Question: “I’ve done lots of research and read books on Buddhism. I am truly interested but it’s hard incorporating everything into my everyday life. What do you recommend?”
Take it step-by-step. Don’t rush yourself. If you do, you’ll never learn and really absorb anything. There’s so much to learn and practice in Buddhism, it takes a whole lifetime to really grasp just a handful of ideas and concepts.
What I did in my early years, if anything had a list – the four noble truths, eightfold path, 12 links of dependent origination, etc. – read, learn, and meditate on one item a day and just work your way up. It’s important to meditate and contemplate even the simplest of things, because it might be simple to read and superficially understand, like ‘life is suffering,’ but then ask yourself what is life? What is suffering? Meditate on this and it’ll help you better understand so many other things as you go along in your journey.
Never stop reading. Never stop learning. As Buddhists, we never stop learning something new.
Smile and be well!