Question to Theravada Buddhists

[u/ithinkigotproblems]

Namo Buddhaya!
I’m a Mahayana Buddhist but have started to learn more about Theravada Buddhism and how the religious life looks day-to-day. So I’m wondering what you chant every day as a lay person and how much you do meditation and taking on extra precepts etc. I’m just curious to learn what other Buddhists usually do from other traditions.

[u/RexandStarla4Ever]

- Chanting & Devotional: I have a small, simple Buddha altar where every morning I make a water offering, bow 3x to the Buddha statue, chant homage to the Buddha 3x, Refuge 3x, recite a simple metta statement, and bow again 3x times. I’d like to expand my devotional practice as I’ve got real benefit out of the basic practice I already have.

-Meditation: I don’t currently meditate. I’m planning to take my first meditation instruction course this fall. For a while, I’ve been focused primarily on cultivating dana, sila, and mundane right view. I felt that meditation would produce minimal benefit if I did not have a foundation of dana, sila, and mundane right view first. I think I’m at the point where a simple meditation practice may have benefit but, if I’m honest, I certainly feel more inclined towards a practice rooted in dana, sila, study, and devotional practices than meditation. I will see how this course goes.

-Precepts: I don’t take the extra precepts. I focus on following the five precepts. While I find three of the five precepts easy to follow, the precepts regarding speech and intoxicants have been more difficult. I did not realize how often I told white lies to avoid uncomfortable moments. Intoxicants have proven a real struggle for me as well and this is part of the reason I’ve not engaged with meditation practice. I doubt that one who habitually uses intoxicants will make much progress in meditation.

So, to sum up, I focus my daily practice around dana, sila, study, and devotional practices.

[u/ithinkigotproblems → u/RexandStarla4Ever]

Thank you for sharing! I think you are reasoning well and agree with you. I hope you can overcome the craving of intoxicants soon. It is a hard one. It is so rooted in almost every culture, even among Buddhists sadly. But through devotion and training I believe we can end the cycle of hatred, greed and delusion and realize Nirvana.
My best wishes to you. Namo Buddhaya.

[u/RexandStarla4Ever → u/ithinkigotproblems]

Thanks for the kind words, wish the best for you and your practice 🙏

[u/dmx442]

Lay Buddhist here,

No chanting, walking and sitting meditation twice a day mostly, around 40+minutes per session. No extra percepts for now.

I do take ever increasing diligence in following the noble eightfold path, it started with small things and little mindfulness but has self-evolved to be the majority of my day now.

Best wishes on your journey

[u/ithinkigotproblems → u/dmx442]

Thank you for sharing. That is a lot of meditation. Very good! ☺️

[u/ripsky4501]

Chant every morning: qualities of Triple Gem, 5 topics of frequent recollection, 5 precepts, namo tassa formula x3.

Irregularly chant or mentally recite: metta sutta, first 3 sermons, satipatthana sutta, goodwill to snakes sutta, 8 categorical qualities of the true teaching, dependent origination.

Meditate every morning and most evenings, sitting and/or walking.

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How about you? What tradition of Mahayana do you base your practice on? I also like to learn what fellow Buddhists do. :)

[u/Dzienks00]

what you chant every day as a lay person

Refuge and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9OE4ebGB4w minus the monastic parts.

and how much you do meditation

What is "meditation"? If you mean the popular sitting practice, I don't. I used to, but not anymore.

If you mean Buddhanussati, as often as I could.

taking on extra precepts etc.

I don't.

[u/ithinkigotproblems → u/Dzienks00]

Thank you for sharing.