In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon (The Teachings of the Buddha)

It is a lot to learn. Enjoy the journey. Take what you hear from posters on the internet (including myself) with a grain of salt. Like with anything else, it's best to establish the foundation of your knowledge on well-regarded sources rather than hearsay and social media. Recommended reading list for beginners, all from the author Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi: In the Buddha's Words An anthology of the Buddha's discourses, presented in a progressive and systematic way with helpful section introductions that puts the teachings in their proper context. A great book for developing a foundation of knowledge. The Noble Eightfold Path: Way to the End of Suffering A short book on the fundamentals of the path of Buddhist practice. Going for Refuge & Taking the Precepts How does one become a Buddhist? This essay is about the first steps one takes and what they mean.

I'd recommend starting with #3 below: In the Buddha's Words An anthology of the Buddha's discourses, presented in a progressive and systematic way with helpful section introductions that puts the teachings in their proper context. A great book for developing a foundation of knowledge. The Noble Eightfold Path: Way to the End of Suffering A short book on the fundamentals of the path of Buddhist practice. Going for Refuge & Taking the Precepts How does one become a Buddhist? This essay is about the first steps one takes and what they mean.

Recommended reading list for beginners, all from the author and Buddhist monk Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi: In the Buddha's Words An anthology of the Buddha's discourses, presented in a progressive and systematic way with helpful section introductions that puts the teachings in their proper context. A great book for developing a foundation of knowledge. The Noble Eightfold Path: Way to the End of Suffering A short book on the fundamentals of the path of Buddhist practice. Going for Refuge & Taking the Precepts How does one become a Buddhist? This essay is about the first steps one takes and what they mean.

Recommended reading list for beginners, all from the author Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi: In the Buddha's Words An anthology of the Buddha's discourses, presented in a progressive and systematic way with helpful section introductions that puts the teachings in their proper context. A great book for developing a foundation of knowledge. The Noble Eightfold Path: Way to the End of Suffering A short book on the fundamentals of the path of Buddhist practice. Going for Refuge & Taking the Precepts How does one become a Buddhist? This essay is about the first steps one takes and what they mean.

Recommended reading list for beginners, all from the author Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi: Going for Refuge & Taking the Precepts How does one become a Buddhist? This essay is about the first steps one takes and what they mean. In the Buddha's Words An anthology of the Buddha's discourses, presented in a progressive and systematic way with helpful section introductions that puts the teachings in their proper context. A great book for developing a foundation of knowledge. The Noble Eightfold Path: Way to the End of Suffering A short book on the fundamentals of the path of practice. Besides learning and study, you could take the refuges and precepts, establish a meditation practice (and eventually attend a meditation retreat), visit monasteries, listen to Dhamma talks, watch Dhamma videos, connect with fellow practitioners IRL, etc. Take things one step at a time. All the best!

Recommended reading list for beginners, all from the author Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi: Going for Refuge & Taking the Precepts How does one become a Buddhist? This essay is about the first steps one takes and what they mean. In the Buddha's Words An anthology of the Buddha's discourses, presented in a progressive and systematic way with helpful section introductions that puts the teachings in their proper context. A great book for developing a foundation of knowledge. The Noble Eightfold Path: Way to the End of Suffering A short book on the fundamentals of the path of practice.

Recommended reading list for beginners, all from the author Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi: Going for Refuge & Taking the Precepts How does one become a Buddhist? This essay is about the first steps one takes and what they mean. In the Buddha's Words An anthology of the Buddha's discourses, presented in a progressive and systematic way with helpful section introductions that puts the teachings in their proper context. A great book for developing a foundation of knowledge. The Noble Eightfold Path: Way to the End of Suffering A short book on the fundamentals of the path of practice. Besides learning and study, you could take the refuges and precepts, establish a meditation practice (and eventually attend a meditation retreat), visit monasteries, listen to Dhamma talks, watch Dhamma videos, connect with fellow practitioners IRL, etc. Take things one step at a time. All the best!

