Living Buddhism
Selected Passages

1. Buddhism is an education, not a religion. We do not worship the Buddha, we respect him as a teacher. His teaching enable us to leave suffering and attain true happiness.
2. We should treat all people with respect and sincerity. We must be responsible for our actions and must be careful when handling others' properties. Be conservative in speech and actions to avoid harming others.
3. We should show our gratitude to those who have shown us kindness, such as parents, teachers, and even the society. Everyone in the society is interdependent and inter-related, we should practice good deeds to repay them.
4. How many people recognize the kindness shown by parents? Usually, people do not realize until they themselves become parents or lose their parents. We should show our gratitude through practicing filial piety by being responsible, considerate, and obedient to our parents.
5. To be a poor, contented, and happy person is better than being one who is rich, worried, and afflicted with greed.
6. True love is undiscriminating, unattaching, and unconditional. We should show this love with all beings. This is called compassion.
7. If we wish to bring peace to the world, we must start by changing our evil ways. World peace stems from inner peace.
8. Our goal in studying the Buddha's teachings and cultivation is to attain complete understanding of life and the universe.
9. Be considerate and kind in your speech. To put down another person is only proving your own arrogance and lack of self-confidence to others.
10. Life is short and fragile. Why not cultivate kindness instead of committing acts which cause harm to living beings?
11. Practicing virtue is to keep a kind heart, speak kind words, and do kind acts to benefit others.
12. Wise persons do not harbor feelings of gain or loss. In this way, they constantly dwell in the joy of possessing great peace of mind.
13. The point of practicing giving and charity is to forsake greed, hatred, ignorance, and arrogance.
14. When helping others, we should think about benefiting the entire society or even the world instead of limiting our help to just the ones we love. Expanding the boundaries of our care for others makes our life more meaningful, full of freedom and happiness.
15. The Buddha's teachings are a teaching of wisdom. Living Buddhism is to fill our life with utmost wisdom and happiness.
16. In all circumstances, we must first reflect upon ourselves. Do not give to others what you yourself do not desire. This helps us to keep a humane and sincere heart. If we want others to smile at us, we must first smile at others. In dealing with matters in life, we must not seek personal gain but should work for the public welfare.
17. A true Dhamma practiser does not see the faults of others. When we think of others' faults, it becomes our own affliction. Everyone has their good and bad sides, but we must learn to look at the good points of others, and strive to respect all beings.

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From: Chin Kung, 1997. The Art of Living. Dallas Buddhist Association, Texas, USA.