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About me

Since my previous attempt at a profile page was eaten by Liferay (the software behind the DhO), I've decided to set this up as a blog. Maybe I can figure out a way to make this entry "sticky" or something, to have a useful "about me" page.

Hi, my name is Florian. On the old Dharma Overground, I had the login name "Monkey Mind", which is a bit of a Buddhist joke. If you read the DhO Forum archive, you'll come across a few references to that name.

For all my participation in the forum, I'm not very advanced by Insight standards. I do know the insight territory up to early equanimity well enough, though. I also manage to get into some of the samatha Jhanas, particularly 4th. So now you can place my comments on the large scale of experience and expertise present in this community.

I've not been on any retreat. I practice by myself. The DhO is my Dharma family.

Apart from my enthusiasm for meditation practice, I'm also a reader of the Pali Suttas. I've read through the Majjhima, Digha, and Samyutta Nikayas, and am currently well into the Anguttara Nikaya.

I live in northern Switzerland.

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My name is Florian - "Monkey Mind" is something of a Buddhist in-joke.
 
After developing an interest in Theravada Buddhism in 2004, I started to search the Internet for resources: Mainly the library at Access to Insight, some writings by Buddhadasa, Ñanavira, Dan's book, a couple of mailing lists, some podcasts, and Usenet. But it's hard to find people in these places who are interested in nibbana "for real", and who see in the Buddha's teachings actual instructions for practice instead of philosophical statements or religious ideals.

I've been reading the Sutta Pitaka (German translation) cover to cover starting in 2006: I'm through with Majjhima, Digha, and Samyutta, and am well into the Anguttara Nikaya.

I'm meditating on my own. I have not yet done any retreats, nor joined any meditation group.

I live in Switzerland, north-west of Zurich.

Over the past year, I've been one of the more active participants here at the Dharma Overground. During this time, I've made more progress in my development and received more skillful advice from this amazing community than in any comparable previous time period or spiritual scene. I hope my frequent contributions convey, in a way useful to others, my enthusiasm for meditation and other forms of practice, and my confidence at doing this at my level of understanding - which is far from a high Dharma point of view.