Question: “Dear Quang Trí,
I have a question about all the different forms of Buddhism there are: it’s pretty overwhelming to say the least. Apologies if somebody has already asked this, I couldn’t find it.
I’ve been reading a lot, A LOT, bc I want to be open to all forms and not just think, eh, that’s the most popular one, let’s pick that one. Doesn’t work that way obviously. Anyhoo, despite all my study into this subject I still feel kind of lost. Of course, I could visit a temple, but still, too many choices! For me, at this moment, it feels like all forms, whether it’s Zen, Pure Land, Nichiren, etc, etc, all have something that feels like; oh, this feels good! Maybe I’m too focused on choosing, I know, but in a way I think I’ll feel more grounded, for lack of a better word, if I choose one. Any advice?”
That is an excellent question!
Yes, there are a LOT of choices out there and they’re there to suit the needs of every kind of person and their needs.
Depending on where you live, choosing a temple and teacher is either easy or difficult, whether it’s because you have many options or no options at all. Every temple and teacher’s teaching style and path that they’re trying to lead the people is different.
Despite the many choices, all schools and traditions still teach and emphasize the basic core of Buddhist teachings: Four Noble Truths, Eightfold path, meditation, karma, compassion, non-violence, equanimity, and the end of suffering.
There’s only so many choices to choose because so many people learn in different ways. You might be a visual learner, where as I have to actually do the work and practice. So two different teachings methods need to be created.
There are two ways to “choose” a school/tradition. 1) You can sit down and contemplate what it is you want to learn and achieve? Are there certain teachings/sutras you want to master? Are you trying to achieve high levels of meditation? Do you want a helping hand and an easy route out of suffering into a Pure Land? Think of what you want to be learning and how you want to be learning it.
2) You can just let it fall into your lap. For years I lived about 8 minutes from my temple that I never knew existed. At the time I was only self-studying and hadn’t make the choice to go to/join a temple yet. When I finally did make the choice, I was surprised that there was one right down the road from me! Not only that, but there was another temple even closer, but something drew me to the one I started going to. It kinda just happened.
There aren’t many temple choices around here, so the one I did decide to go to, I have a very strong connection to. I didn’t seek a certain tradition or school, I just let it come to me. So if you have many options, great! Visit each one for a month or so to really gauge its atmosphere, teachings and people, and that should help you make a choice. Or you can visit one of them and instantly know, “This is the one!”
Or, if all else fails – You don’t really need a tradition/school. As long as you’re practicing the basics and live with morality, then that’s all the tradition you need. If you do self-study, pick one or two sutras that you feel a real connection to and stick to those sutras and study them for the rest of your life. That becomes your tradition.
Smile and be well!