Buddhists often say that they practice Buddhism. What exactly does "practice Buddhism" mean?
First, "practice" most often refers to a specific activity like meditating or chanting that one does every day. For example, a person practicing Japanese Jodo Shu (Pure Land) Buddhism recites the Nembutsu every day. Zen and Theravada Buddhists practice bhavana (meditation) every day.
Many lay Buddhists maintain a home altar. Exactly what goes on the altar varies from sect to sect, but most include an image of the Buddha, candles, flowers, incense, and a small bowl for a water offering. Taking care of the altar is a reminder to take care of practice.
Buddhist practice also includes practicing the Buddha's teachings, in particular the Eightfold Path. The eight elements of the path are organized into three sections -- wisdom, ethical conduct and mental discipline. A meditation practice would be part of mental discipline.
Ethical conduct is very much part of daily practice. We are challenged to take care in our speech, our actions, and our daily lives to do no harm to others and to cultivate wholesomeness in ourselves. For example, if we find ourselves getting angry, we take steps to let go of our anger before we harm anyone.
We are challenged to practice mindfulness at all times. Mindfulness is nonjudgmental observation of our moment-to-moment lives. By remaining mindful we remain clear to present reality, not getting lost in a tangle of worries, daydreams and passions.
Buddhists strive to practice Buddhism at every moment. Of course, we all fall short at times. But making that effort is Buddhism. Becoming a Buddhist is not a matter of accepting a belief system or memorizing doctrines. To be a Buddhist is to practice Buddhism
In the West, both Buddha and Buddhism have been an attractive and ever-growing force for both personal growth and social change. You can embrace Buddha without embracing Buddhism. Buddha requires no beliefs, no affiliations and, therefore, no conflict with your own belief system, whether you are devoutly religious or an atheist.
Buddha's teachings are universal, transcending time and culture. If you have a mind, then Buddha is relevant to you. Many of the presentations of Buddhism in the West are more Buddha than Buddhism. For example, you will find mindfulness meditation being taught at major medical centers with no Buddhist context or affiliation.
The first written evidence of the existence of Buddhism is found 400 years after the life of Buddha. King Ashoka of the Mauryan state of Northern India made inscriptions containing references to Buddhism that date from about 269 to 232 B.C.E.
Are You a Buddhist?
How do you become a Buddhist? What does it mean to be a card-carrying Buddhist? Buddhism represents a great diversity of traditions, so there is no one way to become a Buddhist and perhaps, ironically, no need to become a “Buddhist.” There is a curious situation in America where many teachers teaching Buddhist meditation would not consider themselves “Buddhist,” although they lead lives entirely consistent with the principles and practices of this religion. Buddhism in America has become quite popular and many people might identify themselves as Buddhists.
According to Russell Chandler, the author of Racing Toward 2001, there were an estimated 359 million Buddhists in the world in 2000, with a projected growth rate of 1.7 percent annually. Some estimates have placed this number much higher with over 1 billion Buddhists worldwide, and an increasing number coming from the West. At the dawn of the new millennium, there were approximately 800,000 Buddhists living in the United States.
One prerequisite to identification as a Buddhist would be to take refuge in the Triple Jewel: The Buddha, the dharma, and the sangha. Buddha is not just the historical person of the Buddha, it is what the Buddha represents — the potential for awakening that you have. Taking refuge in Buddha is not idolatry. Buddhists look to the Buddha as a role model, especially in America (although in Asian contexts it can appear that people are really praying to the Buddha as a god by requesting intercessory prayers).
Dharma is the body of teachings that the Buddha taught and also the truths that these teachings point to. Sometimes dharma is translated as “The Way” — the way to live to get beyond suffering.
Sangha is the community of like-minded practitioners on the same path. It is the people you might practice with at a local meditation gathering in your community, such as a Zen temple, and all the people all over the world stretching back in time 2,500 years. Taking refuge is an initiation into an awakened life. It is like getting on a raft that will carry you across the river of samsara (endless suffering).
You can also join a sangha by becoming a monk. Monastic initiation is more involved than lay initiation. Many Americans choose to become a monk or a nun in one of these Asian traditions. To do this, you would have to renounce aspects of your life and take on the monastic vows. In the Zen tradition, you would shave your head and devote yourself to a life of service to your Zen master and your zendo (Zen temple). There is also lay ordination. Initiation into the Triple Jewel is, perhaps, the closest these diverse traditions have to a universal initiation.
For most religions, becoming a member of that religion requires adopting a particular set of beliefs and a corresponding faith in those beliefs. Buddhism is different in this way. There are some core principles that reflect the teachings of the Buddha and you must be on board with these to be considered a “Buddhist,” but these are not articles of faith, like believing in a virgin birth, a creator god, or even an enlightened prophet. They are more practical. Stephen Batchelor suggests there can be “Buddhism without belief” in ideas such as rebirth.
What Makes You Not a Buddhist
Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche, author of What Makes You Not a Buddhist, provides four criteria to consider. To be a Buddhist, one must believe in all four of these tenets or seals. These are: 1) all compounded things are impermanent, 2) all emotions are pain, 3) all things have no inherent existence, and 4) nirvana is beyond all concepts.
While these might be considered “beliefs,” each is based on direct experience, the kind of experience that can arise from your practice of meditation. If you meditate, you will notice that things are constantly changing — the quality of your breathing, the energy in your body, and the ceaseless flow of thoughts in your mind. All emotions are pain seems harder to accept; after all, joy is not “painful.”
But this joy won't last (since everything is impermanent) and somewhere in the back of your mind there is the recognition and fear that this experience won't last. Emotions, in this case, might be distinguished from feelings, with emotions being a complex of intense feelings, suffused with thoughts and embedded in a story that eventually has something to do with desire.
“All things have no inherent existence” is the teaching on emptiness, and again is less a belief than an experience that arises in meditation. Nirvana is beyond all concepts can also be experienced in meditation.
What is Nirvana?
Nirvana is not only a grunge rock band from the 1990s, it is a fundamental, and often misunderstood, concept in Buddhism. Nirvana is not some blissful place that you go to. Nirvana is the cessation of suffering. It literally means “blowing out.” What gets blown out is the generation of suffering from the influence of greed, hatred, and delusion.
So if you like being a Buddhist because of the colorful rituals and the exotic association with Asian cultures, the message of compassion and peace, but don't “get” these four seals, Rinpoche suggests you are not a Buddhist in the important sense of being a Buddhist. In other words, to be a Buddhist is to understand Buddhist psychology — to have a direct experience of what the Buddha discovered and that you can discover if you devote yourself to any of the Buddhist meditation practices.
Devotion
While Westerners may be attracted to the more secular forms and practices of Buddhism, in Asia devotion is a common practice. You may find devotion congenial to your needs or not. In America, the Theravada traditions are the least devotional while the Tibetan practices are the most, with Zen somewhere in between. Buddhism has a long tradition of venerating relics and images of the Buddha, even though he was considered a man and not a god.
In Tibetan Buddhism there is a pantheon of buddhas and bodhisattvas available to respond to prayers. According to Professor Kevin Trainor, the Buddha Amitabha is believed to directly intervene during the process of death and rebirth.
In traditional Buddhist cultures, the line between devotion and metaphor becomes blurred. In the West, you may want to see the Buddha as an exemplar to inspire practice. If you bow to the Buddha at a Zen temple, you are not subjugating yourself to a superior being, but bowing to the divinity that resides within yourself. Buddhists take inspiration from the life and work of the Buddha and also honor the Buddha to accumulate merit.
Devotion also reflects a sense of gratitude for the teachings of the Buddha and the sacrifices he made to bring those teaching to humanity. You can view him in any way that you like, as a role model or a transcendent being. However you regard him, he was one cool dude!
Can you have a religion without god, a supreme being that created the world and intervenes in the lives of his (or her) creatures? Does Buddhism qualify as a religion? Or is Buddhism a philosophical and ethical system for living? It appears that Buddhism can be considered a nontheistic religion, according to Buddhist scholar Damien Keown when considered along seven dimensions common to religion. These seven dimensions include:
Practical and Ritual
Experiential and Emotional
Narrative and Mythic
Doctrinal and Philosophical
Ethical and Legal
Social and Institutional
Material
Practical and Ritual
While the ritual elements of Buddhism may seem bare bones compared to the Catholic Church, for example, Buddhism certainly has rites and rituals that are public and private, many of which are associated with monastic life. Different Buddhist traditions place different emphases on ritual.
