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Buddhism is like a vast and vast forest that overwhelms anyone who comes into contact with it for the first time. Fortunately, it is not a primeval forest filled with dangers waiting for those who get lost, but is truly a paradise with countless rare and exotic flowers and sweet fruits that can be found anywhere. Therefore, anyone who has enough affinity to once step into the "Buddhist forest" can receive great benefits from physical to spiritual. In other words, it is an ideal living environment for everyone, all species, because it provides the best and most perfect conditions to help all sources of life be nurtured in harmony and sharing instead of fighting and trampling on each other as has been the eternal habit of most living beings.

The greatest fortune for all of us is that although Buddhism is vast and extremely rich, it is also a system of teachings that is deeply scientific and consistent. Each method of practice taught to Buddhists can be experienced and verified objectively throughout the practice process. And it is the practitioner, not anyone else, who will realize the true values of the path of practice, through each stage that they are gradually overcoming. Although there are many different methods of practice, divided into many stages and belonging to many different sects, all of those methods achieve success through consistent principles that, when clearly recognized, the practitioner can always determine the right direction for himself.

1. Motivation to practice

When we set out on any path, we all have a certain motivation. Even travel trips can be made with many different intentions, such as some people want to visit strange lands, some want to learn and study distant cultures, and some simply want to enjoy delicious dishes from a certain region...

In this sense, the path of practice is actually not much different. As many people come to the path of practice, there will be as many different causes and motivations, depending on the living conditions and individual foundation of each person.

However, if we observe generally, among all those separate causes and motivations, we still see that there are common groups of causes and motivations, which can be used to appropriately describe a number of similar cases.

The most prominent among them are those who have the will to leave the world, truly admirable and respectful. These people want to practice until they attain Buddhahood in order to end the suffering of all sentient beings, not just for their own liberation. These are the “pillars of the forest” who have maintained and promoted the Buddha's teachings for thousands of years. The number of people of this type can be said to be as rare as gold dust mixed with river sand and not always available, but they are the ones who practice the Buddha's teachings and spread and encourage many others to practice.

Perhaps more common are those who practice because they realize the suffering in this temporary life, realize the impermanent, ever-changing and decaying nature of all material values in the world. These people come to Buddhism because they realize that it is the only way to reduce and end suffering, and achieve true values in life.

Among these, there are a few who have enough affinity to nurture the will to leave the world and live a life of pure monastic discipline, but the majority are those who have not yet abandoned the secular life, still trying to learn and apply the Buddha's teachings right in their family-bound life. However, the practice of these lay people is proof of the benefits of the Buddha's teachings in this world, and also clearly shows that the Buddha's birth was to liberate all sentient beings from suffering, regardless of class, level or cognitive ability.

In short, just as a traveler can set a long or short itinerary, with a specific purpose of the trip and starting from a certain motive, a Buddhist when coming to the path of practicing according to the Buddha's teachings also always aims for a certain upward goal and starts from a specific cause, a motive. The initial motive of the practice will create the driving force throughout the process of a person's practice, promoting all of that person's efforts in reaching the set goal.

For example, a person can become a monk out of admiration for the noble virtues of a monk that he has the good fortune to come into contact with. Another person may become a monk based on the knowledge learned from the scriptures, then contemplate and see the impermanence and suffering in the world and wish to escape. There are also people who become monks because their relatives who have become monks before advise and encourage them. In some cases, there are also people who become monks after a major change in their lives, such as suffering from love or failure at work. Many people criticize this type of motivation for becoming a monk because they think it tarnishes the image of Buddhism, making people think that the temple is a place of refuge for the lovelorn, the discouraged... But in fact, this way of thinking is not in accordance with the Buddha's teachings, because the more suffering people are, the more likely they are to turn to Buddhism as a remedy for suffering, which is also natural. Of course, we all admire the heroic image of the "superior monks" who left their beautiful wives, good children, and big houses... However, a monk after experiencing the sufferings of worldly life still shows a will to rise up and become good, which not everyone can do. There are countless people who have suffered because of love, but how many of them have sought the path of renunciation, while the majority often continue to sink deeper by looking for another love, and then continue to suffer until the end of their lives.

