Explore the Buddha’s teachings in everyday English through three courses. Learn the foundations, try meditation, and bring the practice into daily life.
A first look at how the Buddha’s teachings guide the way we act, speak, and care for the mind.
Begin with everyday life
Buddhism is a tradition of teaching and practice that began with the Buddha, whose title means “the Awakened One.” At Wat Pa Lao, we learn through the Lao Theravāda tradition. You are welcome to begin with curiosity, wherever you come from.
A short verse in the Dhammapada points to three things we can train in every day.
Avoid what causes harm. Cultivate what is wholesome. Care for and purify the mind.
Three things we can practice
Avoid harm. Before you speak or act, take a moment to consider what your words or actions might do. When someone makes a mistake, you can address it without humiliating them.
Cultivate what is wholesome. Wholesome actions include generosity, honesty, and patience. If someone seems left out, make room for them. If you made a mistake, acknowledge it and offer to help put it right.
Care for the mind. Notice what is happening inside you. Irritation may show up as a tight jaw or the urge to interrupt. When you notice it early, you have a little more room to choose what to do.
A moment at the kitchen table
Someone at home forgets to do something they promised. You feel tired and want to say, “You always leave this to me.” Take one ordinary breath and feel your feet on the floor. You can still say what matters. “I’m tired tonight. Can we do this together?” That small change gives both people a better chance to hear each other.
Some days you’ll notice your irritation after the words have already come out. You can begin there, too. A simple “I spoke sharply. Let me try again” is a way of putting the teaching into practice.
What does Dhamma mean here?
Here, Dhamma means the Buddha’s teachings and the path we put into practice. You might hear the word when someone gives a teaching at the temple. You can explore what it means in your own life by noticing what happens when you act with patience, honesty, or care.
A quiet pause
Sit in a way that feels steady. You can keep your eyes open with a soft gaze. Use the optional timer, or take a few breaths at your own pace.
Feel the support of the floor or your seat. Let your shoulders settle if they want to.
Notice one breath coming in and one breath going out. Let the breath find its own pace.
When you notice your mind has wandered, gently return to the breath or the feeling of your feet. That return is part of the practice.
1:00
Try it in an everyday situation
A friend sends a message that sounds impatient. Which response gives you room to act with care?
Check your understanding
Which action goes a step further and actively cultivates something wholesome?
Bring it into your day
Think of one ordinary moment when a pause could help you act with care. It could be before opening your inbox, speaking during a disagreement, or answering a question when you feel rushed.
When could I pause for one breath today? Take a quiet moment to think, or write in your own notebook.
A small practice for today
Choose one moment you are likely to meet again, such as reading a message or coming home tired. When that moment comes, pause for one breath and choose one helpful thing to say or do. Later, you can ask yourself what you noticed before the pause and what became possible afterward.
Get to know the Buddha, his teachings, and the community that has carried them forward.
What can guide us?
In Lesson 1, we tried pausing before we spoke. A pause gives us a moment to ask, “What would be helpful here?” Buddhists turn to three sources of guidance called the Three Jewels.
The Buddha · The Awakened One
The historical Buddha is known as Siddhattha Gotama in Pāli. He awakened to the nature of suffering and the way to its ending, then spent his life as a teacher sharing that way with others. Remembering the Buddha can help us recall that the mind can be trained and that we can begin with the choices in front of us.
The Dhamma · The teaching and the way to practice
The Dhamma gives us something to try. When you practice speaking truthfully and kindly, notice what that does to the conversation and how it feels in your own mind. The Buddha invited people to see the teachings for themselves through practice.
The Sangha · The community of noble disciples
In the Three Jewels, the Sangha refers to the Buddha’s noble disciples, those who have directly realized stages of the path. You may also hear Sangha used for the ordained community of monks and nuns. At a temple, the monastic community helps preserve and share the teachings. Laypeople can support the practice and learn together, too.
What does it mean to take refuge?