Experiential and Emotional
The experiential dimension is the most important dimension of Buddhism. The Buddha was the exemplar. He transformed his life not through belief but through experiential practice. And Buddhists follow a similar path. The truth of Buddhism must be experienced. Karen Armstrong notes that the Buddha “confined his researches to his own human nature and always insisted that his experiences — even the supreme truth of Nibbana (Nirvana) were entirely natural to humanity.”
Narrative and Mythic
Buddhism is not without its myths and legends, including those surrounding the life of the Buddha, which can be read as a parable as well as a biographical account of the historical figure known as Siddhartha Gautama. There are many narrative elements in Buddhism, including the Jataka tales.
Doctrinal and Philosophical
The Buddha chafed at “doctrine” and idle philosophical speculation and sought to teach through direct experience. However, Professor Keown says of doctrine, “if by ‘doctrine’ we understand the systematic formulation of religious teachings in an intellectually coherent form,” then Buddhism qualifies as having doctrine in this sense. For example, there are the Four Noble Truths that are the foundation of the Buddha's teachings.
Ethical and Legal
Buddhism is widely regarded as one of the world's most ethical religions, having incorporated ethics into the foundation of the experiential practices.
The central ethic is to “do no harm.” Buddhism is predominately a path of peace. For example, the Dalai Lama has consistently advocated peaceful resistance to the Chinese occupation of his country, an occupation that has, by some estimates, claimed a million lives and destroyed 6,000 monasteries.
Social and Institutional
The sangha is the community of Buddhist practitioners and it is one of humanity's oldest continuous institutions. Yet the sangha is not an institution in the sense that it has a central authority such as the Vatican. It is a diverse collection of people across nations and cultures that practice the Buddha's teachings in diverse ways. Buddhism is also a socially engaged religion seeking to make positive changes in society.
Material
The material dimensions of Buddhism are vast, majestic, and colorful. Buddhists have built breathtaking monasteries, caves, and carvings of the Buddha. King Ashoka left a legacy of iconic structures called stupas across India. Buddhist art is colorful and narrative. Buddhists make pilgrimages to holy sites such as the birth and death place of the Buddha and the places where he became enlightened and gave his first sermon.
As you can see, while Buddhism does not have a god and the Buddha is not regarded as a god, it fulfills the other criteria for a religion. You can consider it what you like. You can adopt Buddhism as your religion or you can regard it as a set of experiential practices, such as meditation, that you can integrate with your own religious beliefs.
Or, as many do, Buddhism can be approached in an entirely secular manner, as a philosophical system for living, eschewing all rituals, beliefs, and doctrine, just as the Buddha did 2,500 years ago in his search for a way to end suffering. You, just like the Buddha, have the same potential for awakening.
Buddhism is one of the world's great religions. Behind Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism, it is the fourth most populous religion in the world. And the question might be raised: Is Buddhism a religion at all? What is Buddhism, who was the Buddha, and why is he as relevant today as he was 2,500 years ago? Buddhism promises a path to happiness through the eradication of suffering. Can it do this? This chapter will address these questions.
1. “Everything changes; everything is connected; pay attention.” — Jane Hirshfield
2. “Each of you should make himself his island, make himself and no one else his refuge, each of you must make the dharma his island, the dharma and nothing else his refuge.” — The Buddha
3. “Whoever honors his own sect and condemns other sects … injures his own more gravely.” — King Ashoka
4. “You can search through the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection.” — The Buddha
5. “Even loss and betrayal bring us awakening.” — The Buddha
6. “To live fully is to let go and die with each passing moment, and to be reborn in each new one.” — Jack Kornfield
7. “When you paint Spring, do not paint willows, plums, peaches, or apricots, but just paint Spring. To paint willows, plums, peaches, or apricots is to paint willows, plums, peaches, or apricots — it is not yet painting Spring.” — Dogen
8. “We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make our world.” — The Buddha
9. “All the happiness there is in the world comes from thinking about others, and all the suffering comes from preoccupation with yourself.” — Shantideva
10. “We are human beings who take form through an impetus to joy, interest, and concern.” — Arnie Kozak
Spiritual Life and Daily Life
Many people have the misconception that spiritual life or religious life is somewhere up there in the sky -- an ethereal or mystical reality -- and that our everyday life is too mundane and not so nice. Often people think that to be a spiritual person, we must ignore or neglect our everyday life, and go into another, special realm. Actually, I think being a spiritual person means becoming a real human being. Thich Nhat Hanh, a well-known Vietnamese monk, said, "It is not so important whether you walk on water or walk in space. The true miracle is to walk on earth." It's true. In other words, becoming a kind human being is probably the greatest miracle we can perform.
One time I gave a talk in a Hong Kong school to a group of children. One child asked, "Can you bend spoons with your mind?" Another asked, "Has God ever talked to you?" They were very disappointed when I said, "No." I went on to explain that for me a real true miracle is becoming a kind human being. If you have psychic powers but lack a kind heart, the powers are of no use. In fact, they could even be disadvantageous: people may get very upset if they find all their spoons have been bent!
Upon Waking Up
How do we cultivate a kind heart? It is not enough to tell ourselves that we should be nice, because telling ourselves what we should or should not be, feel, or do doesn't make us become that way. Filling ourselves with "shoulds" often just makes us feel guilty because we never are what we think we should be. We need to know how to actually transform our mind. In other words, we must realize the disadvantages of being self-centered. We must truly want to develop a kind heart, not just keep thinking that we should develop a kind heart. In the morning, when we first wake up, before getting out of bed, before thinking about what we will eat for breakfast or which obnoxious jerk we will see at the office, we can start the day by thinking, "Today as much as possible, I won't harm anybody. Today as much as possible I am going to try be of service and benefit to others. Today I want to do all actions so that all living beings can attain the long-term happiness of enlightenment."
Setting a positive motivation the first thing in the morning is very beneficial. When we first wake up, our mind is very subtle and delicate. If we set a strong positive motivation at this time, there is a greater chance of it staying with us and influencing us throughout the day. After generating our positive motivation, we get out of bed, wash, maybe have a cup of tea, and then meditate or recite prayers. By starting the day in this way, we get in touch with ourselves and become our own friend by treasuring and re-enforcing our good qualities.
Finding Time to Meditate Each Day
Sometimes it is difficult to find time to meditate each day. But we always have time to watch TV. We always have time to go shopping. We always have time to get a snack from the refrigerator. Why is it that the 24 hours run out when it is time to meditate? When we understand the value and effect of spiritual practice, then it will become a high priority in our life, and when something is very important, we find time for it. In this way, try to set up a daily meditation practice of maybe 15 or 30 minutes in the morning. To do that, we might have to experience the "incredible sacrifice" of giving up 15 or 30 minutes of television the previous evening so we can go to bed a little earlier. In the same way that we always find time to eat because food nourishes our body, we will find time to meditate and recite some prayers because it nourishes us spiritually. When we respect ourselves spiritually, we respect ourselves as human beings. Nourishing ourselves in that way then becomes a very important priority.
Morning Meditation
In the morning, it is good to begin your meditation session with a few prayers and cultivate the altruistic intention to benefit others by doing the meditation. Then do the breathing meditation for a while. Sit calmly, experience your breath going in and out, and be aware of the breath nourishing you. Just be in the present moment with the breath, and let all the discursive thoughts and worries subside. You may want to chant Kuan Yin's (Avalokiteshvara's) mantra or that of the Buddha. It is helpful to remember the Buddha's qualities at this time for it inspires us to emulate the Buddha's kindness, wisdom and skill in our daily activities. Or you may do an analytic meditation, thinking about the meaning of a particular teaching the Buddha gave and applying it to your own life. This also steers your energy in a very positive direction first thing in the morning.
Some people say, "I have children. How can I meditate or say prayers in the morning when they need my attention?" One way is to get up earlier than your children. Another idea is to invite your children to meditate or chant with you. One time I was staying with my brother's family. My niece, who was about six or seven at that time, used to come into my room because we were the first two to wake up in the morning. As I was reciting prayers or meditating, I explained to her that this is a time when I am quiet and do not want to be disturbed. She would come in and sometimes she would draw. Other times, she would sit in my lap. Several times she asked me to sing to her, and I would chant prayers and mantras out loud. She really liked this and did not disturb me at all.
