How to Practice Buddhism

How do people practice Buddhism? I'll look at some of the more popular contemporary Buddhist practices from around the world.
*** Recorded before our house fire. See: • Gutted by Fire
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00:00 Intro
01:26 Faith- or devotional-based practices
04:17 Ethical practices: the five precepts
05:12 Meditation practices: the breath
07:43 Other meditation practices
10:01 Retreats
11:22 Study and learning
Butsudan image courtesy of Gpwitteveen at Wikimedia: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
Monks reading image courtesy Jon Hoefer from Pixabay.
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[@DougsDharma]

🧡 If you find benefit in my videos, consider supporting the channel by joining us on Patreon and get fun extras like exclusive videos, ad-free audio-only versions, and extensive show notes: www.patreon.com/dougsseculardharma 🙂 📙 You can find my new book here: books2read.com/buddhisthandbook

[@austinrich8343]

What can I pursue as a Buddhist? Find things to help us live wiser, kinder, and calmer lives. Different kinds of practices: 1. Faith based approach in Buddha and dharma and teachers. Small shrines to ancestors, teachers, etc... 2. Small acts of generosity. Prayer. Festivals. Non devotional practices: 5 precepts. Meditation. Chanting. Breathing. Loving-kindness Meditation. Recollection Meditation Visualization Death and decay Meditation retreats

[@gscrean]

I'm glad you mentioned online resources similar to centers, Doug. I've considered you one of my dharma "teachers" for some time and hope you recognize the good you're doing for others.

[@DougsDharma]

Thanks so much, gscrean. Glad to help! 🙏😊

[@saralamuni]

There are 84 000 ills in the world and 84 000 Buddhist practices to cure them all. The practices mentioned in this video will greatly aid you in your path but they are only effective if you actually practice them earnestly. The Buddha Dharma is good in the beginning, good in the middle and good in the end. The mind is your garden, and you are the gardener; start watering the seed of enlightenment in you today and before you know it you will have attained full Buddhahood!

[@DougsDharma]

🙏😊

[@limmeechun6748]

Sadhu Sadhu Sadhu

[@unknowninfinium4353]

Doug, thanks for taking the initiative to being forth Buddhism. Not many are doing what you do, sure they explain but you making it accessible to all is deeply appreciated man. Buddhism is something I find that's so natural with the way things are, world is. However the book 'Siddhartha' by Hemes had a profound effect on me, one of those books that change you from within. Take care dude.

[@DougsDharma]

My pleasure, thanks for the comment!

[@carolineASMR]

So glad I found this channel! 🙌🙏✨💜

[@jacobmills7289]

Yes, he fits into a niche I found to be particularly helpful to my practice

[@DougsDharma]

🙏😊

[@anoridinaryhumanbeing70]

Yeah, it's a good channel :)

[@garymaiano4982]

Doug you speak so well, so clearly, and you have a nice sounding voice. Thank you for your service.

[@DougsDharma]

🙏😊

[@AdityaSawdekar]

So true

[@chrisbrownaz]

I find chanting is a great replacement for mediation on the days when I'm tired or lacking in focus. Meditation is the strongest, but only if done well. When I don't feel I can do it well, chanting is the next best thing to achieve inner calm.

[@DougsDharma]

That makes sense to me, Chris. Thanks!

[@ducciwucci]

i appreciate your videos very much. my interest in buddhism took root in a couple of ways: first through my yoga practice (which began purely for exercise reasons) and second through my search for effective + sustainable anger management. i have a "well of anger" as i like to call it, and it runs deep. something inside of me calls to defy that completely by pursuing a life of compassion and generosity. i find that these practices in turn make my heart feel lighter and less angry. i still have much to learn and have no idea where the path will take me, but you've been much help already and i thank you wholeheartedly.

[@DougsDharma]

You're very welcome! Glad to help.

[@graham974]

A practical and very helpful video Doug. Great work as always 🙏

[@DougsDharma]

Glad it was helpful, Graham. 🙏😊

[@user-uf9oe8ug4q]

This is a good topic! If you find sutras in Vimana vattu in tripitaka, you may see some peopele have kept flwers, fragrances, foods to buddha like people share different things each other in present days and as a result they have deserved incarnations in heavens. But they served for real buddha. But having fragrances, flowers to budda statues is not like that completely. I think that practices have been taken from that sutras. You may see, there are lot of things that people have made themself as a buddist culture (Statues, arts, practices etc.) But it is not actually buddha's tachings except people made culture.