The same is true of the practice among lay people. There are people who, thanks to their absorption of the Buddha's teachings, develop the mind to practice, but there are also many people who practice with extremely small and narrow motives. We can easily find many diligent Buddhists who go to the temple to worship Buddha, make offerings, chant sutras, and recite Buddha's name, but in their limited understanding, it is only a way to pray for peace for themselves and their families, even "buying and selling well, avoiding disasters". However, we should not look down on these Buddhists with poor understanding, because after all, they are many times better than those who are not fortunate enough to come to Buddhism and live a life of indulgence, debauchery, causing harm to themselves and many people around them. Although their motives are somewhat limited, there is absolutely nothing wrong with them, and with their belief and practice of Buddhism according to their limited understanding, they are still making a positive contribution to making this world a better place, thanks to the limitation of their harmful actions.

In other words, the beneficial values of Buddhism are not only promoted by knowledgeable and virtuous monks, but also by simple and unsophisticated villagers who do not know much. When they come to Buddhism, their lives are still imbued with benefits. This is similar to a lush garden, in addition to the fruit trees bearing sweet fruits, even the small bushes and grasses contribute to the beautiful landscape.

However, it is certain that different motivations for practice will create different motivations, and therefore will lead to different results. Those with strong minds, high aspirations, and lofty goals will certainly have extraordinary efforts and outstanding achievements. On the contrary, those with narrow minds and trivial motivations, although their practice still brings benefits, will certainly be limited to the scope of self-interest and will find it difficult to expand to the aspect of altruism.

And if we have to summarize the above-mentioned things as a general principle for Buddhist practice, regardless of sect, regardless of whether one is a monk or a layperson, then that principle is exactly as Mr. That Hien said in the article "Advice on Developing the Bodhi Mind":

“... the gateway to the Right Path, the most important thing on the path of practice is to make a vow. Once the vow is made, one can save sentient beings; once the mind is aroused, Buddhahood will surely be achieved. For example, if one does not develop a great mind and make a strong vow, one will surely remain in the cycle of reincarnation for countless lifetimes..."

Therefore, if one develops a strong, strong, and great mind, the motivation to practice will also be brave, persistent, and tenacious. Only then can one hope to overcome the long journeys to reach complete success, benefiting oneself and others.

2. Precepts are the foundation

Once you have decided to practice, meaning you have determined the noblest goal of your life, the first step is to receive and uphold the precepts. Precepts (戒) or precepts are the starting point for all Buddhists, regardless of whether they are monks or laypeople and regardless of which sect they practice. Although there are some differences in the precepts received in different sects, these differences are very small compared to the differences in the systems of interpretation or other parts of the teachings. Therefore, it can be said that precepts are also the most common point and it is easy to reach a consistent understanding of its importance in all different sects.

Therefore, regardless of which sect of Buddhism, precepts are always considered the foundation of practice. We all know that a solid foundation will allow a magnificent castle to be built on it, but if there is no foundation or the foundation is too weak and fragile, even a small house cannot stand. In this sense, a practitioner observes the precepts as the most basic first step to establish the foundation for his own long-term practice. That foundation not only needs to be solid from the beginning, but must also be continuously cultivated and preserved throughout the practice process so that it does not fade away with time or be eroded by the storms of life.

The precepts for each level of practice are different, starting from the simplest things that anyone can understand and practice, such as not lying, not drinking alcohol, which are included in the Five Precepts for lay people, to the subtle and very difficult to practice regulations, requiring a spirit of complete detachment such as the precept of not owning money or valuables, for those who have left the family life from novice monks, novice nuns to monks, nuns...

The simple, easy-to-practice precepts are intended to be feasible for all those who are new to Buddhism, and the more detailed and subtle precepts are intended to help practitioners control their body and mind more comprehensively and firmly. The difference in function as well as application to different levels of practice does not mean that some precepts are more important than others. In fact, for practitioners, all the precepts they have received are equally important. And the most important thing is not the content of each precept, but whether the person receiving the precepts strictly upholds the precepts they have received or not. As in the Mahaparinirvana Sutra, the Buddha gave a figurative example for comparison that is very easy to understand. Just like a person crossing the ocean relying entirely on a buoy, puncturing that buoy with a hole as small as a needle's tip or as large as a hand will lead to the same result: the buoy sinks, the person dies. In the sea of suffering of samsara, when a practitioner clings to the buoy of precepts, he will certainly survive, but any deficiency or violation of one of the precepts he has received will puncture that buoy, and the result will certainly be drowning in the sea of suffering.

