Question: “I have recently been looking into buddhism, and it seems like the right thing for me, but I do not know how I should begin practicing it.”
Nothing is “right” for you until you try it on. I see dozens of people come and go to my temple all the time because they thought Buddhism was their way out of religion, seemed cool, it semi fit what they think/believe, among other reasons. But in actuality, Buddhism can be quite overwhelming. If you visit a Buddhist temple and go to a service, it’s an hour or more of chanting and another 30 or 60 minutes of meditation. That doesn’t include the hour of chanting and 30 or 60 minutes of meditation on top of that you’d do at home!
The best thing you can do now, as a beginner, is study. Practice later. Study intensely for at least a year while incorporating some meditation and short chanting within that year. Once you have a strong hold on the basics – andjust the basics is volumes worth of books! Buddhism is extremely profound and detailed. It’s impossible to understand it fully and know everything in one lifetime. Read. A lot. I highly recommend The Heart of the Buddha’s Teachingby Thich Nhat Hanh. It’s one of my favorite books and it’s one of the best 101 books I’ve ever read. From there you can start on any of his other books. Or with some classics like the Dhammapada, or sutras like the Lotus Sutra.
Study. Meditate and contemplate on what you studied. And stay mindful throughout the day, or as much as you can be. Or just while doing chores or work. I’m writing a book on basic Buddhist meditation that I think would help a lot, so keep an eye out for it! Should be out and published by the end of the month 🙂
Smile and be well!