It is wise to be like Sariputta and use your powers of discernment to determine if you believe something you have read or been taught. The sign of a healthy practice is to question what is being taught and come to your own conclusions. 

Introduction

This is part of a series I am writing on Challenges for the Buddhist householder. The series started with Exploring the Householder Path in Buddhism and in a previous post I explored the challenge of Time to Practice. In this post, I will elaborate on the challenge for the householder in learning the dharma.

The word dharma has multiple meanings. A simple definition is as follows:

“In Buddhist literature, dharma often refers to Buddhist teaching and practice in general. In this sense, dharma is used by Buddhists to encompass everything that was taught by the Buddha (or more precisely what a given tradition believes was spoken by him).” Source: Dharma by John Powers

In the context that I am using, I refer to the dharma as sources of information for the householder to learn and study Buddhism. This would include sources that are said to be from the Buddha and those of other Buddhist scholars.

Consider this blog post as a starting point to begin learning about Buddhism. The truth be told I could write a whole book on the challenge of learning the dharma for the householder.

Learning the Dharma

Challenge for the Householder

The householder will probably not have a teacher, whereas the monastic most certainly will. This requires the householder to often learn about the dharma on their own. Unlike some 2500 years ago when the Buddha taught the dharma, we now have multiple ways to accomplish this. In the Buddha’s time, the dharma was passed along as lectures as this was prior to any of the dharma being written down.

Now we have many books on Buddhism available to us, both in written and audio formats, podcasts, websites, videos, and local temples. In this way, we have a huge advantage, especially for the householder who can learn about Buddhism in the comfort of their own homes. This is exactly how I started my journey, reading and listening to books written by Jack Kornfield, The Dali Lama, and Thich Nhat Hanh.

Sources for the Householder

There are countless sources of information that have been published on Buddhism in many different forms. It would be somewhat counterproductive to go into too much detail here. Here are some sources of information for learning the Dharma that I am aware of:

