What Will Make You Practice After You Found Dharma?

[icy]

Even though you have taken rebirth in a country or community where dharma is available, if you were to lack physical and mental capabilities, you would not be able to benefit from its availability. This is not the case, nor is it the case that you are under the influence of wrong views, such as the total negation of the possibility of rebirth or the authenticity of dharma. Whether or not you have cultivated a deep conviction derived from valid cognition, you do have a certain understanding of dharma that is powerful enough to persuade you to take an interest in it.

Therefore, at this juncture, if you probe you will find that you are free of most of the obvious adverse conditions for the practice of dharma and that you are equipped with favorable conditions. You are free from lack of leisure, and on top of that you possess what are called the ten endowments [favorable circumstances], personal and circumstantial. You have been born at a time when, although the Buddha is not still alive, his doctrine is still alive and you can meet a living spiritual master. Also, you can emulate certain exemplary personalities who have gained high realizations by engaging in such a practice. So, if you think in such terms, you will be really able to admire and rejoice in the present opportunity.
After you reflect along these lines, it is very important that you finally make a conclusion and decide on the basis of this human existence to explore its potential to its fullest extent by engaging in a serious practice of dharma.
--from The Path to Bliss by H.H. the Dalai Lama,

[buddhalovely]

Anything that helps human being to reach god is dharma and anything that hinders human being from reaching god is adharma. According to the Bhagavat Purana, righteous living or life on a dharmic path has four aspects: austerity , purity, compassion, and truthfulness; and adharmic or unrighteous life has three vices: pride, contact , and intoxication. The essence of dharma lies in possessing a certain ability, power and spiritual strength. The strength of being dharmic also lies in the unique combination of spiritual brilliance and physical prowess. The purpose of dharma is not only to attain a union of the soul with the supreme reality, it also suggests a code of conduct that is intended to secure both worldly joys and supreme happiness.

[diablo1974]

There are a few categories of people here, some are those who will not go into practice after they've found Dharma but will continue to explore more about Buddhism before they go in-depth with it. Some starts practicing after an incident triggered them and had them wanting to find out answers towards "What about life?, Meaning of life?“. Some will start by joining pujas and then move towards the teachings by self reading and dharma talks.  Some left dharma because they have lost confidence in it but they are back to dharma as they have found themselves a spiritual guide who can help them regained their confidence.

It takes a great load of effort to become a Buddha, most of us are unable to achieve Buddhahood in one lifetime but remembers the qualities of the Triple Gems, which are very important as it reminds us of the Buddhas attainments over accumulating effort.

[yontenjamyang]

In our tradition as in the practice of the Lamrim, one needs to contemplate the optimum human rebirth, impermanence/death, meeting a Spiritual Guide, the suffering of the 6 realms, the 18 opportune conditions and Karma in order to reaize the need to practice the Dharma. This needs to be done over and over again to gain more and more conviction and is not meant to be something fully realized immediately.

For me practicing Dharma is both easy and difficult depending on one's sincerity. We will not be sincere if we think we are going to achieve Buddhahood but do very little about practicing. Most of us have the small scope as the true motivation ie have a better future rebirth. Yet when we take refuge every day and night, we "aspire" to achieve Buddhahood to benefit all sentient beings. I am not saying we should not aspire but we have to be honest and ask ourselves, what are we doing with out practice? What have we done for others besides doing the sadhana? Have we done anything today selflessly to benefit others and with selfless motivations? Not really for most unfortunately. We are all full of faults and imperfections.

For me the most sincere thing to do whether we are working full time with the Dharma or not, is to practice the six perfections and compassion with transformation of our mind as the objective. We need to do this 24/7. We practice generosity, hold or vows, practice patience and put in positive effort to transform ourselves. We check ourselves all the time until our positive attitude becomes spontaneous. We realize we are not living alone and that we depend on others in our lives and for our future.
If others see a transformation in us then we have made some progress and we continue.

That to me is Dharma practice right now.

[Q]

What makes me practice after I found the Dharma? This is going to be a really long story haha!

