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Originally Posted by Gem
I think my current practice is more suitable and more refined than the above recommendations. I will read these suttas, so thank you for inspiring me to do so.
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It's great that you are open to other possibilities. I have come across some who refuse to challenge their own views, regardless of what logic or evidence is presented.
Our of curiosity, and now that this thread is so derailed at this point that it is basically our own to discuss what we please, what is your current method of practice?
As for reading the suttas, I would actually recommend first coming familiar with the teachings of an ordained teacher. They essentially present the teachings in the suttas in a way that is very easy to understand and apply to one's own life, and from a vantage point of wisdom, having put into practice these teachings for their entire lives. Our own interpretations of the suttas may not always come from a place of true understanding or wisdom, especially if we are new on the path.
What is great about the teachings is that they provide a tangible path of practice, not just during meditation, but during every moment of life, regardless of the particular situation, in which we may put the principles and instructions into action and witness the fruits, witness our defilements, our attachments and aversions becoming weaker and weaker, witness our views become more conductive to clarity in thought and perception, and witness more refined, unconditioned states of peace and happiness cultivate within us. This has been my experience anyway.
I especially recommend the teachings of Thanissaro Bhikkhu. His teachings are concise and potent. Dhamma talks are an especially efficient way to become familiar with the teachings. I usually listen to them during my drive to work, while working out or doing work on my property, or any other time that I would otherwise be alone with my thoughts but too active to actually pick up a book or meditate. Here's a link for anyone interested:
http://www.dhammatalks.org/mp3_collections_index.html#