• Literature – Thousands of books have been written on Buddhism and it is not the intent of this article to cover that mountain of literature. Instead, I’ll give you a short list of those books that are most meaningful to me:
  • Bringing Home the Dharma by Jack Kornfield is a great book for those beginning their Buddhist studies. “Jack Kornfield brings to life a way to understand and cultivate mindfulness, compassion, loving kindness, and true wisdom that penetrates to the core of what liberation is all about.”—Jon Kabat-Zinn
  • Food for the Heart by Ajahn Chah – I’ve listened and have read this countless times. This is a compilation of Ajahn Chah’s lectures on Buddhism. I would say the audience is those with an intermediate or advanced knowledge of Buddhism, but even the beginner would benefit from Ajahn Chah’s teaching.
  • Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind by Shunryu Suzuki. An excellent book on the Buddhist mindset and practice. “Though covering Zen basics like zazen posture, bowing, intention, and so on, Suzuki Roshi’s masterwork is hardly just for Zen people—or just for beginners, for that matter. It skillfully introduces important Buddhist concepts like non-attachment, emptiness, and enlightenment.”—Lion’s Roar
  • Buddhism for Beginners by Jack Kornfield. Created specifically to address the questions and needs of first-time students, here is Buddhism’s vast spiritual legacy, presented by one of America’s leading meditation teachers.
  • The Essential Dogen by Kazuaki Tanahashi. Eihei Dogen (1200–1253), founder of the Soto School of Zen Buddhism, is one of the greatest religious, philosophical, and literary geniuses of Japan. His writings have been studied by Zen students for centuries, particularly his masterwork, Shobo Genzo or Treasury of the True Dharma Eye. This is the first book to offer the great master’s incisive wisdom in short selections taken from the whole range of his voluminous works.
  • In the Buddha’s Words by Bhikkhu Bodhi (editor and translator). This might be considered for intermediate or advanced students. The American scholar-monk Bhikkhu Bodhi, whose voluminous translations have won widespread acclaim, here presents selected discourses of the Buddha from the Pali Canon, the earliest record of what the Buddha taught. Divided into ten thematic chapters, In the Buddha’s Words reveals the full scope of the Buddha’s discourses, from family life and marriage to renunciation and the path of insight. A concise, informative introduction precedes each chapter, guiding the reader toward a deeper understanding of the texts that follow. This is one of my personal favorites and if you follow my blog you will see me referencing versus from the Pali Canon with most of them coming from this book.
  • Great Disciples of the Buddha by Nyanaponika Thera (Author), Hellmuth Hecker (Author), and Bhikkhu Bodhi (Editor). Twenty-four of the Buddha’s most distinguished disciples are brought to life in ten chapters of rich narration. Drawn from a wide range of authentic Pali sources, the material in these stories has never before been assembled in a single volume. Conveniently annotated with the same system of sutta references used in each of the other series volumes, Great Disciples of the Buddha allows the reader to easily place each student in the larger picture of Buddha’s life. It is a volume that no serious student of Buddhism should miss.
• Audio books – All books I mentioned above are also available on Audible.
• Websites – Here are my favorite Buddhist websites:
  • https://tricycle.org/about/ – an excellent website, they publish a magazine in addition to their online presence. They require a membership fee to have full access to their website and magazine. The mission of the Tricycle Foundation is to make Buddhist teachings and practices available and to explore their traditional and contemporary expressions. Our work is inspired by the freedom of mind and heart that the Buddha taught is possible.
  • https://www.buddhistdoor.net/ – I found this one recently and am really impressed by the content and all it has to offer. Founded in 1995, Buddhistdoor Global (BDG) is an online Buddhist journal providing a diverse range of English-language Buddhist content to the world, centered on the Dharma and dedicated to serving Buddhist communities and helping practitioners navigate their spiritual path.
  • https://secularbuddhistnetwork.org/ – I find this a good place to learn about secular Buddhism and Buddhist practices in general. Contributes to the lessening of human suffering and to human flourishing – both to individual transformation and a fundamental realignment of our planetary priorities. We also seek to decrease the suffering of other sentient beings as well as to promote the flourishing of conditions that sustain life on this planet.
  • https://www.buddhanet.net/ – This is a wonderful website with lots of great information on Buddhism and Buddhist studies. BuddhaNet™ is the result of a vision to link up with the growing world-wide culture of people committed to the Buddha’s teachings and lifestyle, as an on-line cyber sangha. In this way, an ancient tradition and the information superhighway will come together to create an electronic meeting place of shared concern and interests.
• Podcasts – I don’t use podcasts very much, but I know for some this is a great way to learn more about the dharma. Here are a few I’ve found:
  • Ted Meissner’s The Secular Buddhist – https://www.youtube.com/@TheSecularBuddhist/videos
  • Interviews from the Secular Buddhist Network – https://secularbuddhistnetwork.org/sbn-interviews/
  • Noah Rasheta’s Secular Buddhism Podcast – https://secularbuddhism.com/podcast-episodes/
  • John Danvers’ podcast Dharma Roads – https://www.buzzsprout.com/1942523/episodes
  • A collection of 15 Buddhism Podcasts – https://rephonic.com/lists/buddhism
• YouTube – There are a couple of Buddhist YouTube channels that I watch on a frequent basis, including:
  • Ego Podcast (Buddhism) – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn71Yt1eMDo8Dhf7Zqy6NaA/join This is my favorite YouTube channel focused on Buddhism. The narrator is great and most of the teaching is from the Pali Canon and the quality of the videos is very good.
  • Mind Podcast (Buddhism) – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn71Yt1eMDo8Dhf7Zqy6NaA/join Not a huge channel in terms of subscribers, but they have some pretty good longer videos.
  • Doug’s Dharma – https://www.youtube.com/@DougsDharma Doug’s Dharma is a very good website for understanding a lot of the concepts in Buddhism. Doug is a very accomplished Buddhist and Philosopher. He has published at the time of this writing over 700 videos.
• Local Buddhist temples/organizations – If you live in a medium to large-sized metropolitan area almost anywhere in the world you may find Buddhist temples and organizations that have a physical presence in your community. I live in the Dallas Fort Worth area of Texas USA and we have several temples and meditation centers. These temples and meditation centers offer dharma talks and opportunities for group meditation.

Do you need to choose a type of Buddhist practice?

