Buddhist Lifestyle

Our Buddhist lifestyle may be described as the

daily living in simplicity, peace, gratitude, wisdom
and compassion. However, we do not just decide
one day to live in this special way, it is the natural
result of a process of faith, devotion, practice and
then more practice. As Sangharashita stated
commitment is primary, lifestyle is secondary.
That is to say, effort and dedication to our practice
is the only way to live an authentic Buddhist
lifestyle. Through daily practice and attending
fellowship, the lifestyle will take care of itself.
When we engage in daily practice of the nembutsu
as a living practice, and not just an intellectual
exercise, naturally, our lives will be transformed
into the substance of shinjin, the experience of
awakening
Going for Refuge
First of all, our Shin lifestyle originates from our
faith or Going for Refuge in the Three Jewels,
which are the Buddha, the Dharma and the
Sangha
Take Refuge in the Buddha

To take refuge in the Buddha is to entrust in the

living source of understanding, faith and
compassion, symbolized as Amida, the Buddha of
Immeasurable Life and Light and her historical
human manifestation, Shakyamuni Buddha. One
sees the historical Buddha as the greatest teacher
and the embodiment of our true human potential.
Ultimately, the Buddha is our true nature or
universal self. Therefore, when we take refuge in
the Buddha, we really take refuge in ourselves.
Simplicity as a Way of Life
Simplicity as way of life focuses attention on the
absolute essentials and serves as an effective
practice to clear the many obstructions that
inhibit our deep hearing of the nembutsu, as the
sacred call of life. Simplicity as a Buddhist
practice strips away the evitable distractions of
our modern 21st century life that competes for our
attention and keeps us under the torrents of the
rat race, addictions, fear and unrestrained
materialism. Instead, it directs us to look at what
is truly important for our spiritual journey such as
family, nembutsu, dharma, sangha and the Earth.
Living an unadorned life helps us to be awake,
free and open that further cultivates the Buddhist
virtues of humility and gratitude. This does not
mean that we should live in caves or huts without
electricity and running water. On the contrary, it

means living a comfortable and balanced life yet

not under the sway of attachments or aversions
such as gain or loss, praise or blame, fame or
shame and happiness and hopelessness.
Precepts and awakening to shinjin by living the
nembutsu, our Buddhist lifestyle of simplicity,
peace, gratitude, love, compassion and wisdom
naturally manifests itself