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to someone who practices in Asia eventually be full and ready to be way unintentionally. It’s like going
but made palatable for Western used to attain enlightenment one to the gym for the first time and
attitudes. day. expecting immediate results. But
you’re not going to be a muscular
As a layperson, I wanted to take In the Mahāyāna branch, there is bodybuilder on day one. Worse,
a different path and help explain even a tradition that follows what is you could injure yourself without
Buddhism to Westerners that will known as Pure Land practices. This proper guidance on how to exercise,
help introduce them to what is is where one can achieve a rebirth movements, nutrition, etc.
mostly practiced and taught in Asia. in a Buddha’s Pure Land (typically
I believe that one of the richest Amitābha Buddha’s Western Pure But if we never go to the gym, we
parts of Buddhism is the long and Land) that has the right conditions stay in the condition we are in
beautiful development of East-Asian, so one can more easily achieve (or possibly get worse). That’s
Central-Asian, and South-Asian enlightenment under a living our predicament right now. The
Buddhism. Buddha. Buddhist path may not always be
an easy one, but not practicing only
I hope more Westerners will be Whether we are generating the ensures unsatisfactory conditions
open to discovering the wonderful right conditions for future rebirths remain the same.
practices, traditions, and teachings in this world, or to be reborn in a
that have been refined over the past Pure Land, the Threefold Training So, I recommend one simply “start”
2,600 years since the Buddha’s final of cultivating wisdom, shaping and don’t stay “stuck in one place”
Nirvāṇa. our conduct and morality, and by trying to do or understand
deepening meditative concentration everything at once. Take it slow
Buddhism has always been are important. and steady. Find a Buddhist
thought of as being best practiced organization, such as a temple in
if one is a monastic. In what ways Think of everything you do now your town or online, and listen to
do you find Buddhism just as in Buddhism like taking advanced the monastics, attend services, take
relevant for lay people? classes while you are in grade classes, make offerings, etc.
school. Like the effort you put in
Buddhism helps us with developing while in grade school to help you Don’t worry if you don’t understand
our wisdom that is aligned with the can finish university or college a concept or teaching, it will come
Buddha’s teachings, transforming more quickly, in Buddhism you in time if you are persistent. When
our morality and conduct from are practicing to progress towards we start in Buddhism it’s like
unwholesome to wholesome, and awakening. Our goal is not to beginning in grade school, but we
taming the mind through meditative remain forever in an “educational may have unrealistic expectations
concentration. All of these can system”, but to graduate! And that of ourselves where we want to
be practiced by laypersons and graduation is finally realizing our understand things at a university or
monastics alike and the results can true mental state of Nirvāṇa. college level quickly. It’s OK to not
be seen in our everyday lives and know everything right now, and the
interactions. The Buddha’s teachings can be Buddhist religion has 2,600 years of
very abstract and difficult for structure to help us as laypersons on

Both laypersons and monastics are many people. How should one this path.
generating merit and wholesome start studying and practicing
karmic actions that shapes future Buddhism? There is a very simple and
rebirths. It is like drops of clean and traditional way to practice
pure water in a bucket, which with Buddhism can feel difficult at times Buddhism that anyone can do.
consistent adding to the bucket, will to us because we often make it that Showing reverence and respect for