user20571: I read a course entitled ' Meditation without exertion' which was purportedly based on Tibetan teachings and methods. It discussed methods of developing concentration and imagination leading to Samadhi. Buddhism seems to present a practical method which leads to discipline and non attachment something which is lacking, at least in my experience, in the the western traditions. I'm looking for direction to these methods and ways of applying these methods to myself and my experience. Your guidance and input will be greatly appreciated

user-1: There is a good primer on Buddhist training, it is called Sutta Pitaka and it is basically a collection of discourses attributed to the teacher and the foremost disciples.
It's pretty good and i recommend memorizing it.
You won't go wrong by familiarizing yourself directly with the teacher's message before seeking out teachers & methods as it will equip you with the discernment to see which teachings are based on texts known to be true and whose teachings are worthless.

https://suttacentral.net/sn20.7/
... in a future time there will be mendicants who won’t want to listen when discourses spoken by the Realized One—deep, profound, transcendent, dealing with emptiness—are being recited. They won’t pay attention or apply their minds to understand them, nor will they think those teachings are worth learning and memorizing.
But when discourses composed by poets—poetry, with fancy words and phrases, composed by outsiders or spoken by disciples—are being recited they will want to listen. They’ll pay attention and apply their minds to understand them, and they’ll think those teachings are worth learning and memorizing. And that is how the discourses spoken by the Realized One—deep, profound, transcendent, dealing with emptiness—will disappear. So you should train like this: ‘When discourses spoken by the Realized One—deep, profound, transcendent, dealing with emptiness—are being recited we will want to listen. We will pay attention and apply our minds to understand them, and we will think those teachings are worth learning and memorizing.’ That’s how you should train.”


user471: "Meditation without exertion" that I found on the Internet, based on the top Google search result, appears to be about Gnostic meditation and not Buddhist. It may have borrowed some elements of Buddhism. I will not put the link here as that is off-topic.
For Buddhism, the first step is to gain understanding into the basic teachings of Buddhism.
For a classic introduction to the Buddha's teachings, I recommend the book "What the Buddha Taught" by Walpola Rahula. You can find the PDF version here. There is also a very short collection of the suttas at the back of the book.
The ebook "Without and Within" by Ajahn Jayasaro, available in PDF and epub formats, is 127-pages long and is meant to be a collection of questions and answers on Buddhism for beginners.
The second steps are:

Undertaking the five precepts
Taking refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha
Cultivation of virtues based on Right Speech, Right Action and Right Livelihood

Please read Ven. Bodhi's "Going for Refuge & Taking the Precepts" and Ven. Thanissaro's "Refuge: An Introduction to the Buddha, Dhamma, & Sangha" and "The Healing Power of the Precepts".
Only after that, you could consider meditation.
For a beginner's guide to Buddhist meditation, I would recommend Ven. Yuttadhammo's free ebook entitled "How to Meditate" and his YouTube playlist.
When you have gotten through this, then you can move to more advanced material on meditation.

20571: <p>I read a course entitled ' Meditation without exertion' which was purportedly based on Tibetan teachings and methods. It discussed methods of developing concentration and imagination leading to Samadhi. Buddhism seems to present a practical method which leads to discipline and non attachment something which is lacking, at least in my experience, in the the western traditions. I'm looking for direction to these methods and ways of applying these methods to myself and my experience. Your guidance and input will be greatly appreciated</p>
 -1: <p>There is a good primer on Buddhist training, it is called Sutta Pitaka and it is basically a collection of discourses attributed to the teacher and the foremost disciples.</p>
<p>It's pretty good and i recommend memorizing it.</p>
<p>You won't go wrong by familiarizing yourself directly with the teacher's message before seeking out teachers &amp; methods as it will equip you with the discernment to see which teachings are based on texts known to be true and whose teachings are worthless.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://suttacentral.net/sn20.7/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://suttacentral.net/sn20.7/</a>
... in a future time there will be mendicants who won’t want to listen when discourses spoken by the Realized One—deep, profound, transcendent, dealing with emptiness—are being recited. They won’t pay attention or apply their minds to understand them, nor will they think those teachings are worth learning and memorizing.</p>
<p>But when discourses composed by poets—poetry, with fancy words and phrases, composed by outsiders or spoken by disciples—are being recited they will want to listen. They’ll pay attention and apply their minds to understand them, and they’ll think those teachings are worth learning and memorizing. And that is how the discourses spoken by the Realized One—deep, profound, transcendent, dealing with emptiness—will disappear. So you should train like this: ‘When discourses spoken by the Realized One—deep, profound, transcendent, dealing with emptiness—are being recited we will want to listen. We will pay attention and apply our minds to understand them, and we will think those teachings are worth learning and memorizing.’ That’s how you should train.”</p>
</blockquote>
 471: <p>&quot;Meditation without exertion&quot; that I found on the Internet, based on the top Google search result, appears to be about Gnostic meditation and not Buddhist. It may have borrowed some elements of Buddhism. I will not put the link here as that is off-topic.</p>
<p>For Buddhism, the first step is to gain understanding into the basic teachings of Buddhism.</p>
<p>For a classic introduction to the Buddha's teachings, I recommend the book &quot;<a href="https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/0802130313" rel="nofollow noreferrer" rel="nofollow noreferrer">What the Buddha Taught</a>&quot; by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walpola_Rahula_Thero" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Walpola Rahula</a>. You can find the PDF version <a href="http://www.ahandfulofleaves.org/documents/What%20the%20Buddha%20Taught_Rahula.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a>. There is also a very short collection of the suttas at the back of the book.</p>
<p>The ebook &quot;<a href="https://www.amaravati.org/dhamma-books/without-and-within/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Without and Within</a>&quot; by <a href="https://www.amaravati.org/biographies/ajahn-jayasaro/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Ajahn Jayasaro</a>, available in PDF and epub formats, is 127-pages long and is meant to be a collection of questions and answers on Buddhism for beginners.</p>
<p>The second steps are:</p>
<ul>
<li>Undertaking the <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sila/pancasila.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">five precepts</a></li>
<li>Taking refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha</li>
<li>Cultivation of virtues based on <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sacca/sacca4/samma-vaca/index.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Right Speech</a>, <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sacca/sacca4/samma-kammanto/index.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Right Action</a> and <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sacca/sacca4/samma-ajivo/index.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Right Livelihood</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Please read <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhikkhu_Bodhi" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Ven. Bodhi</a>'s &quot;<a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bodhi/wheel282.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Going for Refuge &amp; Taking the Precepts</a>&quot; and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E1%B9%ACh%C4%81nissaro_Bhikkhu" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Ven. Thanissaro</a>'s &quot;<a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/refuge.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Refuge: An Introduction to the Buddha, Dhamma, &amp; Sangha</a>&quot; and &quot;<a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/precepts.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">The Healing Power of the Precepts</a>&quot;.</p>
<p>Only after that, you could consider meditation.</p>
<p>For a beginner's guide to Buddhist meditation, I would recommend <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuttadhammo_Bhikkhu" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Ven. Yuttadhammo</a>'s free ebook entitled &quot;<a href="https://www.sirimangalo.org/text/how-to-meditate/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">How to Meditate</a>&quot; and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL603BD0B03E12F5A1" rel="nofollow noreferrer">his YouTube playlist</a>.</p>
<p>When you have gotten through this, then you can move to more advanced material on meditation.</p>
