Read About Buddhism or Practice It

In the West many people approach Buddhism as a purely intellectual pursuit. They can talk endlessly about the Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hanh. Minds are full of knowledge about Zen koans. On desks they have day-to-day calendars that dispense Buddhism wisdom in short bites. They revere entertainment and sports personalities who present themselves as Buddhists. Products and services that have nothing to do with Buddhism use the word zen and images of the Buddha to sell their wares.

Ask each one if they practice Buddhism and you are likely to get a blank look.

Books on Zen, the various types of ethnic Buddhism, and meditation are available in bookstores, online, and at libraries. On Amazon.com a search for "zen" brings up over a thousand titles. Google the search term "books about Buddhism" and get over nine million hits. That doesn't include the blogs and other websites that promote different brands of Buddhism.

The books and blogs and websites can be fun to read. A lot can be learned but not all of it is accurate or up-to-date. Many of them should have the same disclaimer that begins many reality shows about dog training, medical and relationship advice; this is meant for entertainment purposes, please see an expert for help with your specific problem.

Shi Yong Xiang, the Abbot of the Center for Pragmatic Buddhism in St. Louis, MO warns about the Zen Sickness that comes from reading too much about Buddhism without actually practicing it.

Buddhism is not a quick-fix self-help teaching. There are few books or websites about Buddhism that tell the whole story. They leave out one important fact. Buddhism without practice, without a teacher, and without a sangha rarely leads to the real results that actually practicing Buddhism can deliver.

In a nutshell, are you practicing Buddhism or just reading about it?

Then there are the people that skip around Buddhist group to Buddhist group. They taste a little Zen. Next time they nibble at Pragmatic Buddhism. Later they chant with a local Chinese Buddhist group. And so on. This is a classic case of eating at the Buddhist Buffet.

Until there is a commitment to practice under one teacher and one teaching the person will most likely continue to feel a sense of unsatisfactoriness.

The teachings of the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Guatama aren't meant to be purely intellectual. Professing agreement with the goals of Buddhism is not enough. Understanding them is not enough. The teachings must be put into practice.

Sitting in meditation is just a part of Buddhist practice. What the practitioners learns on the cushion (zafu) must be brought into every moment of the day. The lessons of every Dharma talk must be incorporated into each thought process.

Real Buddhist practice, no matter what sect, is not easy. Shi Yong Xiang says, "There will never be a Buddhist Mega-church." He says that because the actual practice of Buddhism requires self-honesty and a high level of commitment. It is based on actions that are not dictated by someone else, but on the actions performed by the person. Being a Buddhist isn't just talking and believing. Being a Buddhist is accepting a lifestyle that requires moment-to-moment awareness and moment-to-moment action.