Taking refuge means turning to the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha for guidance and placing confidence in the path of practice. At Wat Pa Lao, you may hear the Three Refuges chanted in Pāli. It’s fine to listen quietly as you learn what the words mean.
Read the Three Refuges
Buddhaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi. I go to the Buddha for refuge.
Dhammaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi. I go to the Dhamma for refuge.
Saṅghaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi. I go to the Sangha for refuge.
All three can guide the same person on the same day. In each example, choose the Jewel that is most directly in view.
1. Remembering the teacher
Before a difficult conversation, Maya remembers the Awakened One and the patience he embodied. Which Jewel is she recollecting?
2. Trying the teaching
After reading a teaching on careful speech, Maya waits before answering and chooses words that are honest and kind. Which Jewel is she putting into practice?
3. Learning from those who practice
At the temple, Maya reflects on the Buddha’s noble disciples, whose lives show what the path can lead to. Which Jewel is she reflecting on?
What will I carry into the day?
Think of one situation you’ll meet this week. You might choose to listen a little longer when someone is upset, or to admit a mistake sooner. Give yourself time to picture how that would look.
One teaching I can try. What will I say or do when the moment comes?
One way to find support. Who can I learn from, practice with, or ask for guidance?
You can reflect quietly or write a few words in your own notebook.
Look gently at what hurts, what keeps it going, and how the Buddha taught us to practice.
Begin with what you feel
Imagine you’ve been looking forward to spending time with a friend. The plans change at the last minute, and you feel disappointed. Later, you catch yourself going over how the day was supposed to go. That small moment gives us a way to begin exploring the Four Noble Truths.
1. Suffering or unease · Dukkha
The Buddha asked us to understand dukkha. The word includes obvious suffering, like illness or loss, and the unease of wanting life to stay the way we like it. In this example, start with what you can feel. “I’m disappointed. I was looking forward to seeing my friend.” Give the feeling a little room.
2. The origin of suffering · Craving
Look at what keeps the unease going. You may notice the mind insisting, “The day has to go the way I planned.” The Buddha called this kind of thirst taṇhā, or craving. You can still care about seeing your friend. Watch what happens when a wish becomes a demand that the moment be different.
3. The ending of suffering · Cessation
There may be a moment when the demand eases. The plans are still changed, and now there is a little space to decide what to do. This is an everyday glimpse of letting go. The Third Noble Truth points further, to the complete fading of craving, the liberation called nibbāna.
4. The way of practice · The Noble Eightfold Path
The Buddha taught a path for cultivating that freedom. You can begin with something familiar from Lesson 1. Pause, notice what is happening in the mind, and answer your friend honestly and kindly. Mindfulness and careful speech are two parts of the wider path we’ll explore in Lesson 4.
What do we do with each truth?
In the discourse on turning the Wheel of Dhamma, the Buddha gives each truth a task. Understand suffering, let go of its origin, realize its ending, and develop the path. These are things we learn through practice, a little at a time.
Explore eight ways to train in wisdom, ethical conduct, and steadiness of mind.
How do we walk the path?
In Lesson 3, a friend’s plans changed. You noticed the disappointment and the wish for things to go differently. Now you’re holding your phone, about to answer. How you understand the moment, what you intend, and what you say can all be part of the practice.
The Buddha taught the Noble Eightfold Path as the way to the ending of suffering. The eight factors support one another. We can learn them in three groups and look for ways to practice them in daily life.
Wisdom · How we see and what we intend
Right view. Understand suffering, how it arises, how it ends, and the path that leads to its ending. You can begin by seeing how the demand for the day to go your way adds to the disappointment.
Right intention. Cultivate intentions of letting go, goodwill, and harmlessness. Before you reply, ask yourself what you want your words to do. You might intend to be honest and keep the friendship warm.