When we understand the precepts as an essential foundation of practice, we will see that any method of practice cannot be separated from the precepts. Regardless of what precepts are accepted, the most important initial step for a practitioner is to strictly observe them. The achievement of precepts is a prerequisite for any subsequent achievement of practice. Therefore, breaking the precepts means a complete failure right from the start.

3. Concentration is energy

Concentration (定) means calmness, stopping, tranquility, and can be understood in both the sense of a peaceful body and a peaceful mind. The practitioner's initial step in observing the precepts is to keep the body calm, stop, and not continue to commit evil deeds. For example, keeping the precept of not lying means the mouth stops, does not continue to say untrue words, words that harm oneself and others. Keeping the precept of not killing means the body stops, does not continue to do things that harm the lives of living beings. Keeping the precepts completely means the body is restrained, does not commit acts that create bad karma. Once the body is controlled, the mind will also gradually calm down, stop wandering thoughts and calculations, and be able to focus more on the goals of practice or the method that one is practicing, such as reciting Buddha's name, reciting mantras, chanting sutras, meditating... In particular, the practice of meditation has a direct impact on the ability to develop concentration.

The precepts established by the Buddha are a very sophisticated and scientific system of barriers, effectively preventing all acts of creating bad karma and encouraging the development of good deeds. Moreover, the function of keeping precepts is to help practitioners develop the ability to control the body and mind, making the body and mind increasingly more stable and able to maintain that stability in the midst of external disturbances.

The ability to maintain stability is called concentration. Those who keep precepts and practice in the right direction will have concentration gradually develop over time. Therefore, the sutras teach that “precepts give birth to concentration”.

Concentration is the energy needed for practitioners to continue progressing on the upward path. Thanks to that source of energy, practitioners can overcome difficulties and obstacles. The higher the concentration, the more energy, the practitioner will be able to stand firm even when encountering the harshest and most difficult circumstances.

Similar to precepts, concentration is a quality that is valued in any sect, in any practice method. Without concentration, practitioners cannot progress on the path of practice, and cannot even maintain their original will and aspirations for a long time. Therefore, developing concentration is also a necessary general principle in the practice of Buddhism, applicable to practitioners of all sects and all different levels.

4. Wisdom is the torch that lights the way.

If precepts are the first step, wisdom is the necessary quality to continue to go further and always go in the right direction. For example, a person traveling far, even if he is determined and fully prepared, but when he actually sets out on the journey, he needs to have more precise instructions on the route he will take. Otherwise, all efforts may not bring him to the destination.

In Buddhism, wisdom or wisdom (慧) is one of the concepts that is difficult to grasp and easily misunderstood. The first thing to note is that the wisdom mentioned in Buddhism is not completely synonymous with knowledge or knowledge accumulated from learning through scriptures and books. However, it is also incorrect to separate or completely deny this type of knowledge and consider it "worldly wisdom". In fact, the wisdom of Buddhist practitioners is emphasized more on the intuitive aspect, the clarity of the mind when free from all the influence of prejudices, biases or emotions and external influences, but at the same time does not exclude learning and acquiring knowledge. In other words, wisdom is the development of the mind's ability to perceive reality in completely objective conditions, not influenced by any other factors, and all learned knowledge must be used in such a completely objective way.

When influenced, our mind loses clarity. This can be seen in daily life. For example, when commenting on someone we like very much, it is very difficult to see their shortcomings. On the contrary, for people we dislike or have prejudices about, we easily see many bad points, while not recognizing the good points that they actually have. Similarly, when a businessman decides to sign a contract, if he is strongly influenced by greed in the face of lucrative profit proposals, it is often difficult to recognize the hidden, obscure, and deliberately deceptive points of the other party...

