How do laymen learn Buddhism?

 　

    Everyone can learn Buddhism regardless of race, gender, or nationality, but most laymen have jobs and may not have free time to learn Buddhism. Even so, laymen can still learn Buddhism very deeply; as long as they make up their minds, many difficulties can be overcome slowly.

　

●Giving

　

    Donation does not take a lot of time. It can be done in peacetime when we go online or when we go to the post office or bank. But what is the purpose of giving? It is necessary to understand: “giving” is to cultivate our compassion and abandon our attachment to money; gaining Merit is an additional benefit. We should not wish to get a lot of merit and too attach about it. In addition, we should give by the ability we can afford. We may not have to spend a lot of money to give; as long as we sincerely help others without asking for rewards, we can get real great merit without attachment. And, there is a kind of giving called "giving of Dharma", which is to share the Dharma we have learned with others. This is also a kind of giving. When chatting with others, if they are interested in Buddhism, we can share the experience of learning Buddhism and Buddhist Dharma with them. They will thank us very much, if they can start to learn Buddhism by the sharing.

　

●Keep the precepts

　

    Laymen can also keep the precepts well, and it is not difficult. Eat more vegetables and less meat for three meals, gradually reduce our dependence on meat, and gradually we will no longer like to eat meat; it is not strictly necessary for us to immediately change to a completely vegetarian diet. This is about the precept of no killing. We should not possess others' things without their permission. This is the precept of no stealing. When speaking, we must be wary of ourselves not to lie. If there is something we don’t want others to know, we can choose not to say it, and we don’t have to lie to deceive others. This is the precept of no lying. We should be contented when we have less desire about sex, and do not have sexual relations with people other than our partner. This is the precept of no sexual misconduct. Staying away from alcohol and drugs is good for ourselves, it makes us to have a healthy body, mind and daily life. This is the precept of no drinking alcohol. What if we accidentally violate these precepts? Don't worry too much, but we still have to tell ourselves that we should not violate it again next time.

　

●Meditation

　

    Meditation does not just mean sitting meditation. Its purpose is to calm our minds and think about the Dharma. If we have a little bit of time, we can meditate. For example, we can close our eyes and meditate when we take the MRT or have a meal and rest at noon. Even if there is only ten minutes, it will be very helpful for learning Buddhism in the long run. In peacetime and at home, it is good to meditate for fifteen or twenty minutes after getting up or before going to bed.

　

●Reading Sutras

　

    There are many Sutras in both ancient Chinese and oral Chinese. There are also many sutras on the Internet that can be viewed or downloaded online. We can start with the ones we understand or we are more interested in. It doesn’t matter if we don’t understand them. No one completely understands the sutras for the first time he read them. There are also people who sort out the stories in the Buddhist sutras or add notes to important famous sayings in the sutras. Starting from these books is also a way.

　

●Find a reliable monastery

　

    Sometimes there will be problems in the practice of Buddhism, and sometimes we will gradually lose the motivation. At this time, a reliable monastery may help us. How to find a trustworthy monastery? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Find a pure Buddhist monastery, not mixed with Taoism or other religions.

2. Looking for a monastery that does not engage in profit, and they will not force followers to donate.

3. Find a monastery where it doesn't talk about supernatural powers, doesn’t boast of its spiritual achievements, and doesn't need followers to worship blindly.

4. Find a monastery that does not criticize other monasteries or practitioners.

　

●Listen to people explaining the sutras

　

    Nowadays that the information is prosperous, it is very easy to listen to other people explaining sutras. Sometimes someone will make them into CDs or DVDs or post them on the Internet. We can spend some time to listen to others explaining the Dharma, and see what else we can improve, and how we can strengthen our concepts. This will make us familiar with the Dharma quickly. Another thing to mention is: Don’t be too enthusiastic about the ceremony. The important thing is to correct our own ideas and behaviors, so that the practice is truly ours.

　

    Learning Buddhism does not need to wait until retirement or changing to a more free job to start. As long as we make up our mind, laymen can also get the benefits of learning Buddhism. Don't hesitate anymore, it is the best time to start learning Buddhism right now!