Ethical conduct · How we speak, act, and earn a living
Right speech. Refrain from lying, divisive talk, harsh speech, and idle chatter. Try a simple, honest reply. “I was looking forward to seeing you. Is there another day that works?”
Right action. Refrain from killing, taking what hasn’t been given, and sexual misconduct. In everyday life, this can mean respecting someone’s boundaries or asking before borrowing something.
Right livelihood. Earn a living in a way that avoids harm and deception. At work, ask whether your duties and the way you carry them out support honest, responsible conduct.
Mental training · How we care for and steady the mind
Right effort. Prevent and let go of unwholesome states. Bring up and sustain wholesome ones. When you catch yourself rehearsing a sharp reply, you can stop feeding it and give patience some room.
Right mindfulness. Attend carefully to the body, feelings, mind, and patterns of experience. Begin by noticing the tightness in your body and the feeling of disappointment as they are.
Right concentration. Develop a steady, collected mind. The discourse describes this through four deep states of meditative absorption called jhāna. A few minutes of gently returning to the breath is a way to begin cultivating steadiness.
Several factors can work together in a single moment. In each example, look for the one that is most directly in view.
1. Before you type
You decide you want to speak with goodwill and let go of the urge to punish your friend. What are you practicing?
2. While you choose your words
You tell your friend you’re disappointed and ask about another day, in words that are honest and kind. Which factor is clearest here?
3. As the irritation returns
You’ve noticed the irritation. Now you deliberately stop rehearsing a sharp reply and bring patience to mind. Which factor is clearest in this second step?
Choose one place to begin
Think of a conversation or decision you expect this week. Choose one factor to practice and imagine what it would look like there. You can reflect quietly or write a few words in your own notebook.
Before. What intention would I like to bring to this moment?
During. What can I notice, say, or do with care?
After. What did I learn that I can use next time?
In Lesson 5, we’ll look more closely at ethical conduct through the Five Precepts.
Learn five ways to practice care and build trust through ordinary choices.
Five ways to care for what we do
In Lesson 4, we looked at how our words and actions become part of the path. The Five Precepts are training rules that lay Buddhists undertake to put that care into practice. The Buddha also describes them as gifts. When others can trust how we’ll treat them, we give them a little more freedom from fear.
1. Refrain from killing living beings
Take care with the lives of people and animals, including small creatures. If you can safely guide an insect back outside, that ordinary moment gives you a way to practice care for life.
2. Refrain from taking what hasn’t been given
Respect what belongs to others. If you need something from a coworker’s desk, ask first. Waiting for permission can feel like a small thing, and it helps people feel at ease around us.
3. Refrain from sexual misconduct
Bring care and responsibility to sexual conduct. Respect consent and boundaries, honor commitments, and avoid using power or pressure to get what you want. When someone says they need time or space, give it freely.
4. Refrain from false speech
Practice telling the truth. If you forgot to do something you promised, you can say so plainly and offer to make it right. The precept gives us a way to protect trust when an excuse might feel easier.
5. Refrain from intoxicants that lead to heedlessness
The traditional training includes abstaining from alcohol and other intoxicants that cloud awareness. At a gathering, you might choose a nonalcoholic drink so you can stay clear and present with the people around you.
What if I fall short?
Begin by seeing what happened and whom it affected. Make amends where you can. Then look at the next choice you can make with more care. Training grows through returning to it.
For each situation, choose the response that best reflects the precept. Take a moment to notice why.
1. A small life
A spider is in the room. You have a safe way to move it outside. What could you do?
2. Something you find
Someone leaves a wallet behind at a community event. What could you do?
3. Someone asks for space
Someone you’re dating says they want to slow down and are unsure about more intimacy. What response shows care?
4. An easy excuse
You missed a deadline because you forgot. A teammate asks what happened. What could you say?
5. An invitation to drink
Someone offers you a beer at dinner. You’ve chosen to observe the fifth precept. How could you answer?