It is very good for children to see their parents sit still and be calm. That gives them the idea that maybe they too can do the same. If Mom and Dad are always busy, running around, talking on the phone, stressed out, or collapsed in front of the TV, the kids will also be like this. Is this what you want for your children? If you want your children to learn certain attitudes or behaviors, you have to cultivate them yourselves. Otherwise, how will your children learn? If you care about your children, you have to care about yourselves as well and be mindful of living a healthy and balanced life for their benefit as well as for your own.
You can also teach your children how to make offerings to the Buddha and how to recite simple prayers and mantras. Once, I stayed with a friend and her three-year-old daughter. Every morning when we got up, we would all bow three times to the Buddha. Then, the little girl would give the Buddha a present -- a cookie or some fruit -- and the Buddha would give her a present also, a sweet or a cracker. It was very nice for the child, because at age three she was establishing a good relationship with the Buddha and at the same time was learning to be generous and share things. When my friend cleaned the house, did chores or went places with her daughter, they would chant mantras together. The little girl loved the melodies of the mantras. This helped her because whenever she got upset or frightened, she knew she could chant mantras to calm herself down.
Practicing Dharma at the Workplace
Let's return to your daily practice. After your morning meditation, have breakfast and set off for work. How are you going to practice Dharma at work? First, try to remember the kind heart and the motivation you cultivated in the morning. Throughout the day, continually remind yourself that you don't want to harm anybody, that you want to be of service to them, and that you seek to do all actions for the ultimate enlightenment of yourself and others. To remind yourself of this, you can use a frequent event as a trigger to call you back to your motivation. For example, every time you stop at a red light, instead of being irritated and thinking, "Why is this red light so long? I'm late for work!" think, "Today, I want to have a kind heart towards others." Thus the red light becomes an opportunity to remember the kind heart. When the telephone rings, instead of rushing to pick it up, first think, "May I be of service to whomever is on the line." Then answer the phone. Every time your pager goes off, calmly come back to the kind heart, then respond to the call. A friend told me that her trigger to come back to the kind heart was her children calling, "Mommy! Mommy!" Since this happened frequently throughout the day, she became familiar with the kind heart and also was much more patient with her children.
Throughout the day, try to be aware of what you are thinking, feeling, saying, and doing, instead of living on "automatic." When we live on automatic, we go through life reacting to things but never really experiencing what life is about. This is why we feel out of touch with ourselves, like strangers to ourselves. For example, you get in the car and drive to work. When you got to work, if somebody asked you, "What did you think about during the half hour you were driving?" you probably wouldn't know. We are unaware of what is going on inside us. Yet a lot is going on and this influences how we feel about ourselves and how we relate to other people.
Cultivating Mindfulness
The antidote to living on automatic is to cultivate mindfulness. Mindfulness means being aware of what we are thinking, feeling, saying, and doing each moment. It also means being mindful of our ethical values and of the kind heart, so that we can live according to them in our daily lives. By cultivating this awareness, we will no longer be spaced out, just reacting to things, and then wondering why we are so confused and exhausted at the end of the day. If we are mindful, we will notice that we have a kind heart and will enrich it and let our actions flow from it. Or, we might become aware that we are upset, irritated, angry, or are on the verge of scolding somebody. If we realize that, we can come back to our breath, come back to our kind heart, instead of throwing our negative energy out in the world.
Being Mindful of Living in an Interdependent World
We also become more mindful of how we interact with our environment. We realize that we live in an interdependent world, and if we pollute our environment, we are affecting ourselves, our children, and other living beings. Because we are mindful of being kind, we will curtail the ways in which we pollute the environment. We will carpool when going to work or school, instead of using up gasoline in a car by ourselves. We will recycle the things we use: paper, cans, plastic containers, bottles, glass jars, and newspapers. We know that if we throw these away in the garbage, we are destroying our planet and are affecting other beings in a negative way. Thus, we will re-use our plastic bags and paper bags when we go to the supermarket. In addition, we will not leave our air-conditioners or heaters on when we are not home, and will not use products, such as styrofoam whose production releases many pollutants into the air.
I think that if the Buddha were alive today, he would establish vows that said we have to recycle and stop wasting resources. Many of our monastic vows arose because lay people complained to the Buddha about what monks or nuns did. Each time this happened, the Buddha would establish a precept in order to curb the detrimental behavior. If the Buddha were alive today, people would complain to him, "So many Buddhists throw out their tin cans, glass jars, and newspaper! They use disposable cups, chopsticks and plates, which not only make more garbage but also cause the destruction of many trees. They do not seem to care about the environment and the living beings in it!" I would feel pretty embarrassed if I was doing that and someone complained to the Buddha about my behavior, wouldn't you? That's why I think the Buddha would definitely set down vows saying that we have to recycle and to curtail consumption.
Being Mindful of Our Actions
Mindfulness also enables us to be aware if we are about to act destructively as we go through the day. Mindfulness says, "Uh oh! I'm getting angry," or "I'm being greedy," or "I'm feeling jealous." Then we can apply the various antidotes the Buddha taught to help us calm our minds. For example, if we discover we are annoyed and anger is arising, we can stop and look at the situation from the other person's point of view. When we do this, we recognize they want to be happy, and because they aren't happy, they are doing that action we find objectionable. Then instead of harming them out of anger, we will be more compassionate and understanding, and will work with them to negotiate an agreement.
But how do we do this when a quarrel is just about to start or we're already in the middle of one? We have to practice beforehand, in our meditation practice. In the heat of the situation, it is difficult to remember what the Buddha taught if we haven't practiced it already when we were calm and peaceful. In the same way that a football team practices on a regular basis, we need to meditate on patience and to recite prayers daily to get well-trained. Then when we encounter a situation in daily life, we will be able to use the teachings.
Offering Our Food
Another practice to increase our mindfulness and help us remember our motivation is offering our food before we eat. We imagine the food to be blissful wisdom nectar -- something very delicious that increases our bliss and wisdom, not our attachment, when we eat. Then we imagine a small Buddha made of light at our heart. When we eat, we offer this nectar to the Buddha at our heart. The Buddha radiates light that fills us up. To do this, you don't need to sit in perfect meditation position in the middle of a restaurant! You can visualize and contemplate in this way while waiting for the food. While your companions or business associates continue to chat, you can do this visualization and offer your food to the Buddha without anyone knowing. Sometimes, for example, when you're at home with your family, you can pause and focus on offering your food. It's very nice for a family to recite together a prayer offering their food. I stayed with one family and their six-year-old son led us in reciting the prayer. It was very touching.
When you eat, eat mindfully. Be aware of the effort other people put into growing, transporting, and preparing the food. Realize your interdependence with other living beings and how much benefit you have received from them, such as the food we eat. If we reflect in this way before we eat, we will feel very happy and grateful when we eat, and we will eat more mindfully too. And if we eat mindfully, we won't overeat, and then we won't have to spend so much money on special diets to lose weight!
It is important to eat in a dignified manner. Sometimes we see people in a cafeteria line who haven't even paid for the food yet and are already shoveling it in. This is eating on automatic. It resembles a dog who runs to the bowl and slurps up the food. When we do this reflection and offer our food to the Buddha at our heart, we eat slower and are more relaxed. This is how human beings eat.
Reviewing the Day
In this way, we maintain mindfulness and enrich our kind heart as we go through the day. When we come home in the evening, instead of collapsing in front of the TV or dropping on the bed and falling asleep, we can take a few minutes to sit quietly by ourselves. We reflect about and come to terms with what happened during the day. We look back over our day and think, "What went well today? Did I act with a kind heart?" We notice the instances when we acted kindly and rejoice. We dedicate that merit, that positive potential, for the enlightenment of ourselves and others.
In reviewing the day, we may discover that we were angry, jealous, or greedy. We didn't realize it at the time when it was happening. But looking back over the day, we don't feel so good about what happened. It may have been our attitude, or what we said to somebody, or how we acted. To remedy this, we develop regret and do some purification practice so we can forgive ourselves and let that negative energy go. In this way, we "clean up" emotionally and resolve any uncomfortable feelings or misdirected actions that may have arisen during the day. Having done this, our sleep will be peaceful. When you lie down, imagine the Buddha sitting on your pillow and put your head in the Buddha's lap when you go to sleep. This is very comforting and helps you to remember the Buddha's good qualities and to have better dreams.
Our Life Becomes Meaningful
Practicing Dharma is not difficult or time consuming. We always have time; there are always 24 hours in a day. If we direct our mind in a positive direction, we can transform whatever action we do into the path to enlightenment. In this way, the Dharma becomes part of our life in an organic way. Getting up in the morning is Dharma, eating and going to work is Dharma, sleeping is Dharma. By transforming our attitude in the midst of daily activities, our life becomes very meaningful.