[@bencharits]

Thank you for the insightful summary of such a wide-range of Buddhist practice. It is great to see how you described the practices especially the meditation practices. This is a great video summary for non-Buddhists or novice practitioners.

[@DougsDharma]

My pleasure, I hope so! 😊🙏

[@yourmindisyours1731]

Keep up the great work Doug ya legend. Metta from Brisbane Australia.

[@DougsDharma]

🙏😊

[@slamallama2385]

This is an excellent explanation. Great Job.

[@DougsDharma]

🙏😊

[@wibuhakase3522]

I personally prefer meditation & study. 😊 By the way, this video I think somewhat relates to one of your old video, i.e. "How to become a Buddhist". Thank you! 😊

[@DougsDharma]

Yes, it does! 😄

[@mistorya600]

I feel like your thumbnails used to look much better in the past. I liked the large/chunkly keyword titles. It made it more appealing to click on and very professional. It is probably influenced by the fact that that style of thumbnails used to be the standard back in my days of watching KZbin, but these last few thumbnails don't have the same effect as the older ones.

[@DougsDharma]

Well I think the old ones got sort of stale over time, a bit repetitive. I'm trying new things, some will include keywords and the like.

[@philmcdonald6088]

thank you for teaching here you do us a great service. 🕸

[@DougsDharma]

My pleasure, Phil!

[@ay2257]

Hi Doug I hope everything is okay after the fire, I wish you all the best

[@DougsDharma]

Thanks, things are progressing slowly but we are doing fine. 🙏

[@DisobedientSpaceWhale]

Thanks Doug

[@DougsDharma]

🙏😊

[@eugenewhite8248]

Hey Doug! Love the videos! Thanks for sharing this wisdom so simply and easy to understand. Do you have any resources or apps that you could offer for these meditations that you are referring to?

[@DougsDharma]

There are plenty of guided meditations on the web if you search on Google or KZbin, or you can download apps like Insight Timer for your phone.

[@jacobmills7289]

Doug, could you please consider making some content talking about the history of mandalas or something like that?

[@DougsDharma]

Mandalas are a later practice, not found in early Buddhism. I discussed a bit about them in my video on the history of the Vajrayāna: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j4e9eK2de8ehfck

[@vikyosa4651]

Thank you 🙏🏽🙏🏽❤

[@DougsDharma]

My pleasure, Viky!

[@PabloVestory]

Thank you so much 🙏

[@DougsDharma]

My pleasure!

[@mr.morrist4975]

do good, avoid evil, purify your mind

[@DougsDharma]

🙏😊

[@nellie2m]

Hi, great videos. I'm feeling a real breath of fresh air learning g about Buddhism as seperate from leaps of faith in deities or afterlife. I was wondering, do you yet have a video on the morality of having children from a buddhist perspective? If not, perhaps you could talk about this.

[@DougsDharma]

Interesting, that's not something that the Buddha specifically discusses to my knowledge. He expected laypeople to have families, and for parents to care for their children and children to care for their parents. This was all perfectly moral.

[@geoffh2560]

Thanks for publishing this video Doug. If I'm honest I find it slightly upsetting that the fire damaged this room only a short time later. But there's probably a message in there somewhere about all things being temporary! Be well.

[@DougsDharma]

Thanks, Geoff! 🙏

[@lifeisprofoundlyordinary1012]

The more I practice & learn about Buddhism, the more there's a feeling that the language and the lists can get in the way if I'm not aware of how I'm treating it ...it seems that my practice is more natural, helpful to others and myself when I drop the labels, the Dharma is just reality itself, even calling it Dharma puts a 'layer' onto what is... yet I find I'm attached to Buddhism itself, the teachers, the traditions, the ideas and prescribed practices.. they are useful and inspiring. I'm always drawn back, by means of wanting to identify... Buddhism is such helpful and beautiful view though. I'm kinda confused!

[@DougsDharma]

Yes, I wouldn't necessarily get too caught up in analyzing it all. If you find it helpful, then practice! The rest will work itself out.

[@yasithperera5700]

One should practise according to Supreme Buddha's instructions. Reading the Suttas regarding about the lay devotees should help. Definitely companionship is what helps immensely to practise this path. One should associate with monks and other lay people of Buddhism. Dana (alms) Sila, (Precepts/virtue) Bhavana (Meditation) If one practices the 3 above, while increasing the faith/confidence towards the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha and using Yoniso Manasikara (right attention/refelction) on key Dhamma's points. One is indeed a practitioner of Buddhism. And is on the right path to Nibbana 🙏

[@DougsDharma]

Thanks Yasith!