Practitioners train and develop wisdom through practicing an objective, true perception of reality, of what is happening in life. This practice can only be effective once we gradually eliminate the influences of greed, anger, and ignorance. When we do so, we will see more clearly what is good, what is evil, as well as what brings true benefits and what will cause harm to ourselves and others. In that sense, the development of wisdom clearly also requires knowledge learned from scriptures and books to help us perceive reality correctly. However, if we rely solely on academic knowledge without internal realization and experience through practice, our perception will never reach the truth, “as it is”. Therefore, the best intellectual development is a process of harmoniously combining learning and acquiring knowledge with personal experience. Without one of the two elements, diligent learning and diligent practice, it is very difficult to develop wisdom.

Thanks to wisdom, practitioners can correctly recognize the true benefits that practice brings. And only when we recognize this, the practice process can continue to be persistent and progress further.

Each individual's practice process is often not exactly the same, although it may still follow a certain common path. This is because each person may encounter different obstacles as well as different doubts that may arise in the practice process. Therefore, each person's experience and overcoming are different from others. Because of such differences on the path of practice, each person must train himself to have a clear mind, so that he can know how to overcome his own difficult circumstances, and cannot copy from anyone else.

Therefore, wisdom for a practitioner can be compared to a torch that lights the way for a person walking in the dark. It helps us to confidently move forward without fear of stumbling upon obstacles or getting lost in the dark. Moreover, a true practitioner must always consider wisdom as the most trustworthy teacher. Because even if we are fortunate enough to hear teachings from a learned master, if we do not have wisdom ourselves, it will be easy to misunderstand or practice those teachings incorrectly. And this certainly cannot be blamed on the teacher, but must be clearly seen as the result of our not having the right practice.

To a certain extent, wisdom is developed as an inevitable consequence of a correct practice process, as the Patriarchs often summarize: "Thanks to precepts, concentration is born, thanks to concentration, wisdom is developed." However, in the process of developing wisdom, diligently learning from sutras, teachings, as well as from the teachings of masters and good friends is also an equally important factor. In the sutras, the Buddha also mentioned many times "hearing, thinking, practicing" as three essential parts to reach a true understanding. In which, "hearing" (聞) needs to be understood in a broader sense, not only as listening to the Dharma, but also meaning learning and researching sutras and teachings. Because in our current conditions, if we want to "hear" the Buddha's teachings, there is no other way than to read directly from the scriptures. Thinking (思) means thinking, pondering, and considering, which is a process that must be carried out in order to correctly and deeply understand what is heard. And finally, practicing (修) or practicing is the process of applying what has been heard and understood to our own practice, to personally experience the correctness and benefits from it.

If we look at the meaning of this process, when we study the precepts and research to come to the decision to receive the precepts, that is reading and thinking, while practicing the observance of the precepts is practicing. When practicing the observance of the precepts, we experience for ourselves and realize the profound meanings and practical benefits of keeping the precepts. It is this experiential understanding that is the most correct perception. And therefore, we can see that practicing or developing wisdom always requires both theory and practice. Furthermore, this entire process always includes all the qualities of morality, concentration, and wisdom that the practitioner has continuously accumulated and developed since the beginning of the path of practice.

5. The interaction between qualities

When we truly develop the mind to practice according to the Buddha Dharma, we are like entering a new way of life, because at that time our life begins to be influenced by the aspiration that has arisen. That influence can have different levels, depending on how strong our initial aspiration is, but it is a influence that has the ability to change our life in a better direction. Following that initial aspiration, when we observe the precepts, we begin to form a noble quality called morality. And through diligent practice and strict observance of the precepts, we will gradually develop the ability to control our body and mind and concentrate our mind, which is concentration.

Although it can be described as a sequential process, we should not understand the above qualities as stages that we will go through in succession in our practice. Because in reality, we will never be able to leave one stage to go to another as we normally understand a process with many stages. Instead, all these qualities will always exist in parallel and have an impact on each other throughout the practice process. For example, the initial aspiration of a practitioner must always be maintained and nurtured to become more and more solid. If we lose our aspiration, we will no longer have the motivation to continue on the path of practice. On the contrary, if we nurture an increasingly solid aspiration, we will have a strong motivation in our practice. Thanks to this strong motivation, all related qualities will be developed better.

