Expert: Justin Choo - 12/6/2004

Question
I have been given some books from a buddhist on Buddhism and it is one of the first things that make sense. I love the eightfold path and the four truths. What do I need to do to go further. Keep reading more books?

Answer
Hi Matthew,

Thank you for asking me.

It gives me great happiness to welcome you to the path of Truth and Peace.  This was the mission of the Buddha.  

There are 3 interelated approaches that a person should embark upon the journey to find truth and peace.  The first approach is to gather knowledge, that is, the Buddha's teachings.  Once we have a basic foundation, we can begin to put the knowledge into practice, that is the second step.  You would find that once you have understood the Buddha's teachings, you would want to "experiment" with the knowledge.  You then apply them in your daily activities, in terms of your thoughts, your speech, and your actions. While experimenting with the Buddha's teachings, you would gradually come to realize that your life become more meaningful and peaceful.  This is the "reward" that you earned for yourself. This positive tangible result from practising the Buddha's teachings culminates in the third stage.  Once you experience good results you would want to progress further, and you continue with the 3 approaches.

To sum up; the 3 steps are:
1) Acquiring of knowledge (Buddha's teachings)
2) Using the knowledge and put into practice
3) Expriencing the results.

If the results are positive, conducive and beneficial, then you will definitely want to pursue it further. However, after practising it, if there is no gain, no benefit, and not conducive to one's well-being, then one is free to stop pursuing it further.
    
It gives me great pleasure and happiness to correspond with seekers of truth like your goodself. First you must take this wonderful journey at a gradual pace. It is going to be a life-long journey of peace and happiness. As with all journeys, this one begins with the first step. The first few steps will be slow but steady. Gradually, the pace will increase and as it gathers momentum, the journey will be a smooth and pleasant one.

In this cyberspace, it is so easy to search for information. The first thing you should do is to spend lots of time going through the following Buddhist websites:


www.buddhanet.net
www.dharmanet.org
www.nibbana.com
www.triplegem.net
www.accesstoinsight.org
www.buddhism.about.com
www.aimwell.org


These websites will provide you the detailed information about Buddhism. You will also be able to navigate through all the links provided by these websites.

Now I shall share with you a very important information on Buddhism. A short history of the spread of Buddhism and how the different schools (traditions) of Buddhism emerged; and their differences in practice and interpretations. You need to understand this piece of information right from the start so that you won't fall into the web of confusion, like many other beginners. Once you understand this, you can then decide for yourself which tradition is most suitable for you; and then you can proceed from there.

The Buddha's teachings are based on Universal Truths which transcend race, culture, nationality, space and time. His teachings were initially committed to memory by the learned monks. They were not recorded in writing. This was 2500 years ago. Later, a famous Indian emperor by the name of Asoka became a Buddhist; and Buddhism flourished during his rule. Then Brahmin scholars (high caste group) who were well versed in Sanskrit also became Buddhists; and they gradually had differing views regarding the Buddha's teachings as propounded by the orthodox monks. These orthodox monks were called Thera(s), meaning, elder monks. Their verbal records of the Buddha's teachings were called Theravada, meaning, the ideas of the Thera. Those Brahmins then decided to put into writing, the Buddha's teachings in Sanskrit. They called their writings Mahayana, meaning the Greater Vehicle. They then belittled the Theravada and called it Hinayana, the Lesser Vehicle. To cut the history short, the Mahayana spread to the north through Afghanistan, the Silk Route, and across to North-Western China, then to Mongolia, Korea and Japan.

Meanwhile the Theravada spread to the south to Sri Lanka, then to Burma, Thailand, and Indo China. It was in Sri Lanka around 30 B.C. that the verbal records were put into writing, this time in Pali. The written text is called the Tipitaka, meaning, 3 baskets, where the Buddha's teachings were grouped into 3 groups or baskets. (I follow the Theravada tradition.)

Of course we also have the Tibetan Buddhism which incorporates a lot of Tibetan tradition and culture in the practice of the Buddha's teachings.

It is fortunate that despite differences in rites and rituals, and differing discourses, ALL traditions accept the fundamental teachings of the Buddha, that is, the 4 Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path: The foundation of the Buddha's teachings. Any group or organization which does not accept the 4 Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path is NOT to be regarded as followers of the Buddha.

With this essential and important introduction, you are now ready for the adventure of discovery of spiritual advancement.  In the process you can visit your local temples and from there to widen your contacts with people of like-minds.  Of course, you must continue to associate with the person(s) who have introduced you to this Happy and Peaceful "religion".
  
My recommendation for you, Matthew, is that you come back to me as often as you like and ask whatever questions that you have. I will be very happy to share with you all my knowledge of Buddhism. In order to receive my quick response, please limit your post to 2 questions each time.

Please remember, I am here to answer all your questions. The more YOU ask, the more WE learn.

Smile from justinchoo :-)