[@deionle9355]

great

[@DougsDharma]

🙏😊

[@kidkous]

I don't think of retreats as modern since in many places weather grounds practice literally for long periods, so I kind of think some of it was retreat perhaps before name...

[@DougsDharma]

Yes, in the Buddha's day there were three month "rains retreats" for all monastics. So probably the modern idea of retreats comes from that idea.

[@iallalli5223]

Doug see Doug is Nirvana, which is Bahiya sutta's finger.

[@rafafernandez192]

Hi Doug! First of all I just wanted to let you know I love your videos and learn a lot from them. Also, I wanted to ask you if there is any way to find a local Buddhist center that is guaranteed that is not some kind of sect. I am asking because I live in Uruguay and I would love to join a group but first I want to make sure it is the correct place to go to. Thanks in advance!

[@DougsDharma]

Thanks Rafael! It's hard to know what any given Buddhist group is going to be like without going there personally and trying it out. If they have a website you can check that, but otherwise probably your best option is just to go to an intro meeting and see for yourself. If it doesn't feel right, then don't go back!

[@rafafernandez192]

@@DougsDharma Thank you very much! I will do that

[@ALMOSTlive250]

I'm Curious have you covered pureland Buddhism. Truely appreciate the videos

[@DougsDharma]

Thanks so much! I haven't done a video on Pure Land Buddhism; in general my focus is on the early material, with a few exceptions. I may do a video on Pure Land eventually!

[@chandrothiyaneel901]

Hello Doug!! Out of curiosity,I just wanna ask you that do you have visited India especially to Buddhist sites? And also what do you say about Vipassana Meditation by S.N Goenka ji??

[@DougsDharma]

I haven't been to India, and I know many people enjoy Goenka-ji's Vipassana retreats.

[@user-cv1yq8ty2l]

Namo Budhhay My perception and understanding of Buddhism is that it's very logical ethical practical a religion which is humanity Various concept of Buddhism are looked differently and are understood differently I see Karma as Newton's third law And life cycle or Nirvana as law of energy that energy cannot be created nor destroyed it just changes form Just like we are living on energy when flesh skeleton nerves cells everything works on energy and part of it when we die this energy changes it form accordingly People from different religion the theist you God to justify not knowing or unknown they didn't justify life and used God as the answer which doesn't even stop the loop of questions They just stop one loop of questions and theories to start another loop

[@xiaomaozen]

😊🙏

[@DougsDharma]

🙏😊

[@Cyberpunk_Radio_PBS]

More appropriate title for this video would be "What are the different practices" not "how." The question is, How does one learn this philosophy and take action with it? And youve said, "Just do it"

[@DougsDharma]

Sure!

[@poppywindstockings4930]

🙏

[@DougsDharma]

🙏😊

[@kellerdellinger8630]

How to practice is very simple. Make and follow through with a commitment to virtue, renunciation, sense-restraint, and dispassion. Do so in a way that increasingly encompasses every aspect of every moment of every day of your life. While there is complexity in how the above lifestyle goal can be strategically approached, this simple training is the essence of what is prescribed by the Buddha in the EBTs. While many common Buddhist practices are theoretically compatible with such a lifestyle, often they are simply used as another means of coping with suffering rather than uprooting it-- another distraction. The real training should feel like you are taming a wild animal, like you are committing metaphysical suicide via sensual starvation. If it doesn't, then you are probably just making good karma, rather than putting an end to karma. The fact that the gradual training is so uncomfortable and goes so against the grain is, naturally, why most ostensible Buddhists don't actually do it. It's up to you whether or not you want to end suffering. But be aware that practices by themselves will not lead to enlightenment. Only sustained, probing, appropriate contemplative attention and patiently enduring the discomfort of restraint will lead to the goal.

[@mord0]

Hey guys, don’t follow this advice. Buddha went down the ascetic path and found dissatisfaction. The middle way is the path that leads. You can enjoy pleasures but don’t indulge. You can do gentle restraints of sense but don’t punish.

[@iallalli5223]

Hi Doug. When you want to turn right who do turn? How do you know right? When you are right all is nice isn't it? Have nice day.

