Answer: Meditation is a profound practice that requires careful and thorough preparation for a lifelong journey. It's the final step of the Noble Eightfold Path, and the Buddha Himself attained Enlightenment through Meditation. Everyone should practice meditation, and in the future, it may well become an essential life skill.However, Meditation is quite complex. While it may seem simple to just focus the mind and stop thinking, it's actually a fierce battle against the mind's natural tendency to wander. The success rate of those who embark on this journey is quite low. Many fail because they underestimate Meditation's complexity, lack a solid foundation, and begin without a clear direction.To start meditating, four essential preparations are needed in order as below:- A Solid Theoretical Foundation: It's crucial to thoroughly study Meditation theory and find the most accurate teachings. Many different meditation methods are taught, and even those who claim to have achieved meditative states may not teach correctly. Understanding meditation's complexities is essential.- Merit Accumulation: Next, one must accumulate extraordinary merit to practice Meditation effectively. This involves performing numerous acts of kindness and discreetly sharing the Buddha’s teachings with others. Accumulating merit elevates one to a higher spiritual realm, making it easier to enter meditative states.- Moral Cultivation: Afterwards, a high level of moral purity is necessary for Meditation. A calm mind without moral grounding is not sustainable.- Physical Conditioning: Then, practicing Qigong or other physical exercises to improve health is essential. The initial stages of Meditation, especially when sitting in the full lotus position, can be physically demanding. A strong body can better endure the discomfort.

Answer: To achieve their goals, people often use various methods, including:- Legal means: Negotiation, cooperation in accordance with the prevailing national laws.- Moral means: Words of morality and acts of kindness, good karma comes in return.- Immoral means: Manipulation, deceit, and harming others for personal gain.The greater the potential for fame or fortune, the more likely people are to resort to immoral tactics rather than following laws and moral principles. Few can resist the temptation of great wealth or power while maintaining their integrity. Thus, the pursuit of fame and fortune can reveal one's true character. Those who can resist these temptations are truly admirable.Some organizations even specialize in teaching manipulative tactics, and some individuals become highly skilled in these arts. It can be challenging to avoid their traps.Lay practitioners should develop a basic understanding of these worldly tactics for self-protection. However, we should strictly adhere to current laws and moral principles in our interactions and avoid using manipulative or deceitful methods. By upholding our integrity, we ensure a positive rebirth in future lives.Those who resort to immoral means may enjoy temporary success, but their bad karma will eventually lead to negative consequences.

Answer: Cultivating positive qualities, like eliminating negative traits, requires seeking the Buddha's grace. We can't simply create these qualities on our own. Moreover, we should genuinely admire those who possess the qualities we wish to develop.For instance, if we want to cultivate Selflessness, Humility, Patience, Generosity, Mindfulness, or Diligence, we should pray to the Buddha to instill these qualities in our mind. We should also praise those who exemplify these virtues. By consistently affirming our desire for these qualities and observing those who embody them, we can gradually develop these positive traits in our own lives and interactions.Besides, we should encourage others to cultivate these virtues as well.

Answer: We might struggle with impulsiveness, arrogance, laziness, excessive talking, avoiding responsibilities, selfishness, or gossiping. The list of human vices is extensive, and these traits collectively create our complex and often challenging world.

When we recognize a negative trait in ourselves, we must understand that it's deeply ingrained and difficult to eradicate alone. Therefore, we should sincerely pray to the Buddha, acknowledging our faults and seeking merit to help overcome these negative tendencies. Consistent practice and sincere repentance over time will gradually help eliminate these harmful habits.

To help others overcome their negative traits, we can encourage them to follow a similar approach: pray to the Buddha, acknowledge their faults, and seek the Buddha's guidance in overcoming them.

Question 57: FILIAL PIETY IS A CHERISHED ASPECT OF EASTERN CULTURE, AND ARGUABLY OF CULTURES WORLDWIDE. HOW SHOULD LAY PRACTITIONERS UNDERSTAND FILIAL PIETY?

Answer: Parents instinctively love their children unconditionally, often dedicating their entire lives to their children's well-being. However, children don't naturally reciprocate this love to the same degree. They tend to focus their love on their own offspring, a phenomenon our ancestors described as "TEARS ROLLING DOWNWARD," meaning love typically flows from older generations to younger ones.

The greatest joy of aging parents is often being surrounded as their affection for their children and grandchildren keeps growing. However, modern life's demands frequently separate families, with children moving away to pursue careers and start their own families. This has led to an increasing number of elderly parents experiencing loneliness and isolation.

Our ancestors, especially Confucianism, placed great importance on filial piety, considering it a fundamental human virtue. Those who lack filial piety are viewed as falling short of true humanity. While the natural tendency is for love to flow from parent to child, we must consciously cultivate filial piety as a moral obligation. We should make deliberate efforts to care for our aging parents, bring them joy, and guide them in their Buddhist spiritual practice.

In the Buddhist tradition, the Ullambana Festival is a significant event honoring filial piety. This festival serves as a reminder of the importance of respecting our parents and preserving this essential virtue for future generations

Question 56: PARENTS OFTEN HOPE THEIR CHILDREN WILL EXCEL ACADEMICALLY, BRINGING HONOR AND HAPPINESS TO THE FAMILY. HOWEVER, NOT ALL CHILDREN ARE ACADEMICALLY GIFTED. HOW SHOULD LAY PRACTITIONERS VIEW THIS SITUATION AND FIND PEACE OF MIND?

