[Cucoulkrory]

Now I'm quite new still to Buddhism, so I was wondering. To become a Buddhist do we have to give up some things in our life? Meditate nearly every waking second a day? Are these the tasks/rituals we must part-take in? This may sound quite stupid, but I do not understand. How is one fully a Buddhist?

Edward.

Hi Edward,

If we are lay practitioners with jobs and maybe family commitments too, we start exactly where we are and just take one step at a time. Its a good idea to study the core teachings of the historical Buddha and to try to follow the 5 precepts. Five to ten minutes meditation twice daily is also fine to begin with.

Its not necessary to take part in rituals. However, when one is confident about the teachings one can take Refuge in Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, either at home in front of a Buddha image, or at a centre with a monk or a teacher....and this usually gives one some inspiration to continue on the path.

I also recommend looking for a local Buddhist centre or meditation group and the Buddhanet worldwide search facility can be used to do that.

http://www.buddhanet.info/wbd/index.php


with kind wishes

Aloka