The Dharma is the collection of the teachings of Sakyamuni Buddha (563-483 B. C. E.), which is commonly called Buddhism. Also, it contains the theory of the Buddhadharma. Even though there are different names for it, the meaning is the same, which is the truth of the universe and human life. The Buddhadharma is different from other learning, such as philosophy, science, metaphysics, the teachings of Confucius, and Mohism, etc. All of these are called teachings, and even Buddhism is, also, a kind of teaching similar to other ordinary teachings. However, the Buddhadharma, we can say, is a kind of teaching that seeks to cultivate both the body and the mind as well as a method to show us how to depart from suffering and to arrive at happiness. Thus, it is a teaching different from all the others, and so cannot be labeled, like the others, as merely a teaching. Therefore, to spread the Buddhadharma, we should teach people how to learn and practice the Dharma, and each of us must depend on the Dharma to learn and to practice how to purify one's own body and mind, how to purify one's own thought and how to correct one's own life. We should also teach people to do reasonable things, to get first-hand experience, to use the Buddhadharma in daily life, and to let the Buddhadharma actively work in society. This is the true meaning of spreading the Buddhadharma. Thus, there were many great Dharma masters and patriarchs, who, using the Buddhadharma in their daily lives, enjoyed themselves in their work. Even when doing hard work, such as moving firewood or carrying water, they did not separate their work from the Buddhadharma. This is the truly interesting part about learning the Buddhadharma: The learning itself will free us from the suffering of human life in society and, instead, give us absolute happiness. The most important reason to study and practice the Buddhadharma is to end the continuous turning of the Wheel of Birth-and-Death. All sentient beings in the six states of existence are bound to the Wheel of Life, suffering birth after birth and death after death. If anyone wants to be free from suffering, he or she must learn and practice the Buddhadharma. This, then, is the true purpose of learning and practicing the Buddhadharma.

To be free from the suffering of human life and to end one's own birth and death just to benefit oneself is the view of the sravakas and pratyekabuddhas of Hinayana. However, if one really wants to learn the Bodhisattva doctrine, he or she must take one more step and generate his or her Bodhi mind, cultivate the action of the Bodhisattva, and follow the Way of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

a) The most important procedure for the practice of the Buddhadharma. We must have a reason and a purpose to practice the Buddhadharma, and we should also understand how important it is for us to learn and practice the Buddhadharma. We can ask how we should learn and how we should practice and, thus, come to understand the procedure for learning and practicing the Buddhadharma. If one finds and follows the right Way, it is easy to achieve the maximum benefit with little effort. Take ordinary people's schooling for instance: It follows a strict order and procedure -- namely, primary school, junior high school, high school, college and graduate school. People must follow this order, step by step. Learning the Buddhadharma is no exception to this rule. This is especially true for lay-Buddhist men and women, who must follow the traditional order and procedure to learn the Buddhadharma. First, they should study the Buddhist doctrine, then understand the method of practice, and, finally, avoid going the wrong way.

b) How to practice the Bodhisattva Dharma. The procedures for learning and practicing the Buddhadharma, about which I am speaking, follow the Grand Dharma Master T'ai Hsu's teaching The Practice of the Bodhisattva Dharma, which he wrote to guide and direct all people. He wanted all people to practice the Buddhadharma and become Mahayana Buddhists in order to penetrate and influence society deeply to benefit all sentient beings. He felt that they should not learn the Hinayana, wherein the individual just cares for one's own self and one's own salvation. The teaching of this essay reflects his last words before his death, and the instruction therein is of really primary importance. His purpose was to instruct not only all monks but also all lay Buddhists who wish to follow The Practice of the Bodhisattva Dharma.

The Buddhadharma was translated from Sanskrit to Chinese about two thousand years ago. All translations of the sutras are expressions of the truth of the Buddhadharma, exalt the spirit of the Bodhisattva, and benefit all sentient beings in the world. Therefore, the Grand Master established a method to practice the Mahayana Bodhisattva Dharma. Someone may ask, "Since the Buddhadharma came to China almost two thousand years ago and since there are so many Mahayana sutras, why should all people understand Bodhisattva action and practice the Mahayana Dharma?  Why should we again promote The Practice of the Bodhisattva Dharma at this time?" These are important questions and, also, good questions. If we think carefully, we shall realize that, even though the Mahayana Dharma was spread in China for such a long period of time, there were only very few Buddhists who followed the doctrine of Mahayana in practice. Most Buddhists in traditional society only practiced the Dharma for the benefit of themselves alone instead of for the benefit of others.  Since they practiced by themselves on high mountains or behind closed doors, they forgot about the great Bodhisattva action and the Mahayana spiritual goal to save the world. Buddhism and society became separated. Buddhists and common people became divided from each other like two places separated by a great river that have no communication with each other. For this reason, the common people lost the chance to accept the Buddhadharma and, thus, misunderstood the truth of the Buddhadharma. Sometimes they fell into error, coming to think that the Dharma was pessimistic and disgusted with the world.

On the other hand, among those Buddhists who left home to become monks, the best were those who practiced Ch'an or recited the name of Amita Buddha to benefit themselves. The worst were those who conducted seances to raise ghosts or conducted ceremonies of repentance. That was like taking the supreme Dharma and trading it for food and clothing. That is why monks were looked down upon and were ridiculed and slandered by people. Sometimes, even the whole Buddhist system was destroyed by the authorities; for if Buddhists did not understand the morality of the community, how could they be allowed to spread the spirit of Mahayana and promote The Practice of the Bodhisattva Dharma? Those Buddhist monks who had left home in this way, as well as lay Buddhists in similar conditions, learned the Buddhadharma; but they only understood how to recite the Buddha's name and go to high mountains to practice for themselves. They did not care about anything whatsoever in the present world, and some of them even abandoned their families. Therefore, the Grand Master wanted to promote The Practice of the Bodhisattva Dharma to set up the Bodhisattva action and the spirit of Mahayana to save the world and to benefit all sentient beings. Some of them, being young, did not want to learn the Buddhadharma and said, "When I grow older, I shall learn the Buddhadharma." Also, they said, "I am waiting for my son and my daughter to get married. As soon as I finish my responsibilities, I shall start to learn the Buddhadharma and to practice."

These are all lame excuses and wrong views! To learn the Buddhadharma there is no fixed time or fixed place. The only thing one must do is to understand the doctrine of the Buddhadharma. If you have right faith, you can learn about the Buddha at any time and practice the Dharma in any place. This does not mean that you have to leave home or separate yourself from society by going to high mountains or by living in deep forests. How, then, can you reasonably say that you will wait until you are older and then learn about the Buddha? The proverb says: "To learn the Tao, one should not wait until one is old, because many graves are filled with persons who died young." Moreover, the principles of the Buddhadharma are so hard to understand that even though we use all our effort to study, they are still difficult for us to comprehend. Thus, if you wait until you become older and then try to learn the Buddhadharma, that is really not right! Everybody should understand that to learn the Buddhadharma one should have no time factor; right faith alone is the most important factor to learn about the Buddha and to practice the Dharma at any time and in any place. It is not necessary to wait or to become older, and it is not necessary to go to high mountains or to deep forests. All of us have the same opportunity, no matter who we are -- scholar, farmer, worker, merchant, male, female, old or young person -- to learn the Buddhadharma. Therefore, in the light of this awareness, the Grand Master told us to promote The Practice of the Bodhisattva Dharma.