How to study Buddhism happily and integrate Buddhism into work and life

Don’t be persistent, just learn it first. In the process of learning, you will naturally understand it. However, you still need to have good methods when learning Buddhism for the first time. A great master has said this:

For those who are new to Buddhism, they should pay attention to learning the precepts first. This is the most critical step in learning Buddhism. If you take this step wrong, you will make mistakes in the future. If you do this step correctly, your future practice will go smoothly. We know that Buddhism is based on the law and not on others. How do we obey the law and not others? Only by starting from the precepts, and only by requiring everything according to the standards of the precepts, can we have standards, and only then can we know which way is correct and which way is not correct. This is very important. Therefore, the most important thing to learn about Buddhism is to pay attention to the precepts.

When I first started learning Buddhism, because I had not yet chosen a method, I had to pay attention to the fact that the first rule was to promote the five sects equally. Don't have a discriminating mind, saying that I am a Pure Land, I am Zen, I am a Tantra, I am a student of teaching, I am a student of discipline. If you have this kind of distinction, you will be far away from the Dharma.

First of all, pay attention to this. At first, we may not be used to it. Sometimes I become passionate about a certain method. No matter how we generate enthusiasm, good or bad, we must pay attention to our mentality, and we must promote the five sects equally, so that we can position ourselves correctly. Not influenced by our passions, not influenced by our one-sided knowledge. Because our knowledge is often determined by what we like or dislike. Buddhism is far from knowledge. We should promote the five sects equally, so that we can truly obtain the Dharma.

Why are some people unable to extricate themselves after entering a certain method? Just because when he first started learning Buddhism, he did not promote the five sects equally. None of the five sects promote it equally, and it is believed that to practice Buddhism one must enter one dharma door. After entering the Dharma, he clings to this Dharma, the only Dharma. Therefore, he is far away from the entire Dharma. He can't stand this method either. The Dharma of Buddhism is the equality of Dharma and Dharma, and they all help people become Buddhas. If we are attached to which Dharma is good, we will have our own opinions, be satisfied with less, and eventually stay away from the Dharma.

It is also something that a new Buddhist should pay special attention to. Especially in the Dharma-ending period, this is particularly terrifying. Yesterday, a layman came here. He wanted to invest 200 million to build a chanting hall with more than ten floors. It would be pure chanting and have modern management. But upon hearing it, I found that his statement and idea were all wrong. I said, what you are doing is wrong. You cannot do one thing, and the time and place are not suitable for you. In addition, knowledge and views are also incorrect. I said that if you want to recite the Buddha, you should be down-to-earth. If there is one person, I can recite it alone, if there are two people, it doesn’t matter how many people there are, and no matter whether the environment is good or bad. And I decided that I would start by reciting the Buddha's name right now, and that was the right thing to do. As for the future and what will happen tomorrow, that is tomorrow's matter. Don't worry about tomorrow's matters. Just worry about whether I can recite this Buddha's name today. This is the main thing. Later he may or may not accept it.

When learning Buddhism for the first time, I think you should start with the precepts and then choose appropriate books. Especially study the Diamond Sutra, this is very important, because the Diamond Sutra is the enlightenment. Only after you have finished studying the Diamond Sutra can you learn the secrets and the Pure Land. Otherwise, you will fall into the state of existence, which is also very scary.

Some people first learn from the Ksitigarbha Sutra. The problem is that although the Ksitigarbha Sutra talks about filial piety. However, because some of our knowledge, understanding, and habits are incorrect, we will become like a great immortal, which is not appropriate. Finally, it's not good to make yourself nervous.

So we should start from the Diamond Sutra. With the foundation of the Diamond Sutra, we will learn other methods very quickly. Like learning esoteric Buddhism, there is a requirement. To learn esoteric Buddhism, you must first learn the explicit teachings, so this is very important.