Buddhist Study

If we are to progress on the path, we need to be focused in both our study and practice. This is true of any endeavor we might wish to accomplish. For example, there are many different ways to get to New York City from Sydney, Australia. If we do not already know a good route, we can consider the alternatives and select the way that seems best suited for us. But once the route is chosen, we will waste a great deal of time and energy if we keep changing our itinerary and chosen means of transportation along the way.

Likewise in our practice of Buddhism, once we have found the method that is best suited to our capabilities and conditions—the method that "feels right" for us—we will squander this precious lifetime if we give in to the temptation to study and practice other paths in addition to our chosen method. Our most important goal as Pure Land Buddhists should be to attain liberation from the cycle of rebirth. Once we have accomplished this by attaining rebirth in the Pure Land, we can study other methods and practices without fear of falling back on the path to awakening.