Buddhist Practices As Buddhism spread from India across many parts of Asia, it absorbed many local religious beliefs and traditions in keeping with its ideals of tolerance. Therefore the actual Buddhist practices differ widely in various parts of the world, although there is complete agreement in the core teachings. |
Q. | What is expected of a good Buddhist? In the Theravada tradition, a Buddhist will make a commitment to take refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma and the Sangha* and observe the five precepts. Here taking refuge means having confidence and being under the protective principles or the environment provided by these three factors. The Buddha (from the Sanskrit word buddhi, meaning wisdom), which literally means the awakened or enlightened one, symbolises the goal of enlightenment to which Buddhists aspire. The Buddha is not regarded as a god or an incarnation of a divine being to be worshipped. In fact, since the Buddha has attained parinibbana (complete nibbana) after death, he is beyond the call of prayer. Taking refuge in the Buddha means having confidence in the Buddha's teachings (Buddha Dhamma). The Sangha means the collective body of monks who are the followers of Buddha’s way of life. They provide guidance to the lay people in the Buddhist way of life. 1. Abstain from destroying or harming living beings If one wishes to progress further, a Buddhist will follow the Noble Eightfold Path, which is the path to the realisation of Nibbana. *See Veneration |
Q. A. | What is the Noble Eightfold Path? This is the way taught by the Buddha, which leads to the cessation of suffering (dukkha) and the attainment of Nibbana. This is known as the Middle Path, because it avoids the two extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification, which was a common practice during Buddha's time. 1.Right Understanding 3.Right Speech 4.Right Action 5.Right Livelihood 6.Right Action 7.Right Mindfulness 8.Right Concentration What the Buddha meant by 'Right' is that which produces a beneficial result. These eight factors aim at promoting and perfecting the three essentials of Buddhist training and discipline: sila, samadhi, panna. Right Speech, Right Action, and Right Livelihood develop ethical conduct (sila). This moral conduct is considered to be the foundation for all higher spiritual attainments. Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration develop mental discipline (samadhi), and are achieved through meditation. Right Thought and Right Understanding lead to Wisdom (panna), which is developed through mindfulness and various forms of meditation, especiallyVipassana. |
Q.
A. | Buddhists are often seen praying to the Buddha, offering flowers and covering Buddha statues with gold leaves, and pouring water onto Bodhi trees. Are these actions beneficial? There are no prayers as such in Buddhism since, by definition, Buddhism cannot be classed as a theistic religion (i.e. there is no ‘creator god’). The Buddha, having attained Nibbana, and after his death is beyond the call of prayer. In fact, the Buddha discouraged his followers from worshipping him and for several centuries after his death there were no Buddha images produced. The above practices by themselves do not produce any direct benefits. However, when performed with good intention (not with the ulterior motive of obtaining some selfish benefit) they have the effect of enhancing devotion (saddha) and the purity of the mind. The value of such practices comes from individual effort, not from any external power. |
Q. | Why do Buddhists chant? The practice of chanting goes back to the days of the Buddha, when writing was not common. His teachings were memorised by monks in chant form and passed on. This was how the Buddha’s words were transmitted for several centuries. They were finally written down on ola(palm) leaves in the first century AD in Sri Lanka. The teachings are preserved in the ancient Pali language, which has many words that cannot be directly translated without losing the meaning. The entire collection of teachings is known as the tipitaka (meaning three baskets) and comprise the vinaya pitaka (disciplinary rules for monks),sutta pitaka (discourses) and abhidhamma pitaka (higher teachings). Chanting is done today as a form of veneration, to help purify the mind, and as a means of protection against undesirable events. |
Q. | Should a Buddhist abstain from eating meat and taking alcohol even in moderation? The Buddha did not advise his followers to abstain from eating meat. He was aware that prohibition would make it difficult for people in certain cultures to survive as Buddhists. For example, for an Eskimo the only food available might be meat or fish. On such matters, Buddha left the choice up to the individual. One should be aware that killing an animal, even for food, has its kammicconsequences. Buddhist monks will refrain from eating meat if they are aware that an animal has been specially killed for the offering. Alcohol or other forms of intoxicating drugs taken even in moderate quantities affect the mind. Keeping the mind clear and pure at all times is most important in Buddhist practise. Those who are following the path of purification should avoid them altogether. |
Q. | Why do Buddhist monks not eat after noon and what food is suitable for offering? Buddhist monks observe a strict code of conduct (vinaya) in order to discipline the body and mind. Food is regarded simply as a means of keeping the body alive so that the spiritual path may be followed. Food is not taken in order to beautify the body or because it has a pleasant taste. The vinaya rules state that a monk should only eat what is offered to him and he should accept any item without showing pleasure or displeasure. The right intention should be that dana is offered to the collective body of monks (The Sangha) and not to a particular individual. A dana (an act of generosity) should be conducted with wholesome thoughts, without the aim of selfish gain, expecting some benefit in return. |
Q. | What is the Buddhist attitude to marriage? In most religions, a marriage vow is taken before God. As there is no ‘God’ in Buddhism, a Buddhist marriage is simply an affirmation of the couple’s commitment to live according to the three refuges and the five precepts, in particular the third precept on sexual conduct. The Buddha did not prescribe a form of marriage service, although he did speak frequently about the duties and obligations to be carried out by both parties. He regarded a successful marriage as fundamental to the happiness and stability of society. |
Q. | What are Buddhist funeral practices? Buddhists normally cremate the remains. This was a practice prevalent at the time of the Buddha as well. A Buddhist monk is invited to perform the last rites. The proceedings normally start by reciting panca-sila (pansil). The monk will then recite a stanza, which is a reminder of the impermanent and transient nature of all living things. Finally, a jug full of water is gradually emptied into a bowl until it overflows, while reciting a stanza with thoughts of metta towards the departed one. This is a symbolic gesture in which the water in the jug represents the merits aquired by the friends and relatives present by generating thoughts of metta, which are then transferred to the departed by pouring the water into the bowl. Seven days after death, it is usual to give a dana (offering of a meal) to Buddhist monks, which is repeated after three months. The practices may differ widely depending on the particular culture, since there are no instructions in the ancient texts regarding funeral rites. Buddhists believe that departed ones may be born into a state of existence where they may be in a position to receive merits and thoughts of metta from the living. It is believed that such merits when acquired by the departed will result in wholesome kamma and enhance their future birth. |
Dana is an act of generosity, given without expecting anything in return. |
| KATHINA The Kathina festival that we are celebrating today is the most important alms giving ceremony of the Buddhist year. For over 2,500 years, supporters of the Theravada monasteries have gathered during the months of October and November to celebrate this festival. Kathina is a way of completing and marking the end of the annual Rains Retreat, or Vassa. During this three month retreat, the Sangha of monks and nuns have been obliged by their rules not to travel unless absolutely necessary. As winter approaches, this gesture of offering is the traditional way that lay devotees of the London Buddhist Vihara express their gratitude to the Sangha and to assure that the basic requisites are provided. So how did the Kathina festival originate? According to the scriptures, the Buddha was staying at Savatthi in the Jeta Grove at Anathapindika’s monastery. A group of thirty forest-dwelling Bhikkhus were on their way to spend the Vassa with him. Unfortunately, they were unable to reach Savatthi in time for the start of the Rains, so they had to stay at Saketa for the three month retreat. Although the Bhikkhus had longed to be with the Buddha for the Vassa, they spent the retreat time together practising meditation and living in harmony. As soon as the Vassa ended, being allowed to travel again, they continued their journey to see the Buddha. Finally, they arrived at Savatthi, weary and with tattered robes, and paid their respects to the Buddha. On hearing what had happened, the Buddha decided to encourage them, allowing them to roam freely after the Rains Retreat to gather cloth for robes. The Buddha, knowing the inspiration that comes from sharing and from generosity, established a procedure whereby the Bhikkhus could agree among themselves to make a gift of a robe to one of their number. And, so, when they had procured enough cloth, the Bhikkhus set about sewing a robe. In those days, the method they would use involved spreading the pieces of cloth on a frame and stitching them together. The frame on which the robe was sewn was called a “Kathina”. From that time, until the present day, lay supporters have observed the rule allowing the offering of Kathina cloth to be made at any time during the four weeks following the end of the Vassa. It should be mentioned that the Sangha is not allowed to initiate or request such an offering, it being stipulated that it should arrive unsolicited in the midst of the assembly as if “wafted in on a breeze.” 1. It can be offered to the Sangha in monastery only once a year. The same monastery can not have two robe offering ceremonies in any one year. 2. The Kathina can be offered only during a specified period, which starts from the end of Vassa or full moon day of October to the next full moon day of November. 3. Kathina robe is offered to the whole Sangha Community and not to an individual monk. The Bhikkhus would then formally agree which of them should received it. Of the annual Buddhist ceremonies, it is the only one centred round the Sangha, and it’s an opportunity for the lay supporters to join in harmony and work together, to take part in the largest alms-giving ceremony of the Buddhist year. The Sangha is our refuge. They are a community of moral and virtuous beings, established by the Buddha, who while seeking their own liberation, guide the lay people by their example. As the Buddha said, offering to the Sangha is always more beneficial and more meritorious than to any other and bring about good fortune in the life to come. By this act of generosity and our participation in it, may we all realise the supreme bliss of nibbana. |