That's a good book you've got there! Metta is a cornerstone of practice. Recommended reading list for beginners, all from the author Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi: Going for Refuge & Taking the Precepts How does one become a Buddhist? This essay is about the first steps one takes and what they mean. In the Buddha's Words An anthology of the Buddha's discourses, presented in a progressive and systematic way with helpful section introductions that puts the teachings in their proper context. A great book for developing a foundation of knowledge. The Noble Eightfold Path: Way to the End of Suffering A short book on the fundamentals of the path of practice. Besides learning and study, you could take the refuges and precepts, establish a meditation practice (and eventually attend a meditation retreat), visit monasteries, listen to Dhamma talks, watch Dhamma videos, connect with fellow practitioners IRL, etc. Take things one step at a time. All the best!

Recommended reading list for beginners, all from the author Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi: Going for Refuge & Taking the Precepts How does one become a Buddhist? This essay is about the first steps one takes and what they mean. In the Buddha's Words An anthology of the Buddha's discourses, presented in a progressive and systematic way with helpful section introductions that puts the teachings in their proper context. A great book for developing a foundation of knowledge. The Noble Eightfold Path: Way to the End of Suffering A short book on the fundamentals of the path of practice. Besides learning and study, you could take the refuges and precepts, establish a meditation practice (and eventually attend a meditation retreat), visit monasteries, listen to Dhamma talks, watch Dhamma videos, connect with fellow practitioners IRL, etc. Take things one step at a time. All the best!

Recommended reading list for beginners, all from the author Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi: Going for Refuge & Taking the Precepts How does one become a Buddhist? This essay is about the first steps one takes and what they mean. In the Buddha's Words An anthology of the Buddha's discourses, presented in a progressive and systematic way with helpful section introductions that puts the teachings in their proper context. A great book for developing a foundation of knowledge. The Noble Eightfold Path: Way to the End of Suffering A short book on the fundamentals of the path of practice.

Recommended reading list for beginners, all from the author Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi: Going for Refuge & Taking the Precepts How does one become a Buddhist? This essay is about the first steps one takes and what they mean. In the Buddha's Words An anthology of the Buddha's discourses, presented in a progressive and systematic way with helpful section introductions that puts the teachings in their proper context. A great book for developing a foundation of knowledge. The Noble Eightfold Path: Way to the End of Suffering A short book on the fundamentals of the path of practice. Besides learning and study, you could take the refuges and precepts, establish a meditation practice (and eventually attend a meditation retreat), visit monasteries, listen to Dhamma talks, watch Dhamma videos, connect with fellow practitioners IRL, etc. Take things one step at a time. All the best!

Recommended reading list for beginners, all from the author Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi: Going for Refuge & Taking the Precepts How does one become a Buddhist? This essay is about the first steps one takes and what they mean. In the Buddha's Words An anthology of the Buddha's discourses, presented in a progressive and systematic way with helpful section introductions that puts the teachings in their proper context. A great book for developing a foundation of knowledge. The Noble Eightfold Path: Way to the End of Suffering A short book on the fundamentals of the path of practice. Besides learning and study, you could take the refuges and precepts, establish a meditation practice (and eventually attend a meditation retreat), visit monasteries, listen to Dhamma talks, watch Dhamma videos, connect with fellow practitioners IRL, etc. Take things one step at a time. All the best!

Two recommendations for beginners, both from the same author: Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi. Going for Refuge & Taking the Precepts How does one become a Buddhist? This essay is about the first steps one takes and what they mean. In the Buddha's Words An anthology of the Buddha's discourses, presented in a progressive and systematic way with helpful section introductions that puts the information in its proper context. A great book for developing a foundation of knowledge.

Start by learning about Buddhism. As you learn more, the picture will become clearer. I'll echo another poster's Wikipedia recommendation. Going down Buddhist Wikipedia rabbit holes is fun. In the Buddha's Words is a good book for foundational knowledge. You become a Buddhist by taking refuge in the Triple Gem. What does that mean? This essay explains it well. Along with visiting local monasteries, I'd suggest visiting a forest monastery. They have a different feel from the city. If you're in NorCal, check out Abhayagiri. SoCal: Metta. All the best!