[@DougsDharma]

😊

[@adol_fhitler7510]

Hey master, which budhisam is better? Mahayana is good?

[@DougsDharma]

It depends on the practitioner.

[@anoridinaryhumanbeing70]

@@DougsDharma wow.. You are a wise cute sage. I like your way of the dharma.. It depends on the practitioner, totally. Infact, all are good. Because, the practitioner has his own ego. His own illusory self concept. And the dharma is there to break the self concept. To take you to a state of no-self. So the last thing you'd do is let your personal preferences (based on the self's realm) come in between your practice. And choose your path based on THAT. Gosh!! 😂 No way! Although I do see your point. Any path is best(not only better) as long as you actually STICK to it. And not give up. 🙏❤️

[@alexbenedict9514]

Doug, what do you mean by faith?

[@DougsDharma]

I have a couple of videos on the topic, for example: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rqbLqqh-l5JsjpY

[@jinukang0205]

Don't forget...Keep in mind ....Good Karma follows good Karma, Bad Karma follows bad Karma to you even if after you were death..

[@leofrasionio5290]

Does the term "lay" people mean like ordinary people?

[@DougsDharma]

A layperson or householder is someone who is not a monk or nun.

[@anoridinaryhumanbeing70]

A lay person is like Doug Smith. And all people are ordinary people. Including the Buddha's. They have just realised their True oridinary-ness. And we are on our way to it.. :) The whole Zen approach is to take you towards your ordinary state. Free of any shade of the self. 🙏❤️

[@mikepict9011]

Nothing like me , that's how

[@ashokkumarg6277]

ಗ್ರೇಟ್

[@DougsDharma]

🙏😊

[@honestal2684]

Can I smoke weed and be a Buddhist ? Or should I be a devotee to Lord Shiva

[@dudeonthasopha]

These types of decisions aren't based on what you do it's what you believe to be true. Shaivism and Buddhism have very different conceptions of the nature of reality and the self.

[@honestal2684]

@@dudeonthasopha I have thousands of life times I choose to go down each path before I become enlightened

[@courage146]

I mean you can…but in the discourses it says that intoxication leads to negligence and doesn’t help with concentration. Sensual pleasures are mentioned as a hindrance to the jhanas in the discourses. But ultimately Buddhism prioritizes direct experience so you need to determine whether engaging with this is helpful or not!

[@DougsDharma]

Yes, you can, but smoking isn't a part of the practice and since it isn't great for your health, it's probably best to avoid it generally. 🙏

[@anoridinaryhumanbeing70]

Don't be too hard on yourself. Don't use brute force. Be gentle with it. Bring mindfulness in your daily life. And Compassion. Practice the dharma patiently, diligently. Seek out guidance from nearby practitioners. If you don't have any yet, use these kind of online platforms. As your practice deepens , your sangha will start appearing. Nothing is accomplished overnight. It takes time. :) Be patient :)❤️ Slowly, slowly, as you start experiencing the joy and peace, emanating from direct practice of mindfulness and kindness, smoking would drop away. Its futility would be revealed. And it would become much easier for you to drop it. Than taking hasty steps and failing with guilt. Buddha's compassion is unconditional. And boundless. If you truly seek his path, and put efforts towards it, he'll help you. There's no question of any judgement here. He's not interested in condemning you for any smoking habit. He's not part of your sunday Church. He's simply interested in liberating all beings from suffering. As Ajahn Brahm put it, most beautifully -- "Kindfulness". Kindness merged with mindfulness. That's the Dharma. Love,, 🙏❤️

[@2010RSHACKS]

Someone needs to make a new system of hybrid Buddhism Taoism Hinduism Sikhism and cut all the BS out

[@DougsDharma]

What would that look like?

[@anoridinaryhumanbeing70]

@@DougsDharma hotchPotch xD

[@patrickmendis]

Can you prove that Resurrection of Jesus DID NOT happen? If resurrection happened as recorded in the Bible then Buddhism is FALSE. You are barking at the wrong tree.

[@anoridinaryhumanbeing70]

Jesus was a dope guy. XD

[@David-kx7tz]

huh

[@lainfamia8949]

Jesus is an abrahamic sectarian personality,nothing related with Dharma.

[@jaisinghrajput2995]

There is no proof that Jesus even existed to this world.... There is no strong proof of Jesus's existence unlike Gautam Buddha 's existence..... So yeah keep your cult to yourself only