For starters, it was because Dharma is not easily available from where I come from. I am a foreigner in the country I live in, so the language barrier is obviously going against me in terms of learning. That's why when I found a Dharma center that gave perfect pure Dharma teachings in my mother tongue, I was extremely delighted! Thankful to the point of tears... and most importantly, because it was so difficult for me to find the Dharma, I became thankful for every single Dharma teaching I encountered and appreciated it.

As I learn throughout the years, it was my complete (or almost complete at least) trust in karma that made me stick with my Dharma practice. Knowing how Karma works truly made me feel that doing anything else besides the Dharma is really not worth going through. When we speak of a fortunate human rebirth, we're talking about a really rare and difficult rebirth to achieve, especially a rebirth where we have all the faculties to practice the Dharma... having the 10 endowments. We truly are fortunate to have everything we would ever need to ensure our progress in spirituality.

Unfortunately, we also know that we're living in times of degeneration. After learning the Dharma, whenever I look at my friends, whom have the same fortune as me to be born with a perfect human body, wasting their time and life away with all of samsaric's pleasure... it truly pains me. I am not an advanced practitioner, but I am passionate with my Dharma practice. And everytime I see my friends still 'suffering' in samsara, I am ever more motivated to practice the Dharma... not only to improve my wisdom, but with the hope that one day I can bring them into the Dharma as well.

We truly are lucky to be born in the time when the Buddha's teachings are still much alive, and the conditions of samsara have not gotten too difficult to practice pure Dharma. We should make full use of this life to ensure we will always be connected with the Dharma continuously in all lives until the day of our Enlightenment. 

[bambi]

Q, I agree with what you have said. Its true. Language and the teachings are hard to come by where I am. Either that, it wasnt time yet. 
Ever since young, I have wondered why certain things happened and why certain people behave differently. Dharma teachings opened up a huge new world to me. I never thought of karma as I didnt know much. Ever since then, I do all I can to help out in my center hoping to bring and introduce more people to Dharma.
And yes, now I see my 'friends', I pity them. They think that it is 'happiness'...

[jessicajameson]

As much as I would like to pinpoint what will make me practice after I have found the Dharma, I find it hard to. Every time I think that I am practicing the Dharma, a scenario arises which leads me believe that I am not, or have not been practicing at all.

It's for sure though, that the one thing that hits me back on track and realigns my focus whenever it goes astray is to remember that what I am practicing is only a semblance of Dharma - I have to do more - and that if this is a semblance of Dharma, when I die, I may meet the Dharma again in a time where it's no longer even a semblance of Dharma but where the Dharma is in real decline.

Then, if I find it hard to practice Dharma now - imagine practicing Dharma during that Age. Yikes.

HHDL words are really powerful. I am able to benefit from the availability of Dharma. I am free from the most of obvious adverse conditions for the practice of Dharma, and am equipped with favorable conditions.

I'd like to ask those in the forum, what does it mean by engaging in serious practice of Dharma?

[Tenzin K]

Initially when I found Dharma teaching I never thought that I would be able to follow through. I’m a free thinker before and due to the nature of my job it is difficult to be nice, humble and compassion towards people that always find ways to take advantage of you. Cannot tolerate with people that would hurt you in order for them be outstanding.

My view changes after I attended a dharma talk that I would able to put it into practice. The talk was so clear and easy to understand with the example that I can relate easily. You can say that my karma ripen up during this time for me to be able to accept it. It changes my life!

What make me continue to practice?
After I put the teaching into action I experience the result! This motivate me to learn more, practice more and examine the result more and as you move one you will start to see the true you and understand yourself better. From here I can improve myself better. It’s just like learning something new there will be up and down in your journey but the best thing is that you never want to let go even when you fall because I know that there is nothing better in this samsaric world that I could achieve besides practicing to benefiting others. Living to give is the most satisfying as seeing how people benefited from what you could offer.

