Is anyone here a Buddhist? I've been one for four years. And I would love to talk about the Dharma.

Trying to be modest spoken, I have studyed the Dharma and have a lot of respect
Buddhist understanding.
Avatar deals with layers and spiritual viewpoints taken from many diffrent cultures
around our World 'and "reflected" back through the films "mirror storytelling"
Are you intrested in looking at Avatar from a Buddhist perspective ? or talk on the
Buddha Dharma itself bound to our core human understanding.
I would find talk on this subject very intresting .

Talking about both would be great.

I think it would benifit everyone here if we spoke on the comcept of "Basic Goodness"
this could also Reflect on symbolic examples in Avatar That refect on Neytiris commits when
first meeting Jake as well as well as some
Sakyong Mipham Rimpoche Title means "earth protector" here in this example he speaks on
this comsept, Native peoples speak on this also I beleave is is a universal part of our primal core understanding at birth.
Basic Goodness: We are at a crossroads for humanity -Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. Shambhala - YouTube

Nice video.

I find it interesting how westernized Buddhism has become. And the fact that western society finds Buddhism to be this superior religion, when in reality it's very similar to most others. The majority of stories you find Buddha in regard why you should give money to monks in order to gain good karma.
Western society seems to put this really mystical veil over Buddhism which is why I think it's so appealing to us.

I am very aware of examples of this but its not only an issue in the west
it happens inside China and many far eastern countrys as well.
Chinese temples extort profits with spiritual threats
Its a classic example of the power of greed to corrupt the meaning of the orignal teachings and is not unique to Buddhisum in any way its possible to abuse any teaching , In truth "Buddhists are Atheists" "But in countrys like Japan it is not uncomon
for people to practice Buddhisum and Shinto (respect of nature and ancesters) at its core
Buddhist practice some say "Is a science of the mind" going back 2500 years
and they are "encourged" to contemplate , question ,and debate, on Buddha's teachings
monks often do this in groups http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlqjIXhF7qg things are not set in stone
and can evolve, when Buddhist practice came to Tibet "it wove itself into the "Bon" culture of the Tibeten people.
so Tibeten buddhism is uniquely "Tibeten" it fits with there culture, it can evolve in our case also .
Buddhism in a Nutshell - Is Buddhism a Religion
There is a intresting question I like to gently debate on,
Why do people feel the need for "spiritual meaning in there life ?

I agree, but I don't see how it's "very" similar to western religions.

It's greedy, violent, and over the top in it's stories.
If one reads old Indian texts about the the Buddha, he was 9 feet tall and blyue and illuminated light in every direction and everywhere he stepped, flowers would bloom.

When I read the Sutras, I take them as symbolic. There's a message in them about living your life you don't have to believe that Buddha was nine feet tall.

That sounds more like classical Hinduism to me. Because that's the sort of thing Vishnu gets up to. (As well as certain other people. )

Ancient Indians didn't write it to be symbolic. They believed it. That was Buddha.

I believe one of Vishnu's Avatars was the Buddha, in Hindu texts.

if Buddha was 9 ft tall, blue & glowing - then he was a Na'vi & would fit perfectly on Pandora! Which is fine with me & glowing dots are good enough

Talking about Buddhism, I studied it briefly in the uni under History of Religions, & I liked the teaching & the philosophy.
a. Non-violence (you'll never see a Buddhist go to war).
b. Reincarnations (there's always another chance, rather than either eternal hell - or equally eternal paradise. Even if after X lives you're already enlightened enough as not to repeat any old mistakes, so you don't Need to reincarnate anymore - you can still Choose to go back & help the others, then you're a Bodhidharma.)
c. Tolerance to other beliefs ('many roads that lead to the top of the same mountain'). allroock's example about Buddhism & Shinto is a fine illustration to peaceful coexistance & respect to a different belief.

Talking about karma & dharma... Afaik, the word 'karma' comes from a Sanskrit root 'kr' meaning 'action' - but the concept of karma implies 'cause - action - effect', 3 in 1. It's usually related to the past.
Now (afaik), dharma = right action + right time + right place + right person! For example it's not right for me to write music cos I know zilch about it - therefore, I am not the right person, even though other conditions might coincide.

An example of karma & dharma:
You see a person drowning in the sea. Most certainly, s/he is there for karmic reasons. Now, you dharma would be to save this person - or to call the life guard if you can't swim! Life-guards rule: "Don't make it a double drowning". -That would be adharmic (not right)

Then, dharma could be personal (Hina-yana - the road of personal salvation) or social (Maha-yana - salvation of all). As a practical example, I've been on Maha-yana for about 10 years (charities) but I feel a bit burnt out saving the world so at the moment I feel that my dharma is more on Hina-yana. At least at this moment in time.

That's my limited knowledge, of course. What did you want to say about dharma, moonbeam? If you know more than me (that I am sure of ) please share.

Buddhism sees reincarnation as a negative thing.