Answer: A child's academic success often has roots in the family's overall karmic balance, rather than solely in the child's individual abilities. While parents may urge their children to study more, the foundation of academic achievement extends beyond mere effort.

To foster a child's intelligence, parents should cultivate positive intentions even before the child is born, such as hoping the child will contribute positively to society. Furthermore, parents should encourage their children to perform acts of kindness from an early age, like assisting classmates, sharing school supplies, helping peers understand lessons, etc. These actions lay the groundwork for future academic success.

Parents should anticipate their children will not be excelling in schools, and take blue-collar jobs. Parents should also prepare themselves for the possibility that their child might not excel academically or reach great career heights. It's crucial to recognize that happiness and fulfillment can be found in various life paths, and that a child's moral character holds more importance than their academic achievements. If a child embodies virtues such as compassion, diligence, and a desire to help others, hopefully future generations produce geniuses.

Question 55: MANY PEOPLE SEEK VARIOUS FORMS OF ENTERTAINMENT TO RELIEVE STRESS AFTER A LONG DAY OF WORK. WHAT ABOUT LAY PRACTITIONERS?

Answer: Entertainment is a common way to alleviate mental stress, find enjoyment, and recharge both physically and mentally, helping us face daily challenges. Healthy forms of entertainment include getting a good night's sleep, taking walks in nature, listening to soothing music, watching a good movie, having coffee with friends, etc. However, it's crucial to avoid harmful and addictive forms of entertainment.Lay practitioners can find relaxation through activities such as practicing qigong, meditating, listening to spiritual music, connecting with brethren, taking mindful walks, or engaging in community service like picking up litter.When selecting forms of entertainment, we should steer clear of those that might hinder our spiritual growth or disturb others. Ideally, our leisure activities should generate positive karma and bring joy and benefit to those around us.

Question 54: TEMPLES OFTEN PROVIDE FREE SERVICES LIKE SPIRITUAL COUNSELINGS, PEACEFULNESS AND RELIEF PRAYERS, EXORCISM, MARTIAL ARTS CLASSES, MUSIC LESSONS, AND EVEN FREE MEALS. HOWEVER, IN THE SECULAR WORLD, EVERYTHING COMES WITH A PRICE. WHY CAN'T WE APPLY THE SAME BUSINESS PRINCIPLES TO TEMPLES?

Answer: When a lay practitioner makes a donation to a temple, it's a voluntary act of generosity without any expectation of a specific return. The donor simply wishes for the well-being of the monks and nuns and for the continued flourishing of the Dharma. In response, temples offer most of their services for free, with the exception of items like robes that are sold to generate funds for daily expenses. Temples courageously offer free services to embody the spirit of compassion and selfless giving, without concern for profit or loss. Despite this, these temples are often blessed with sufficient resources to meet their needs.

Lay practitioners have family responsibilities and financial obligations that make it difficult to provide everything for free. However, to accumulate merit, lay practitioners can offer free services within their means, such as: starting a free community class (with proper government approval), teaching music or martial arts, cleaning up litter, planting trees, visiting the elderly, providing free vegetarian meals (taking precautions against sabotage), cleaning cemeteries, etc. An ideal society would be one where everything is free and everyone is well-provided for (such a society likely exists only in heavenly realms).

Answer: Consider a husband who comes home after a stressful day at work and takes out his frustrations on his wife and children. This disrupts the family's harmony and shows how external circumstances can affect our emotions and actions. The ability to maintain a peaceful family life, regardless of work-related stress, demonstrates a person's moral character and resilience.

Likewise, in our spiritual practice, life is never without challenges. We will experience periods of highs and lows, prosperity and adversity. Those who lack determination may lose their spiritual resolve when facing difficulties, neglecting their practice and squandering the merits they've accumulated.

We should resolutely make commitments, earnestly worship the Buddha, assiduously meditate, and enthusiastically engage in virtuous activities to cultivate a steadfast spiritual practice while adversity has not yet arrived. However, even with these efforts, it may not be until we face adversity that we truly discover the depth of our spiritual resolve. Challenges serve as a measure of our spiritual progress. When we can face life's greatest challenges with peace and equanimity, even when our reputation is tarnished, then we can say our spiritual practice is somehow sufficient.

Answer: Monasteries have Pure Rules (Vinaya Piṭaka)*, and when a monk breaks a rule, their teacher provides guidance and discipline based on the severity of the offense. However, lay practitioners are not under such direct supervision. Since everyone makes mistakes, it can be problematic for lay practitioners to receive consistent guidance and discipline.

There are two scenarios for lay practitioners who have made mistakes: self-awareness and observing in other brethren.

Self-awareness of a mistake: If we realize we've made a mistake, we can either sincerely repent by offering prayers to the Buddha or seek out our spiritual teacher to confess, receive guidance, and accept any discipline they suggest.

Observing a mistake in other brethren: If we notice some of our brethren making a mistake, the appropriate course of action depends on our relationship with them. If we are close, we can directly approach them, explaining the mistake and encouraging them to repent as mentioned above. Otherwise, we should inform the brethren leader or spiritual teacher so they can address the issue and investigate the matter further. Ignoring a mistake made by another can lead to negative consequences for oneself.

(*) Pure Rules (Vinaya Piṭaka) in Buddhism are a set of stipulations and advice that guide the Buddhist community of monks and nuns. They are considered the basis of monastic life and are essential for the preservation of the Buddha’s teachings.

Citation: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Vinaya-Pitaka