Common Buddhist Misunderstandings
It has been more than one thousand and nine hundred years since Buddhism spread to China. Thus, the relationship between Buddhism and China is very close. The development of Buddhism influenced, and was influenced by Chinese culture. In fact Buddhism became a religion of the Chinese. Buddhism originated from India, and the special characteristics of the Indian culture were sometimes not easy for the Chinese to understand. The Chinese traditions influenced and modified some of the practices, and these deviated from the teaching of the Buddha. As a result, there are unfortunately many misunderstandings about Buddhism in China among the Buddhists and non-Buddhists. It is very easy to misunderstand Buddhism if one knows nothing about its origins. Some followers may practice the cultural rituals without ever knowing Buddha’s teachings. As a consequence, those who believe in "Buddhism" may not really be following the Buddha’s teachings, and those who criticise Buddhism may not actually be criticising what the Buddha taught. So I hope this talk may help everyone gain a better understanding! 1. Misunderstanding that arises from the teachings. The theory of the Buddha’s teaching is very profound. Some people do not understand its meanings and may only know it superficially. After listening to a few phrases, they may start to explain to the others in their own way. As a result, some explanations people tell, may not be accurate teachings of the Buddha. The most common misunderstandings are about the teachings: "life is suffering", "out-worldly" and "emptiness". So now lets discuss these terminologies separately: a) Life is suffering The Buddha told us that "Life is Suffering". One who does not understand the Truth of this may think that life is meaningless and become negative and pessimistic. Actually, this theory is commonly misunderstood. People in society and even some Buddhists are trapped in this wrong and gloomy view. When we encounter phenomena, and have a feeling of dislike, worry or pain, we say that there is "suffering". This should not be generalised to "all life is suffering", because there is also a lot of happiness in life! Noises are disturbing but nice melodies bring happiness. When one is sick, poor, separated from loved ones, one has suffering. But when one is healthy, wealthy, together with one’s family, one is very happy. Suffering and happiness exist in all phenomena. Actually where there is happiness, there will be suffering. They are in contrast with each other. If’ we only say that life is suffering when things do not go according to our wish we are rather foolish. The Buddha says, "Life is suffering". What does "suffering" mean? The sutras say: "Impermanence therefore suffering". Everything is impermanent and changeable. The Buddha says that life is suffering because it is impermanent and ever-changing. For example, a healthy body cannot last forever. It will gradually become weak, old. sick and die. One who is wealthy cannot maintain one’s wealth forever. Sometimes one may become poor. Power and status do not last as well, one will lose them finally. From this condition of changing and instability, although there is happiness and joy, they are not ever lasting and ultimate. When changes come, suffering arises. Thus, the Buddha says life is suffering. Suffering means dissatisfaction, impermanence and imperfection. If a practising Buddhist does not understand the real meaning of "suffering" and think that life is not perfect and ultimate, they become negative and pessimistic in their view of life. Those who really understand the teaching of the Buddha will have a totally different view. We should know that the theory of "Life is suffering" taught by the Buddha is to remind us that life is not ultimate and lasting, and hence we should strive towards Buddhahood — a permanent and perfect life. This is similar to one who is sick. One must know that one is sick before wanting to seek the doctor’s treatment. Only then can the sickness be cured. Why is life not ultimate and permanent and full of suffering? There must be a cause for the suffering. Once one knows the cause of suffering, one will try one’s best to be rid of the causes, and hence end the suffering and attain ultimate peacefulness and happiness. A practising Buddhist should practice according to the Buddha’s instruction, and change this imperfect and non-ultimate life to a ultimate and perfect one. Then would come a state of permanent joy, personality, and purity. Permanent means ever-lasting, joy means peacefulness and happiness, personality means freedom and non-attachment, purity means cleanliness. This highest aim of Buddhism is not only to break through the suffering of life but to transform this suffering life into a life that has permanent peacefulness, joy, freedom and purity. The Buddha told us the cause of suffering and instructed us to strive towards the goal. The stage of permanent, joy, personality and purity is an ultimate ideal phenomena. It is full of brightness and hope. It is a stage that is attainable by all of us. How can we say that Buddhism is negative and pessimistic? Although not all practising Buddhists are able to attain this highest point of practice, there is still boundless benefit in knowing this theory. Most people know that they have to strive to do good when they are poor, but once they become rich, they forget about everything, and only think about their own enjoyment and hence walk towards the wrong path foolishly. A practising Buddhist should remember to strive not only when one is poor and in difficulties, but should also be mindful when one is enjoying, because happiness is not permanent. If one does not strive towards the good, they will degenerate and fall very quickly. The teaching of "Life is suffering" reminds us not to look forward for enjoyment only and go the wrong way. This is the important implication in the teaching of "Life is suffering", taught by the Buddha. b. "Out worldly" (Supra mundane) The teaching of Buddha tells us that there is this world and the world beyond this. Many people think that this world refers to the world that we are living in and the world beyond this is some place outside this world. This is wrong. We are living in this world and we remain here even if we become monks or nuns. The Arahats, Bodhisattva and Buddha are saints who have realisations beyond this world but they are still living in this world and giving assistance to us. Thus, "out-worldly" does not mean that one has to go away from this world and go to another place. What does "worldly" and "out-worldly" mean in Buddhism? According to the Chinese understanding "worldly" has the implication of time. For example, the Chinese regard thirty years as an "age" and in the West, a hundred years make up a century. Anything that exists within the time frame, from the past to the present and from the present to the future, is the "world". The teaching of the Buddha is also as such. That which is changeable is called "worldly". Within this time frame, from the past to the present, from the present to the future, from existence to non-existence, from good to bad, everything is changing continuously. Anything that is changing is called "worldly". Besides, the word "worldly" also has the meaning of concealment. Normal people do not understand the cause and effect of the past, present and future. They do not know where they come from, how to behave as a human being, where to go after death, the meaning of life and the nature of the universe. They live ignorantly under the influence of the karma of the three births. This is called "worldly". What does "out-worldly" (supra mundane) mean? "Out" has the meaning of beyond or superior. One who practices the teaching of the Buddha, has wisdom and is able to understand the truth of the life and universe; has no defilements and is pure in one’s mind; and experiences the permanent Truth is called the "out-worldly" one. All the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are living in this world. They have great wisdom in seeing the Truth and their minds are pure. They are not like the normal "worldly" people. Thus, the term "out-worldly" encourages all of us who are practising the Buddha’s teaching to progress further and become the man above the men, to improve ourselves from a worldly person to an out-worldly saint. It is not asking us to go to another world. Misunderstanding "out-worldly", some think that the principle of Buddhism is to run away from reality. c. Emptiness The Buddha says that everything is "empty". Some think that this is empty, that is empty, or everything is empty. Since everything is empty, and meaningless, one does not need to do either evil or good. These people understand the concept vaguely, and lead an aimless life. In fact, "emptiness" in Buddhism is the most profound philosophy. The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are the people who have realised the truth of emptiness. "Emptiness" does not mean nothing at all, in contrast, it includes everything. The world is world, life is life, suffering is suffering, happiness is happiness, everything does exist. In Buddhism, there is clear teaching as to what is right or wrong, good or evil, or cause and effect. One should turn away from the wrong one and redirect to the right one, refrain from evil and do more good. Those who do good will gain good effect, and if one practices one may attain Buddhahood. This is the cause and effect. If we say that everything is empty, then why are we practising the teaching of the Buddha? If there exist the karma, good and evil, worldly people and saint, then, why does the Buddha say that everything is empty? What is the meaning of emptiness? Things exist due to causes and conditions and do not have a real and unchangeable identity of itself. Thus, they are "empty". The right and wrong, good and evil, and the life are not permanent and unchangeable. They exist due to causes and conditions. Since their existence is dependent on causes and conditions, they continue to change with the changes of the causes and conditions. They do not have a permanent form, and therefore they are "empty". For example, when one is facing a mirror, there will be an image in the mirror. The image is produced by various conditions. It is not a real thing. Although it is not real, it is very clear when we see it. We cannot say that it does not exist. The concept of "emptiness" relies on this truth that things arise due to causes and conditions. Thus, when the Buddha says that everything is empty, he is implying that everything arises due to causes and conditions. A practising Buddhist must realise and experience emptiness and understand the existence of the Law of cause and effect, good and evil. The perfect realisation of the two truths is that emptiness and existence are equivalent. 