As I move on I start to learn and understand that it’s not easy to be able to achieve this great condition for everyone to be able to meet the dharma in such condition or I would say with the 8 opportune conditions. This is our merit that we collected in our previous act and it’s so rare for us to have the same opportunity again if we don’t create the cause again. It’s really made see and feel what is cause and effect and how lucky I am.

Never waste such opportunity since we have found the dharma because living our live with dharma just like gaining everything in our life which I call happiness and freedom.

[apprenticehealer]

I was brought up in a traditional Buddhist family and was told to offer incense on certain days of the month, to pay respect to the various statues on the altar table ( don't even know who the statutes were ) and to also assist in the cleaning of the altar . I was not told why and was not allowed to question as that was considered being most disrespectful - just do it because i was told to do it.
Then to confuse me even more, my parents enrolled me to a missionary school where i had all my primary and secondary education.

That was then, and in a way, on hindsight, was a good thing because it made me question a lot of what all this means. That started this thirst and hunger in me to search for all the answers i needed - the main one being ; a guidance to how to be a better person , a philosophy that would sit 'right' inside of me. I devoured books on most of the mainstream religions but the only one that resonates with me is Buddhist teachings.

The more i read on Buddha's teachings, the more i felt that this makes complete logical sense. The more i learnt, the more i put to practice what i learnt and am taught, the more peaceful and happier i became. Now this cannot be wrong . All religions have similar teachings, but with the Dharma, i realize that it teaches us a way of living - by incorporating into our lives the virtues that Buddha taught. I then look around me, and see the faces of the monks and nuns , filled with love, kindness, peace and compassion
that actually glows from within. That is so beautiful !

What will make me continue to practice the Dharma after i have found it ? Simply put - i found the most precious gift - the Gift of Giving - The 3 Jewels . And i am NOT ever giving that up !

[vajrastorm]

I trust that this question is about earnest consistent  Dharma practice.

I'm not there yet in practice. But each day, I remind myself that my time is short. I believe that that  is the only way  I can actually make myself be mindful and apply the repeated counsel of my spiritual guide  and begin transforming my mind consistently, which is the actual true Dharma practice.

My mind is not consistent. I am kind and generous  when it is easy to be kind and generous. When it comes to difficult people, I have to remind myself to make the effort.

Being in a Dharma environment does help though, as well as being surrounded most of the day by my dharma brothers and sisters.

[Dondrup Shugden]

I was born into a Buddhist environment in the sense that my Grandmothers (Paternal and Maternal) and Mother had altars at their homes.  Later on being married, my Mother-in-law was religious and went for retreat at the Sam Po Temple in Cameron Highlands and she would invite monks from the Thai Temple to our house to say prayers.

The doctrine practised by these ladies were a confusion to me.  And some forms was an extension of Taoism.
However, in the confusion, I became curious as to the meaning of their beliefs.  At that time I had a friend who practised Buddhism and travelling all over Tibet, India and Bhutan to see temples and monasteries.  He made a lot of sense on his practice.  At that time of my life I was very busy and promised myself that when I retire I would study Buddhism in one form and this friend would be my teacher.  Sad to say, this friend died before I retired.

Happy to say now, I have found my Guru and with utmost clarity practise Tibetan Buddhism.  Will I succeed enlightenment.  Well that is my aim to be free of suffering and to do whatever I can to eradicate suffering for others. 

[RedLantern]

Contemplating compassion and wishing that beings be free of the type of suffering , can help me to loosen my fixation on my subjective experience and my self attachment.
The perfect practice — the one that will magically make us enlightened within a year.  The perfect place is wherever we happen to be.  The perfect practice is our own awareness here and now, and compassion for the people we encounter every day.

[Tenzin Malgyur]

What will make me practice after I found Dharma?

After reading and listening to dharma teachings about how precious it is to be born as a complete human being and the fact that I am not able to control where I would take rebirth does motivate me to choose dharma practice over samsaric enjoyments. Sure, time and again, I have to remind myself always to be mindful of all my actions, speech and thoughts. And most importantly is not to harm anyone at all.
I am also fortunate to have found a teacher who is most kind, and I would follow through with his advice of learning the Lamrim and to transform myself to be a better person.