<p>The Theravada spirit has always been the emphasis on the "teaching" over a teacher. A common analogy is that the teaching is like the US Constitution while the teachers are like the US presidents. Presidents come and go, and might say different things at different times, but the Constitution is always there, consistent, and timeless. There're many great web sites with detailed info. about the Theravada teaching, the most popular are: <a href="http://accesstoinsight.org" rel="nofollow">accesstoinsight.org</a>, <a href="http://suttacentral.net" rel="nofollow">suttacentral.net</a>, <a href="http://budsas.org/ebud/ebidx.htm" rel="nofollow">budsas.org/ebud/ebidx.htm</a>, <a href="http://palikanon.com" rel="nofollow">palikanon.com</a>. The introductory section of accesstoinsight.org is particularly helpful and I'd strongly recommend you check it out if you haven't. Good luck.. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-21T19:47:49.583Z
2015-06-21T19:47:49.583Z
santa100
<p>Unless there's someone who's a very good teacher at a local temple, meeting with a monk regularly may not be the easiest or best way to go about it.   </p>

<p>My suggestion is to find one or more good teachers that you can relate to, wherever they are in the world, and take a retreat with them. This will teach you enough to practice on your own. A local practice centre can be found just about anywhere, and if you develop ties with them, they will be a great motivation to practice.   </p>

<p><strong>Well known Theravada Retreat Centres in the USA:</strong></p>

<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.abhayagiri.org/visiting/directions" rel="nofollow">Abhayagiri Forest Monastery, California</a></li>
<li><a href="http://bhavanasociety.org/contact/" rel="nofollow">Bhavana Society, West Virginia</a>   </li>
<li><a href="https://www.dhamma.org/en/locations/directory#mt-us" rel="nofollow">Vipassana Meditation Center, U Bha Khin/Goenka</a> </li>
</ul>

<p><strong>Other Resources:</strong>      </p>

<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.dharmanet.org/Dir/Sit/sitnd.html" rel="nofollow">Practice groups in North Dakota</a>    </li>
<li><a href="http://www.dharmanet.org/t-usa.html" rel="nofollow">Other Dhamma centres and groups in USA</a>    </li>
<li><a href="http://www.buddhanet.net/l_thera.htm" rel="nofollow">Theravadan Websites to see</a>   </li>
</ul>

<p>Some teachers and books have a study group or practice community that meets regularly online. For example,   </p>

<ul>
<li><a href="http://integrateddaniel.info/book/" rel="nofollow">Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.dharmaoverground.org/" rel="nofollow">Dharma Overground</a>   </li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-21T20:13:31.067Z
2015-06-21T20:21:20.123Z
2015-06-21T20:21:20.123Z
Buddho
<p>In addition, I would like to recommend you to follow Ven. Ajahn Brahmawamso's YouTube channel and read his publications. It is an easy method for new converts to understand the basic concepts in buddhism in an easy way. </p>

<p><a href="https://m.youtube.com/user/BuddhistSocietyWA" rel="nofollow">Visit Ven.Ajahn Brahmawamso's YouTube channel!</a> </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-24T03:20:19.673Z
2015-07-24T03:20:19.673Z
Dilshan De Silva
<p>"What the Buddha Taught" is one of the best out there to get started. <a href="http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0802130313" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/What-Buddha-Taught-Expanded-Dhammapada/dp/0802130313</a></p>

<p>Free PDF seems to be available at <a href="http://www.dhammaweb.net/books/Dr_Walpola_Rahula_What_the_Buddha_Taught.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://www.dhammaweb.net/books/Dr_Walpola_Rahula_What_the_Buddha_Taught.pdf</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-23T05:55:59.603Z
2015-06-23T05:55:59.603Z
xelber
<p>Bhante Gunaratana's "Mindfulness in Plain English" is a good place to start in getting a meditation practice going and on track. He is abbot at the Bhavana Society forest monastery in West Virginia and at age 88 still leads retreats. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-12T16:26:30.130Z
2015-07-12T16:26:30.130Z
douglaseye
<p>Books are the way to go. There is simply no substitute.</p>

<p>I recommend <a href="http://www.dharmaoverground.org/web/guest/dharma-wiki/-/wiki/Main/MCTB;jsessionid=724101A9433ABCC269CB73F7CA399CE0?p_r_p_185834411_title=MCTB" rel="nofollow">Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha</a> to develop a pragmatic Theravadin perspective with an "American" bite to it. It also educates you on how to evaluate other traditions.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-24T05:06:24.113Z
2015-07-24T05:06:24.113Z
Med
<p>If you are looking for a place to ask questions about Buddhism (or to read through the many questions that have already been answered); this is a good place to do that. Our format is that anyone who believes they have the answer to a question may submit that answer for your consideration. So questions will be answered by both monastic and lay people of various traditions. If you are looking for an answer from a specific tradition, simple tag your question as you've done above.</p>

<p>Among the many questions that have already been answered on this site are community wikis such as this <a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/questions/60/introductory-books-to-buddhism">list of introductory books</a>. Another online resource is this <a href="http://video.sirimangalo.org/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">video wiki</a> created by a Buddhism.SE moderator and frequent contributor, Venerable Yuttadhammo. Hundreds of questions and answers in video form are included here.
For local resources here is a short list of <a href="http://www.buddhanet.info/wbd/search.php?keyword=&amp;search=Search&amp;country_id=0&amp;province_id=55&amp;tradition%5B%5D=theravada" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Theravada centers</a> in your area.
Once you've had a chance to check these resources, if you have additional questions, please feel free to submit them! Our <a href="https://buddhism.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/1502/i-am-a-new-user-here-at-buddhism-se-what-should-i-know-before-i-post?">New User Welcome</a> gives some tips on how to best use this site. Best wishes!</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-21T19:55:49.967Z
2015-06-21T20:03:16.783Z
2017-04-13T12:51:06.307Z
Robin111
<p>I live in Dickinson, North Dakota USA and I am wanting to follow Buddha but have no one to teach me or to ask questions to. I has wondering if there is anyway to get in to contact with a Theravada Buddhist Monk to help guide me down my path? I have checked my local library and online for books but nothing comes up helpful. </p>