2. Misunderstanding that arises from the system Buddhism originated from India. Its custom were different from the traditional customs of China. For example, the understanding of the aspects of renunciation and vegetarianism were different. a) To renounce (To take the vows of a monk or nun) To renounce is a custom in Indian Buddhism. In Chinese society, especially for the Confucianists, there are a lot of misunderstandings about this. In China, we always hear that, if everyone practised the teaching of the Buddha, then this world would become extinct. Why is it so? Because everyone would become monks or nuns (celibate). There would be no husband and wife, nor son and daughter. How then could society survive? This is a very serious misunderstanding. There is an example: The teachers teach the students. Will they encourage everyone to be a teacher, and therefore develop a world of teachers? In the Philippines, there is not much misunderstanding about this because there are Fathers and Sisters everywhere. They have also taken vows, but they are only the minority among the Catholics. Not all Catholics must be a Father or Sister. For the Buddhists, there are the renounced ones and the lay people. One can practise Buddhism by renouncing, or as a lay person. One can practise in order to end the cycle of life and death by renouncing, and can also achieve the same aim by practising at home. It is not necessary for Buddhists renounce themselves. It is also not true that if everyone became a Buddhist, the world of the humans would become extinct. The question now will be, if one can attain the aim of ending the cycle of life and death by either practising as a lay person or as renounced follower, then why must one to renounce? This is because, in order to promote and encourage the spread of Buddhism, someone has to take the responsibility. The best person to take charge of this responsibility will be the renounced monks or nuns, as they do not have family responsibilities and are not involved in other work duties. Hence, they can concentrate more on their practice and the spreading of Buddhism. In order to prolong the existence of Buddhism in this world, we need these type of people to take responsibility. This is also the reason for the formation of the Sangha, the community of renounced ones. How great is the merit of renouncing? The merit of renunciation is very great. However, those who cannot renounce should not force themselves to do so. If one cannot practise in line with the teaching of the Buddha after renouncing, it is worse then a lay follower. The higher one climbs, the worse will one fall. The merit of renouncing oneself is great, but if one is careless, one will deteriorate even more. One should develop one’s mind sincerely, practise diligently and sacrifice oneself for Buddhism. Then renunciation will be worthwhile. The Sangha (the renounced monks or nuns) are the centre members of Buddhism, they are the main force in the motivation of Buddhism. The practice of not getting married can also be found in the Western religions. A lot of scientists and philosophers also remain single so that they will not be disturbed by the matters in the family, and hence they can concentrate more on their studies and contribute more to the development of science and philosophy. The practice of renunciation in Buddhism is to get rid of one’s worldly attachment, and hence concentrate more on Buddhism. To renounce is an act of a great person, thus, one must put in extra effort. If one renounces without proper understanding, or without pure aims, one will not gain any benefit but will obstruct the development of Buddhism. Some people want to renounce just after they begin to practice. They think that in order to practice the teaching of the Buddha, one must renounce. This is not correct and may frighten away the others from stepping into the practice of Buddhism. This kind of thought — that one must renounce in order to practice the Buddha’s teaching, is the thought that all of us should avoid. One should recognise that it is not easy to renounce. One should first practise to be a good lay follower, practise for the sake of the Dharma, benefitting oneself and others. If one can develop one’s mind greatly and sincerely, practise the renounced way, contribute to Buddhism first before one decides to renounce, it will be better for oneself and at the same time will not create any unpleasant influence to the society. With regards to renunciation, there are two points to mention here: a) Some people observe the spaciousness, majestic appearance, quietness and beauty of the temples and monasteries, and this arouses their admiration to be renounced. They think that the monks and nuns who live inside there are just waiting for the offerings of the devotees and enjoying themselves. They do not need to do any work. The idioms such as "do not wake up even when the sun has risen up to three metre high", or "cannot compare with even half-a-day’s freedom of the monk or nun" show the misunderstandings among the general people. They do not know that the monks and nuns have their own responsibilities, they need to strive hard. When they are practising themselves, they have to "practice diligently before and after midnight"; and in terms of their duty to the devotees, they should go around to preach the teaching of the Buddha. They lead a simple and hard life, striving for the benefit of Buddhism and all beings, benefitting one and another. This is something very great. Thus, they are called the Gem of Sangha. They are not just sitting there waiting for the devotees offerings, waiting for things which are ready and never do anything. May be it is because of too many monks or nuns who are not fulfilling their responsibilities that leads to this misunderstanding. Some people who are against Buddhism say that the monks and nuns do nothing, they are parasites of society and are useless. These people do not know that it is not necessary for one to be engaged in the work force of agriculture or business in order to be considered productive. If it is so, then are people who choose to be teacher, reporter or other occupations also considered as the consumers of society’s output too? It is not right to say that the monks or nuns have nothing to do. They lead a simple and hard life and striving diligently everyday. The things that they do, besides benefitting themselves, is to teach others to do good, to emphasise moral values and practices, so that the personality of the devotees can be improved, leading them to the end of the cycle of life and death. They bring great benefit to the people in the world. Thus, how can we say that they are the parasites that are doing nothing? The monks and nuns are religious teachers. They are profound and respectful educators. Thus, the saying of those who have no understanding on Buddhism, that the monks and nuns are doing nothing and are the parasites wasting society’s money are in fact wrong. A person who really leads a renounced life is in fact not free, they are not mere consumers but are busily repaying their gratitude to all living beings whenever they can. b) Chinese Buddhism emphasises a vegetarian diet. Thus, some people thought that one who practises Buddhism must be a vegetarian. People who cannot stop eating meat misunderstood that they are not ready to start to learn about Buddhism. If we look around at the Buddhists in Japan, Sri Lanka, Thailand or Tibet and Mongolia, not to mention the lay followers, we find even the monks and nuns have meat in their diet. Can you say that they are not practicing the Buddha’s teaching? They are not Buddhists? Do not think that one must be a vegetarian in order to learn about the teaching of the Buddha and that one cannot practise Buddhism if one cannot be a vegetarian. To practice Buddhism and be a vegetarian are not the same thing. Some people who become a Buddhist, do not learn much about the teachings but only know how to be a vegetarian. This causes unhappiness among the members of the family. They feel that it is too troublesome to be a vegetarian. In fact one who is practising the teaching of the Buddha should: - after becoming a Buddhist - first understand the teaching of the Buddha and behave according to the teaching in both the family and the society. Purifying one’s conduct and mind, so that the members of the family feel that one has changed for the better should be the goal. If before becoming a Buddhist, one was greedy, has strong hatred and lacked of a sense of responsibility and loving kindness; and after practising the Buddha’s teaching, one becomes less greedy, less paranoid and shows more care to the others with a stronger sense of responsibility, then the members of the family would see the benefit of practising the Buddha’s teaching. At that time, if one wants to be a vegetarian, the family members would not object to it. In fact, they may also be encouraged to have sympathy towards other living beings and follow one to be a vegetarian. If one only knows to be a vegetarian after becoming a Buddhist and does not learn about others, one will surely encounter obstacles and cause misunderstanding. Although it is not necessary for a Buddhist to be vegetarian, it is a good moral conduct in the Chinese Buddhism and is something that should be promoted. The teaching of the Buddha says that becoming a vegetarian will cultivate one’s loving kindness and compassion. By not harming the life of other living beings, not eating the meat of the other animals one will reduce one’s karma of killing and strengthen one’s sympathy towards the sufferings of Mankind. Mahayana Buddhism advocates the practice of vegetarianism, and says that to be a vegetarian has great merits in cultivating one’s mind of loving kindness and compassion. If one becomes a vegetarian but does not cultivate the mind of loving kindness and compassion, it is only a practice of no killing in a pessimistic way. It resembles the practice of the Hinayanist. From the view point of the worldly Dharma, the benefit of becoming a vegetarian is very great. It is more economical, highly nutritious and may reduce illness. In the world at present, there are international vegetarian organisations. Everyone who likes to be a vegetarian may join them. Thus, it can be seen that it is good to be a vegetarian. And as Buddhist who emphasises compassion, we should advocate the practice more to others. However, one thing to note is that, do not claim that a Buddhist must be a vegetarian. Whenever meeting with a Buddhist, some will ask: have you become a vegetarian? Why are you still not a vegetarian after practising the Buddha’s teaching for so long? This will frighten some people away. To regard practising Buddhism and becoming a vegetarian as the same will in fact obstruct the spreading of Buddhism. 