Similarly, we will never be able to “go beyond” the stage of observing precepts. Keeping precepts is a lifelong commitment, in the precept literature called “till-term commitment” (盡形壽). In a broader sense, we are not only committed to observing precepts for this lifetime but also for many lifetimes, forever. Therefore, precepts are also a quality that must be maintained and cultivated throughout the process of practice, not a limited stage of practice. And just like aspiration, developing precepts will help other qualities to be developed more easily and strongly, because keeping precepts is an essential condition for practicing and developing any Dharma method. Once the precepts are lost, the foundation is lost, and without a foundation of precepts, any practice will surely collapse quickly.

Before entering Nirvana, the Buddha taught the monks to "take the precepts as their teacher." This is enough to show the decisive importance of precepts in practice.

Concentration is also a quality that cannot be developed independently. Only when we keep the precepts and maintain our vow to practice can we achieve concentration at each level. At the same time, developing concentration will also help to keep the precepts more completely, and the vow to practice will become more and more steadfast. Just as a machine needs enough energy to operate perfectly and strongly over time, practice always needs concentration as a source of energy to be able to continue to maintain and develop.

Finally, all of the above qualities contribute to the birth and development of a pure, clear mind, which is wisdom. That wisdom will illuminate and guide our practice to always go in the right direction and according to the Dharma, to certainly bring practical results in this life. Because after all, practicing Buddhism is not about relying on faith to pray for a blessing or salvation, but it is about appropriately applying wise and reasonable ways of living to help life become better and better, reduce suffering and develop true happiness.

6. Stages of practice

Thus, at any given moment on the path of practice, we see that the basic qualities from the beginning are always present and intertwined, supporting each other throughout an individual's practice process.

However, just like a traveler on a long journey, a Buddhist practitioner actually goes through different stages throughout the journey towards complete enlightenment. These stages of practice are often recognized by the practitioner himself through changes in perception and experience. And once again, this is also individual to each person, although there are common points in theory, in reality there are always "great similarities and small differences", meaning similar in general but different in details.

Take an example as mentioned in the previous section, there are people who develop a mind to come to Buddhism after being entangled in love suffering or failure in life. The person's perception when entering the path of practice is often simply to avoid suffering, to seek a little peace of mind after the hardships of life. Moreover, he or she may even bring with him or her the suffering of loss and some resentment towards those who have caused him or her suffering.

However, after a period of practicing in the right direction, he or she will gradually realize the limitations, narrow-mindedness and errors in his or her own perception. Experiencing moments of true joy in the process of practice along with an increasingly calm and clear mind will help him or her perceive reality correctly. From there, thoughts of resentment will gradually disappear and the perception of suffering will also change. He or she will no longer see them as misfortunes and risks that have happened to him or herself, but will understand that they are just the inevitable consequences of karma. And the new perception will help him or her feel more relaxed. This change in perception is a manifestation of entering another stage of the path of practice.

Similarly, most of us perceive suffering as undesirable states, such as being separated from a loved one (love separation suffering) or having to face someone we hate (resentment suffering) or not getting what we want (desire not getting suffering) etc. However, at a higher level of perception on the path of practice, Master Quy Son clearly saw that even in pleasures there is hidden suffering, the cause of suffering. In the Quy Son warning text, he taught: “... just like that, chasing after pleasure for a moment, not knowing that that pleasure is the cause of suffering.” For those who are just starting on the path of practice, such a perception is indeed difficult to understand, if not somewhat shocking. However, through progressive practice, the practitioner will gradually realize this truth for himself. All worldly pleasures are the cause of suffering later.

Recognizing the progress through each stage of the path of practice is a great encouragement and will strengthen our faith in the practical values and benefits of practice. When we understand this, we will be able to perceive more specifically the path of practice. It is not only the great vows that embrace all sentient beings in the entire Dharma realm, but also the attention to cultivating peace in each moment of this present life. It is not only the desire to escape the cycle of birth and death in the three realms, but also the recognition and gradual abandonment of bad habits and narrow-minded thoughts, so that right now the mind can be more open to forgiveness and universal love, so that from then on it will no longer be disturbed by petty, annoying emotions. And so, on the road, no matter how far and endless, with each step we take in the present, we can always recognize and enjoy many fragrant flowers and strange grasses along the way.