Give one person a little more ease
Choose one situation you are likely to meet this week. It could be a chance to ask permission, tell a difficult truth gently, or respect someone’s boundary. Think quietly or write a few words in your own notebook.
What will remind me? Picture the moment when you can pause and remember the precept.
What will I do? Name one clear action or a sentence you can actually say.
Who benefits? Consider who might feel a little more trust or ease because of that choice.
In Lesson 6, we’ll practice mindfulness and loving-kindness, two ways to bring steadiness and care to moments like these.
Notice what is happening and learn to meet it with a little more goodwill.
Two ways to care for the mind
Think of a day when you get home tired and hear a voice in your head saying, “I should have done better.” Take a moment to feel the body sitting here. You might notice tightness in the shoulders or a thought repeating. Once you see what is happening, you can choose a gentler way to respond.
Mindfulness · Remembering to pay attention
Sati is the Pāli word usually translated as mindfulness. Here we practice it by remembering to stay with the breathing and noticing when attention wanders. You may spend a whole breath thinking about dinner. The moment you notice, you can return to one ordinary breath. Each return is part of learning.
Loving-kindness · Wishing well
Mettā means goodwill or loving-kindness. We can cultivate it by quietly wishing for our own well-being and the well-being of others. The wish can be simple. “May I be safe. May I be at ease.” Some days the words feel warm, and some days they feel plain. Give the intention a little room either way.
Mindfulness helps us recognize a harsh thought as it appears. Loving-kindness gives us another intention to practice. You may find the two working together the next time you want to speak sharply to yourself or someone else.
Read each set of instructions first. Then try it for about two minutes, or take a few breaths at your own pace. You can sit in a chair and keep your eyes open with a soft gaze.
Practice 1 · Mindfulness of breathing
Feel the support of the chair or the floor. Let the breath come and go in its own rhythm.
Choose one place where breathing is easy to feel. It might be the nose, chest, or belly. Stay with one breath in and one breath out.
When you notice thinking, gently come back to the next breath. If the breath feels difficult to stay with, rest your attention on the feet or seat instead.
At the end, feel the whole body sitting for a moment before you move on.
2:00
Practice 2 · Loving-kindness
Settle for a breath. Silently offer yourself a simple wish. “May I be safe. May I be at ease.”
Think of someone it feels easy to wish well. You can use their name, or simply think of them. “May you be safe. May you be at ease.”
Stay with that person, or gently widen the wish. “May all beings be safe. May all beings be at ease.”
If your mind wanders, come back to one phrase. Finish by feeling your feet on the floor or your body in the chair.
2:00
Bring the two together
You notice your mind has wandered, and you feel impatient with yourself. Which response uses both practices?
Find one moment to return
Think about what you noticed during each practice. Give yourself a quiet moment, or write a few words in your own notebook.
Mindfulness. What helped me notice that my mind had wandered? What made it easier to return?
Loving-kindness. Which wish felt natural to say? Who came to mind when I wished someone well?
Choose one ordinary cue for tomorrow, such as waiting for a kettle or sitting down at your desk. Take one breath you can feel. Then offer one quiet wish for someone’s well-being.
In Lesson 7, we’ll walk through what to expect on a first visit to Wat Pa Lao.
Walk through a visit to a Lao Theravāda temple, from planning your arrival to finding a place to sit.
Come as a learner
Your first visit can begin simply. You can come to listen, see what a gathering is like, and spend a little time in the community. Wat Pa Lao Buddhadham is in West Henrietta, New York, at 135 Martin Road.
Before you leave
Check the Sunday Service Guide or Special Events page for the gathering you’d like to attend. Ask the temple which building to use if you’re unsure. If you’d like to join daily chanting in the Sima, contact the temple to confirm the current schedule, which changes with the seasons.
Choose comfortable clothing that covers your shoulders and knees. If you’d prefer a chair or have a question about access, contact the temple ahead of time or ask someone when you arrive.