There are several types of Buddhism that you may consider studying. In my own experience, I have studied a number of them and chose to combine their teachings into my own practice. To simplify things you should start by looking at the three primary types of Buddhism, which also encompasses other forms. The three types of Buddhism are as follows:

1. Theravada – This is a type of Buddhism focused on preserving the teachings of the Buddha from the Pali Canon. It is considered the oldest school of Buddhism. Other forms under the Theravada umbrella include:
   • Thai Forest tradition
   • Sri Lankan Forest Tradition
   • Southern Esoteric Buddhism
   • Modern Vipassana, or Insight movement
2. Mahayana – Known as the Great Vehicle or Great Path. It is the second most popular form of Buddhism. Other forms under the Mahayana umbrella include:
   • The Madhyamika or “Middle Way” school
   • The Yogacara or “yoga practice” school
   • The Chan / Zen / Seon schools
   • Pure Land Buddhism
   • The Jodo Shinshu school
   • Shingon, also known as the “mantra” school
   • Nichiren Buddhism
3. Vajrayana – Vajrayana (the “vajra” or “diamond vehicle,” signifying the indestructibility of its wisdom)
   • Tibetan Buddhism
   • Shingon Buddhism
   • Newar Buddhism
4. Secular Buddhism – This fourth type is very popular in the Western world. You can find a nice overview here called An introduction to secular Buddhism. Secular Buddhism is a ‘this-worldly’ practical and ethical philosophy, focused on the value of the dharma for and in this life.

Do you need a Teacher?

Is it necessary for the householder to have a teacher? Most of the books you will read by Buddhist teachers will advise that you have a teacher at least in the early stages of your practice to guide you along the right path. Traditionally, this has been the advice, but it may not be practical for the householder as they may not have access to a teacher. I think the answer to this question depends a lot on your personal learning style.

In my case, I prefer reading as a method for learning versus lectures. This allowed me to reread passages in the book and use things like Google search to learn more about terms like dharma, nirvana, and karma. I also found a number of really good Buddhist YouTube channels that supplemented my reading. In some ways, the YouTube channels were a substitute for lectures. My advice is to use the resources that fit your learning style in the beginning and then add resources as you progress.

Conclusion

There is no wrong way for the householder to learn about Buddhism. Like anything else it is important to expose yourself to as many sources of knowledge as possible; all will lead to a better understanding of Buddhism. My advice would include being patient with yourself and your practice. You are in the process of understanding Buddhism and creating a practice for yourself. Ultimately if you are a householder or a monastic your practice must become your own, based on your own insights, and realizations.

Personally, I have spent 25+ years learning about Buddhism and I continue to learn more every day. It is a never-ending source of joy and has benefited me in countless ways. I wish you great joy as you embark upon this journey as a Buddhist householder.

I’ll leave you with a quote from Ajahn Chah that speaks to becoming a Buddhist and the role of the dharma:

In the same way, walking the path to reach the Buddhadhamma is something each one of us must do individually, for no one can do it for us. And we must travel along the proper path of morality, concentrations, and wisdom until we attain the blessings of purity, radiance, and peacefulness of mind that are the fruits of traveling the Path. But if one has knowledge of books and scriptures, sermons, and suttas and only that–that is, only the map or plans for the journey one will never know purity, radiance, and peacefulness of mind, even if one lives hundreds of lives. Instead one will just waste time and never get to the real benefits of practice. Teachers can only point out the direction of the Path, the fruits of practice, is strictly up to each one of us. Ajahn Chah – Food for the Heart

The key takeaway from Ajahn Chah is to not be too enamored with studying texts and even hearing sermons, but instead to focus on the practice. I myself include the reading of texts as part of my practice, but really it is but a small part. Use these texts in their various forms to get a basic understanding of the dharma, but don’t make this the core activity of your practice. The real work will be in changing your thinking, removing cravings and attachments, and meditating. If your goal is to end suffering and acquire peacefulness of mind you need to put in the effort to actually implement what you have studied into your life. This is the practice.

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Namaste

Sources

Dharma: Definition of Dharma at Oxford Bibliographies

Types of Buddhism: https://www.lionsroar.com/buddhism/types

Secular Buddhism: https://secularbuddhistnetwork.org/an-introduction-to-secular-buddhism/

Ajahn Chah – Food For The Heart