<theravada>
Lost and in need of guidance
# Lost and in need of guidance

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-06-21)

I live in Dickinson, North Dakota USA and I am wanting to follow Buddha but have no one to teach me or to ask questions to. I has wondering if there is anyway to get in to contact with a Theravada Buddhist Monk to help guide me down my path? I have checked my local library and online for books but nothing comes up helpful.

**Tags:** theravada


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## 7 answers

### Answer by username_7 on 2015-06-21. Score: 7

If you are looking for a place to ask questions about Buddhism (or to read through the many questions that have already been answered); this is a good place to do that. Our format is that anyone who believes they have the answer to a question may submit that answer for your consideration. So questions will be answered by both monastic and lay people of various traditions. If you are looking for an answer from a specific tradition, simple tag your question as you've done above.

Among the many questions that have already been answered on this site are community wikis such as this [list of introductory books](https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/questions/60/introductory-books-to-buddhism). Another online resource is this [video wiki](http://video.sirimangalo.org/) created by a Buddhism.SE moderator and frequent contributor, Venerable Yuttadhammo. Hundreds of questions and answers in video form are included here.
For local resources here is a short list of [Theravada centers](http://www.buddhanet.info/wbd/search.php?keyword=&search=Search&country_id=0&province_id=55&tradition%5B%5D=theravada) in your area.
Once you've had a chance to check these resources, if you have additional questions, please feel free to submit them! Our [New User Welcome](https://buddhism.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/1502/i-am-a-new-user-here-at-buddhism-se-what-should-i-know-before-i-post?) gives some tips on how to best use this site. Best wishes!


---

### Answer by username_1 on 2015-06-21. Score: 3

The Theravada spirit has always been the emphasis on the "teaching" over a teacher. A common analogy is that the teaching is like the US Constitution while the teachers are like the US presidents. Presidents come and go, and might say different things at different times, but the Constitution is always there, consistent, and timeless. There're many great web sites with detailed info. about the Theravada teaching, the most popular are: [accesstoinsight.org](http://accesstoinsight.org), [suttacentral.net](http://suttacentral.net), [budsas.org/ebud/ebidx.htm](http://budsas.org/ebud/ebidx.htm), [palikanon.com](http://palikanon.com). The introductory section of accesstoinsight.org is particularly helpful and I'd strongly recommend you check it out if you haven't. Good luck..


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2015-06-21. Score: 3

Unless there's someone who's a very good teacher at a local temple, meeting with a monk regularly may not be the easiest or best way to go about it.

My suggestion is to find one or more good teachers that you can relate to, wherever they are in the world, and take a retreat with them. This will teach you enough to practice on your own. A local practice centre can be found just about anywhere, and if you develop ties with them, they will be a great motivation to practice.

**Well known Theravada Retreat Centres in the USA:**

* [Abhayagiri Forest Monastery, California](https://www.abhayagiri.org/visiting/directions)
* [Bhavana Society, West Virginia](http://bhavanasociety.org/contact/)
* [Vipassana username_6itation Center, U Bha Khin/Goenka](https://www.dhamma.org/en/locations/directory#mt-us)

**Other Resources:**

* [Practice groups in North Dakota](http://www.dharmanet.org/Dir/Sit/sitnd.html)
* [Other Dhamma centres and groups in USA](http://www.dharmanet.org/t-usa.html)
* [Theravadan Websites to see](http://www.buddhanet.net/l_thera.htm)

Some teachers and books have a study group or practice community that meets regularly online. For example,

* [Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha](http://integrateddaniel.info/book/)
* [Dharma Overground](http://www.dharmaoverground.org/)


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2015-07-24. Score: 0

In addition, I would like to recommend you to follow Ven. Ajahn Brahmawamso's YouTube channel and read his publications. It is an easy method for new converts to understand the basic concepts in buddhism in an easy way.

[Visit Ven.Ajahn Brahmawamso's YouTube channel!](https://m.youtube.com/user/BuddhistSocietyWA)


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2015-06-23. Score: 0

"What the Buddha Taught" is one of the best out there to get started. [http://www.amazon.com/What-Buddha-Taught-Expanded-Dhammapada/dp/0802130313](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0802130313)

Free PDF seems to be available at <http://www.dhammaweb.net/books/Dr_Walpola_Rahula_What_the_Buddha_Taught.pdf>


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### Answer by username_5 on 2015-07-12. Score: 0

Bhante Gunaratana's "Mindfulness in Plain English" is a good place to start in getting a meditation practice going and on track. He is abbot at the Bhavana Society forest monastery in West Virginia and at age 88 still leads retreats.


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### Answer by username_6 on 2015-07-24. Score: 0

Books are the way to go. There is simply no substitute.

I recommend [Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha](http://www.dharmaoverground.org/web/guest/dharma-wiki/-/wiki/Main/MCTB;jsessionid=724101A9433ABCC269CB73F7CA399CE0?p_r_p_185834411_title=MCTB) to develop a pragmatic Theravadin perspective with an "American" bite to it. It also educates you on how to evaluate other traditions.


---