3. The misunderstanding that arises due to the observances When non-Buddhists visit the monastery and see observances such as paying respect to the Buddha, intoning the sutras, repenting and the morning and evening chanting, they cannot understand the meaning behind them and comment that these are superstitious acts. There are many misunderstanding within this category. Now, lets briefly mention some of them: a) To pay respects to the Buddha To pay respects to the Buddha when entering the monastery, to offer incense, flowers, candle and light to the Buddha are the observances of the Buddhist. The Theistic followers say that we are idol worshippers and superstitious In reality, the Buddha is the master of our religion, he is the saint who has attained the perfect and ultimate stage by practising from the stage of a worldly being. The great Bodhisattvas are the Buddhas to be. They are our guides and indicators of refuge. We should be polite in showing respect to the Buddha and Bodhisattva just as when we show respect to our parents. When the Buddha was still in this world, there was no problem. One could show one’s respect to him directly. However, now that the Sakyamuni Buddha has already entered final Nirvana; and the Buddha and Bodhisattva of the other worlds are not in our world, we have no way to pay respects. Thus, we have to use paper to draw, ceramic, wood or stone to carve their images, to be the object of our worship. It is because of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas, merits and images that we are paying our respect to them, and not because of they are the paper, earth wood or stone. It is similar to the way we respect and love our country. We use coloured cloth and make it into a flag. When the flag is flying, we pay respects to the flag. Can we say that this is also a superstitious act? The Catholics also have images in their church. The Christians, have no image of the God, but use the "cross" as the image for them to pay respect to. Some even kneel down and say their prayer. What is the difference between these acts and the paying of respects to the Buddha? To say that the paying of respects in Buddhism is idol worshipping, is just the intentional defamation of some people. What about the offerings of fragrance flowers, light and candle? During the Buddha time, the Indians offered these to the Buddha. Light and candle represent brightness, flowers represent fragrance and cleanliness. We believe in the Buddha and pay respect to the Buddha. The offering of these things to the Buddha is to show our respect and faith. On the other hand, it means the gaining of brightness and purity from the Buddha. We do not offer flowers and incense so that the Buddha smells the fragrance; or offer light and candle so that the Buddha can see everything. Some religions, for example the Catholics, also use these things in their offerings. These are in fact the common observances among the religions. When we are paying respect to the Buddha, we should be respectful and sincere and contemplate on the merits of the real Buddha. If one thinks of other things or talks while paying respect to the Buddha, it is not respectful and loses the meaning of the act of paying respect. b) To repent The non-Buddhist or free thinkers always feel that it is an act of superstition when they see Buddhists repent or chant. To repent is to admit one’s mistake. Everyone of us, from the past until the present, have committed countless wrong and evil deeds. We have left behind the karma that brings us sufferings and obstructs our progress towards enlightenment and freedom. In order to reduce and get rid of this karma that is obstructing and bringing suffering to us, we should repent in front of the Buddha or the Sangha and admit our mistakes, so that the past evil karma can be reduced. There are methods of repentance in Buddhism and these are equivalent to the confession’ in Christianity. This practice is very important for us to progress further along the path of Buddhahood. One must repent for oneself with great sincerity. Then this repentance can be beneficial and comply with the teaching of the Buddha. People generally do not know how to repent. So, what should we do? The great masters in the past thus compiled some procedures and observances that one could follow if one wants to repent. They taught us to chant word by word, contemplate and understand the teaching behind it. The services of repentance teaches us how to pay respect to the Buddha, seeking for the Buddha and the Bodhisattvas, loving kindness and compassionate protection. We should admit our own mistakes, knowing that killing, stealing and adultery are evil deeds, sincerely repenting our past evil deeds and be determined to practice for a better future. These are the procedures of repentance taught by the great masters in the past. However, the most important aim of these services is to develop one’s mind to correcting oneself and repent sincerely for one’s past evil deeds. Some people cannot even read the readily written procedures, hence, they invite the monks or nuns to lead them during the repentance. As time passes, it gradually turns out to be that these people do not even know that they should repent, and only employ the monks and nuns to repent for them. Some, when their parents or family members pass away, in order to release the past evil karma of the parents and the other family members, invite the monks or nuns to do a repentance service for them. They hope that relying on the merits of the Triple Gem, the death may be relieved from the realms of suffering. However, sometimes they do not understand the real purpose of the teaching and only emphasise on how big the ceremony should be; or do it for the sake of tradition, and spend money to employ the monks or nuns to do the services for them. They do not have faith in Buddhism, and do not show any sincerity in repenting themselves. In this case the purpose of these repentance services will not be achieved. Gradually, the purpose of the services for repentance becomes vague. The Buddhist devotees do not repent and request the monks or nuns to do everything for them, As a result, the monks and nuns are busy with all these services all day; to do the service for this family today, and the next family tomorrow. And these services become the only activity in some of the monasteries, with the main task of the monks and nuns being neglected. This is one of the causes of lack of faith in Buddhism nowadays. Repentance has to come from within. If one repents sincerely, even for just an hour, it has better merits than inviting a lot of people and conducting a few days services but not repenting oneself. If one understands this theory, and would like to show one’s filial piety to the one’s parents, the best merit will be to do the repentance oneself. It is not right to regard the services of repentance or other services as the occupation of the monks or nuns, as this will not bring any good to the society, but creates more misunderstanding and defamation for Buddhism. c) Daily Chanting Some people who practices the teaching of the Buddha, recite the name of the Buddha and chant the sutras every morning and evening as their daily homework. This is what we call daily chanting (prayer) in Buddhism. In Christianity, they have morning and evening, and meal time prayer. The Catholic also chants in the morning and evening. There is nothing wrong with these religious ceremonies, but some Buddhists were concerned about these matters and asked: "Maybe it is better not to practice Buddhism. Once one practices Buddhism, problems come. My mother spends at least one to two hours each morning and evening to do her chanting. If all practicing Buddhists are like this, then who is going to do the work at home?" Among some of the lay people, this is the real situation. They create the misunderstanding that Buddhism is only suitable for the old people and those who are free, it is not suitable for the general people to practice. In fact, it is not necessary that one must chant a specific sutra, or recite a certain Buddha’s name or to intone for a long time. One can practise according to one’s wish. The duration of the practice should depend on the circumstances and the time that one has. The important thing in the daily practices is to recite the verse of taking refuge in the Triple Gem. The "Ten Vows of the Pu Xian Bodhisattva" is also important. The Buddhism sect in Japan, such as the Pure Land sect, the Tien Tai sect and the Secret sect, which originated from China, have the daily practices of their own sect. They are simple and do not require too much time. This was the situation of Buddhism during the Tang and Song Dynasties. The daily practice in China over the last few centuries varied: i) In the forest monastery where there were hundreds of people, it took a long time to gather everyone together. In order to adapt to this special environment, the daily practices became longer. ii) Since the Yuen and Ming dynasties, the different sects in Buddhism merged. Thus, in compiling the procedure of the daily practice, it included the practices of the various sects in order to suit the needs of followers. It is not necessary for a lay person now to follow all these procedures. In the older days, the Indians who practiced the Mahayana teachings practiced the Five Repentances six times per day. It does not matter if the time is shorter. The frequency of the practice may be increased. In short, to practice the teaching of the Buddha is not to chant only; and for one who is practising at home, one should not neglect one’s responsibilities at home because of long daily practices. d) To burn paper money after a death The Chinese in the olden days have the tradition of burning white silk when praying to the ancestors. They burn the silk so that the ancestors may use it. They were then replaced by paper; as