Expert: Anandapanyo Bhikkhu - 1/15/2010

Question
Hello, i'm very interested in buddhism as i feel it reaches out to me more than any other religion or guide i have come across. I am keen to become a practicing buddhist but do not know where to start. I have read a few information pages on Buddhism and what is expected but i am wondering if you could give me any help for starting out, how many times should i meditate a day? And how do i know if i am a Theravada or Mahayana? I hope you understand what i me and i will be thankful for any answers and help you have for me, Thankyou Jonathan

Answer
Dear Jonathan,

Thank you for the opportunity to answer your question. I hope I can be of help.

I applaud your interest and hope that you find what you are looking for. So, since you are new to Buddhism, I want to provide answers to certain questions that might be helpful for you.

WHAT IS THERAVADA BUDDHISM?
Theravada Buddhism draws its teachings from the Tipitaka, or Pali Canon. Most scholars agree that the Tipitaka is the earliest record of the Buddha’s teachings.  Theravada Buddhism is the main religion in many countries in Southeast Asia including, Thailand, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Burma and Laos. Mahayana usually focuses more on compassion and being Bodhisatvas while Theravada focuses on obtaining enlightenment. So, if you want to free yourself from suffering and find your own salvation, then you are probably looking for Theravada teachings. However, if you would rather be a Buddha and help save many other beings, then you are probably looking for Mahayana teachings.

HOW CAN I BECOME A BUDDHIST?
There are many ways to become a Buddhist. The simplest way is to think like a Buddhist. Use Buddhist thought to solve your problems.

Use Buddhist concepts in your life. Such as –
Tracing the result to its cause. Everything has a cause. Our problems come from our actions and our speech. Our actions and our speech come from our thoughts. Our thoughts come from our points of view. Therefore, if we learn how to find the true cause of problems, we have already used a key concept to Buddhism.

Focus your attention on yourself. You are the most important person in your world. You also make the most mistakes in your world. You also are the angriest person in your world. Everyone in the world has so many faults – including you. However, you are the only one whose problems YOU can fix! If you realize this, start devoting time to analyzing YOURSELF and leave others alone. This is a key concept to Buddhism.

Learn to see cause and effect. All of your speech and actions have a cause. In turn, they themselves are a cause. Learn to be perceptive and notice what effect your speech and actions have. If it is a good effect, continue doing it. If it is a bad effect, take note of this and begin to fix it. Refraining from evil and doing good is a key concept to Buddhism.

Another way to become a Buddhist is to make an inner commitment to accept the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha as your source of spiritual guidance.  You do not need to have a formal ceremony in order to be considered a Buddhist. Being a Buddhist is merely a state of mind.
Another way is to merely believe in the religion of truth. Searching for truths, living by truths and cultivating understanding of truths. If you live your life in this manner, you are already living a Buddhist life.

WHAT IS THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF BUDDHISM?
There are two main goals for Buddhist practitioners:
1.   Living a happy and harmonious life
2.   Achieving Enlightenment

HOW CAN WE LIVE A HAPPY AND HARMONIOUS LIFE THROUGH BUDDHISM?

Understanding cause and effect

Buddhism teaches us to find the cause of our problems. Once we find that cause, we can take steps to destroying it. Once the cause is destroyed, our problem will never return. If we have one less problem that will not return, is that not happiness?

Learning about yourself

The more we know about ourselves, the more we will be able to commit to actions, speech and thoughts that will truly benefit our lives and bless us with true happiness. True happiness comes from the inside out. We must learn about ourselves. Through learning about ourselves, we begin to understand others.

Compassion and forgiveness

Compassion and forgiveness are key concepts in Buddhism. However, to give compassion or forgiveness prematurely is to merely create a higher sense of ego. To forgive purely, we must first recollect an instance when we have committed the same type of action. Otherwise, we will not understand the motives and therefore not be able to genuinely forgive others.

For example, if someone cuts in front of you in line at a bank, this might make you angry. You might try and calm yourself down by telling yourself that this person:
(a)   Didn’t see you
(b)   Is in a hurry
(c)   Is having a bad day

If you try to have compassion or give forgiveness, it will only be given based on a condition. The danger of having compassion or giving forgiveness in this manner is that it is conditional. If compassion or forgiveness is based on a condition, it will only stand as long as the condition stands. Therefore, if you find out later that they:
(a)   Did you see
(b)   Was not in a hurry
(c)   Was not having a bad day

You would no longer be able to forgive or have compassion for this person. This is because your forgiveness and compassion was borne out of a condition.

In order to truly feel compassion or give forgiveness, you must first understand the action. Begin by internalizing. Ask yourself: Have I ever done this? (cut in line, taken someone’s place, …) If not, ask yourself a second question: Have I ever done something like this?(made others wait, been inconsiderate of others,…) Once you find a situation in which you have done it, you will understand firsthand why you did it. You will have empirical knowledge as to the cause and effect of your actions. You will be able to see both sides of the situation. Through this understanding you will understand why others do it. Then you will be able to generate true forgiveness and true compassion. In addition you will be able to make better decisions and be more aware of the effects of your actions and

True freedom - Living life without conditions

So much of our lives are based on conditions. Conditions, just as everything in the world, are subject to Annicam (change, impermanence). Therefore, if our lives are based on conditions that change, when they change, we experience suffering. We often hear others and (most importantly) ourselves say:

“I would be happier if I had … (BMW, new bike, new girlfriend, more money…)”

-   We assume that we would be happier if we had a new BMW. But we forget about what comes with it – security issues, gas prices, expensive maintenance, driving people are around and/or people wanting to borrow your car.

“I wouldn’t be so mad if he/she did …. Instead of …”

-   We think we would not be so mad if others changed their actions or speech, however, even when they say things differently or act differently, we still get mad. This is because the anger stems from perceptions inside of us, not from the actions of others.

“I am so lonely, if only I had someone …”
-   We think that our loneliness will be gone if only we had someone. However, oftentimes, once we have someone we still feel lonely when they are not around. This is because the loneliness comes from inside.
All these statements are based on conditions. Once the condition changes, our satisfaction and happiness changes. Therefore, learning to live without setting impermanent conditions is the way to a happy life.

I hope I have answered your questions.

Sincerely,

Phra Anandapanyo