Buddhist practice at home

Most Buddhists throughout history have been lay people practising at home, among family and work. A home practice does not need special equipment or a lot of time. It needs a little regularity and a sense of why you are doing it.

Start small and regular

A few minutes every day is more useful than an hour once a month. Many people choose a fixed time, such as just after waking or before bed, and a fixed place. The repetition builds a habit, and the habit carries you on days when motivation is low.

A simple daily pattern might be:

1. Bow or pause for a moment to arrive.
2. Recite the three refuges and the five precepts.
3. Sit in meditation for ten or fifteen minutes.
4. End by wishing all beings well.

Meditation

A good place to begin is mindfulness of breathing. Sit comfortably with your back upright but not stiff. Let your attention rest on the breath as it comes and goes. When the mind wanders, notice where it went and gently return. Loving-kindness meditation, wishing yourself and others well, is another traditional practice suited to home.

Ethics in daily life

Home practice is not only what happens on the cushion. The precepts are practised in the kitchen, at work and in the car. Choose one aspect to watch during the day, such as speech, and notice how it goes. At the end of the day, look back briefly at what went well and what you would do differently.

Study and reflection

Reading a little of the Buddha’s teaching each week gives direction to practice. The Dhammapada and short discourses such as the discourse on loving-kindness are good starting points. Read slowly, and take one idea into your day.

Keeping going

Everyone misses days. When you do, simply begin again without self-criticism. Some people find it helps to keep a short note of their practice, or to mark the full moon days with a little extra time. Over months and years, small steady practice changes the mind more than occasional bursts of effort.