it is more economical. Later, they used paper to make money, ingots, notes, and even houses and cars, and burn them for their ancestors. These are generated from the traditional customs of the olden days. They are not the teachings of the Buddha. However, there are also some good points about this. It allows the children to show appreciation to their parents. When they are drinking or eating, they think of their parents and ancestors. When they are living in good houses and wearing nice clothes, they remember their ancestors, and do not forget the help of their ancestors. This practice has the implication of remembrance. When Buddhism spread to China, in order to adapt to the Chinese culture, and for convenience sake, this practice was merged into the practice of chanting and paying respect to the Buddha. It arouses the criticism of others, and thoughts that Buddhism is superstitious and wasteful. Buddhists should understand this and should not burn paper money as this is not the teaching of the Buddha. If one still wants to keep the tradition and want to show one’s remembrance towards the ancestors, then one may burn a little at home. But do not burn them in the temple or monastery as this will create misunderstanding of Buddhism. e) To draw lots, to ask for fortune, to divine In some Buddhist monasteries and temple, there is misbehaviour such as drawing lots, asking for fortune, divining etc. This arouses the criticism and ire of the society, and people say that Buddhism is superstitious. In fact, true Buddhists do not allow this behaviour (whether they are effective or not is another matter). One who is really practising the teaching of the Buddha, should believe in the Law of Cause and Effect. If one has committed evil karma in the past or present lives, one will not be able to avoid the effect of it through any methods. One who practises good acts will gain good fruit. One who does evil deeds will not be able to run away from the evil effects. In order to gain good effects, one must do more merits. A practicing Buddhist should try to do more good deeds, according to the teaching of the Buddha, and should not try to find short cuts and behave in a bad way. 4. Misunderstanding that arises from the current development of Buddhism. Many Chinese do not understand Buddhism and its development in the international level. They criticise Buddhism on their own accord and opinion, based on the current situation of Buddhism in China. The following are two commonly heard criticisms: a) The country will weaken and end if the people believe in Buddhism. They think that the end of India is due to its people’s belief in Buddhism. They want China too strong and hence subjectively conclude that the people should not believe in Buddhism. In fact this is totally wrong. Those who have studied the history of Buddhism will know that the time when India was strongest was during the time when Buddhism was most popular. At the time of Emperor Asoka, he unified the whole India and spread the teaching of the Buddha to the whole world. Later, with the revival of the Brahmana practice, Buddhism was destroyed and India became more restless each day. When India was conquered by the Muslims and the British, Buddhism has already deteriorated to the stage of near to non-existence. Buddhism in the Chinese history also has a similar path. Now that we call the overseas Chinese the "People of the Tang", and to call China as the "Mountain of Tang", shows that the Tang dynasty was the strongest dynasty in the history of China. And, that is in fact the time when Buddhism was at its high peak: After the destruction of Buddhism by Emperor Tang Wu Zhong, the Tang dynasty began to deteriorate. After the Tang dynasty, the Song Emperors, Song Tai Chu, Tai Zhong, Zhen Zhong and Ren Zhong were all faithful followers of Buddhism. That was also the peak period of the Song dynasty. For the Ming Emperor, the Ming Tai Chu had had the experience of leading a renounced life, the Tai Zhong was also very faithful to Buddhism. Weren’t these the times when the country was in good order, peaceful and strong? Although Japan is facing failure at the moment, they became one of the stronger countries in the world sometime after the Ming Zhi Revolution. Then, they were mostly Buddhist. Thus, who says that Buddhism will weaken a country? From the facts in the history, the time when a nation was strong was also the time when Buddhism was at its peak. Why are people wishing that the Chinese nation can become stronger but at the same time condemn the propagation of Buddhism? b) Buddhism is useless to society The Chinese this century, see the Catholic and Christians’ contribution in setting up schools and hospitals, but little is being seen to be done by the Buddhists. Hence they feel that Buddhism is pessimistic and does not contribute to the social welfare of the society. This is a wrong concept. The most that one can say is that Chinese Buddhists this century were not hard working and responsible. This is not the attitude that the Buddha taught us to have. The Chinese Buddhist in the past also participated in the social welfare activities in the society. In Japan, Buddhists are at present setting up a lot of universities and high schools. The monks and nuns are the principals or lecturers of the universities or high schools. The charitable work of the society is also conducted and organised by the Sangha of the monastery or temple. This is especially so in Sri Lanka, Burma and Thailand. The Buddhists in these countries maintain a very close relationship with the development of education and other charitable work in the society. Thus, one cannot say that Buddhism is not bringing benefit to the society, one can only say that the Chinese Buddhists have not fulfilled their responsibilities or acted as true followers of the Buddha. One should put more effort into these areas of charity in order to fulfil the basic teaching of the Buddha in relieving the sufferings of the world, and hence increase the popularity of Buddhism. Unfortunately many Chinese do not understand Buddhism well. Today we have discussed some of the common criticisms. I hope this has enabled you to understand better the wisdom of the Buddha’s teachings. I hope too, that you may practise according to the Buddha’s example, rather than allowing yourself to blindly follow meaningless and perhaps, unhelpful rituals. |
If you are interested in developing a Buddhist practice, here are some basic guidelines to help you get started.
- Reflect on your motivation. First and foremost, reflect on your aspirations for starting a spiritual practice. Is your intention to cultivate mindfulness, compassion, and wisdom? Are you motivated by the wish to promote happiness and reduce the suffering in your own life and the lives of other living beings? Or are you driven by selfishness, pride, or fame? Because your intentions are the source of your practice, it is important to make sure your intentions are clear and wholesome.
- Make a commitment to the practice. Consider making a genuine commitment to changing your patterns of thought, speech, and actions in ways that will create and support the conditions for your practice. It might seem obvious, but the stronger your commitment and sincerity, the greater the fruits and benefits of your practice will be.
- Follow the 5 precepts. In Buddhism, the mind and body are interconnected: bodily actions have an influence on the mind and thoughts in the mind generate action. By aligning the actions of body and mind, the precepts then become the foundation for developing mental stillness and clarity, which can then give rise to wisdom and insight. They are meant to support your personal growth and practice, as well as to develop happiness and benefit those around you. Buddhism teaches that the way to truly influence someone else is through your virtue and conduct. You can choose to commit to one, two, or all five of the precepts, as you are able. The precepts are as follows: (1) not killing, (2) not stealing, (3) not committing sexual misconduct, (4) not lying, and (5) not using intoxicants.
- Live a simpler, healthier lifestyle. After making a commitment to the practice and to the precepts, the next important step towards nourishing and building your practice is to live a more simple and healthier lifestyle. Some helpful changes to consider include adopting a healthy vegetarian diet, getting regular physical exercise, getting enough rest and sleep, and living a more peaceful life by minimizing unnecessary distractions.
- Do some research. Look into the various Buddhist teachings and practices so that you can find the approach that is right for you. Note that the “right” practice may not be the one you find easiest. Rather, the "right" practice addresses your suffering on a deeper level given your personality, affinities, and conditions. For example, meditation promotes concentration and mindfulness; bowing develops humility and counteracts pride; and so on. Commit yourself to a few practices that truly benefit you and stick with them.
- Start practicing consistently. The best way to build your practice is to set aside specific times to practice and do your best to stick to that schedule (It is often helpful to do this within a group). This is easier said than done, but practicing regularly is essential. We suggest practicing for 15 minutes a day right when you wake up or before you go to bed and then slowly increasing the time as you find yourself developing more clarity and insight.
- Find a teacher and practice community. Having a good teacher is like having a good doctor; they can see your afflictions and address them through instruction and guidance. However, when looking for a teacher, make sure at the very least, they abide by the five precepts and are not out for fame or profit. In Buddhism, we often look to the monastic Sangha as they have dedicated their lives to the Buddhist practice and have clear guidelines on how tointeract with students. In addition, joining a community of fellow practitioners provides support, motivation, and advice. Being surrounded by good people naturally brings out your own wholesome qualities.
- Study the Buddha’s teachings regularly. Deepen your understanding of the Buddhist teachings so as to inform and inspire your practice. Please refer to our reading list for places to start. However, Buddhism is an oral tradition and having a teacher and friends to study with is essential.
- Do your best to keep learning and practicing. Don’t get discouraged or be too hard on yourself. The benefits of the practice don’t come overnight or through shortcuts, but rather through confidence, consistency and sustained effort. If you keep it up, you will taste the "joy of the Dharma."
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