will last before you say to yourselfthis too shall pass.

[1] when you believe in self you have to believe you are made of your Karma not god but karma.
And the way Karma makes you is: it molds you through your six senses.
So tune in to your six senses and accept everything calmly, everything that comes through the six senses. that is YOU caused by your karma. that's the basic.

[2]believe in suffering. yes there is suffering, yes there is pain.
Do not run away.
Do not run to the doctors right away.
Do not run back to your parents because of pain in your marriage.
Do not complain to your boss there is pain in your job.
Pain has been there with you since you were born.
Do you hear the cries when you were born. that's pain.
Accept it.
Do NOT blame on any one or anything.
It's the suffering of life.
It's basic.

[3] yes Buddha is there; yes Dharma is there; yes Sangha is there. believe in that.
Accept that.
That's basic.
Do not jump and think you are way ahead in Buddhism and get all confused and start believing falsely, get rid of Buddha, chop the statue; get rid of Dharma throw away all Dharma books; get rid of Sangha and have no respect at all for the sangha, for nothing is impermanentnothing stays forever etc.
That is silly, the height of folly.
Get serious, be a good Buddhist, and start with the basic.

Then get a good teacher and get to the next step, the higher level Buddhism:
[1] there is no-self
[2] there is wisdom in suffering
[3] nothing is permanent.

Don't think Buddhism is so easy you can do it all by yourself with no teacher.
All the Buddhism you do by yourself is wrong, to say the least.
It's because you did not start with the basic.....


How much longer do you want to keep running away from the basic.
And yes do NOT use Buddhism to run more

Des/boo-ngoh