When you arrive
Give yourself a little time to find the gathering. Silence your phone. Before entering the temple, look for where others leave their shoes. If you’re unsure where to sit or what to do, a simple “This is my first visit. Where may I sit?” is a good way to begin.
During the gathering
You may hear chanting in Pāli and Lao. You may recognize the Three Refuges from Lesson 2 or hear the Five Precepts from Lesson 5. When people bow or chant, you can listen quietly and follow what feels comfortable. An English explanation may be available. If you hear something you’d like to understand, keep the question for a quiet moment after the gathering.
What if I’d like to make an offering?
You’re welcome to attend and observe. If you’d like to bring food or offer something, ask a volunteer how offerings are handled that day. You can also practice generosity by giving someone room to sit or listening with care.
You plan to come on Sunday and see that a special ceremony is listed. What’s a good first step?
2. Finding your seat
You see shoes near the entrance and aren’t sure where visitors sit. How could you begin?
3. Hearing an unfamiliar chant
Everyone starts chanting in Pāli. You can hear the words but can’t follow along yet. What can you do?
What would you like to bring with you?
Choose one practice from Foundations to bring into a temple visit or your own day. You might return to one breath while you wait, listen with goodwill, or ask one honest question.
One thing I’m curious about. What would I like to see, hear, or understand?
One way to prepare. What would help me feel at ease as I arrive or begin practicing at home?
One practice I’ll keep. Where can I use it again this week?
Course 02 · Lesson 01 · 8–10 minutes with practice
How to begin a daily meditation practice
Find an ordinary moment in your day, sit for two minutes, and give yourself a way to return tomorrow.
Start with a moment you already have
In Foundations, you tried returning to one breath. This course begins by giving that small practice a place in your day. Think of something you already do most mornings or evenings. You might sit after brushing your teeth, while your tea cools, or when you set down your keys after coming home.
Find a seat that supports you
A chair is fine. Let your feet rest on the floor and your hands settle where they’re comfortable. Sit upright in a way you can keep without straining. You can close your eyes or leave them softly open.
Give yourself one thing to return to
Feel a breath wherever it’s easy to notice, such as at the nose or in the belly. Let the breath come and go at its own pace. If you’d rather notice your feet on the floor, stay with that contact for a little while.
Begin again when you notice
At some point you’ll find yourself thinking about something else. When you notice, give yourself time to feel the next breath. The return is part of the practice. If you miss a day, let the next familiar moment remind you to sit again.
Find your seat and feel where the body is supported.
Notice one ordinary breath in and one out. When attention wanders, come back gently.
When you’re ready to finish, feel your feet or your seat again. Take a moment before standing up.
2:00
Choose a plan you can use tomorrow
Your mornings are busy. Which plan gives you a clear moment to begin?
Make a small plan for tomorrow
Finish this sentence in your own words. After I ______, I’ll sit in ______ for two minutes.
After you sit, take a breath and notice one thing about the experience. You might notice how you felt when you remembered to return, or which seat made it easier to stay. Keep your plan simple enough to try again.
The next lesson will explore how to find a posture and a place to feel the breath that work for you.
Find a seat and a point of attention you can return to comfortably.
A posture you can stay with
Try a chair with both feet supported, or sit on a cushion with your hips slightly raised and your knees supported. Let the hands rest. Sit upright enough to stay awake and soft enough to breathe freely.
Notice whether the breath is easiest to feel at the nose, chest, or belly. Choose one place for this sit. Breaths can be short or long. Let each one come and go on its own.
If the posture becomes uncomfortable, notice what you feel and adjust slowly. If following the breath feels difficult today, you can rest your attention on the contact of your feet or seat.
Learn a gentle way to notice thinking and return to practice.
The moment you notice
You sit down and begin to plan dinner, replay a conversation, or wonder how long you’ve been sitting. The moment you recognize what is happening, you have a chance to begin again.
You can use a quiet word such as “thinking” or “planning” if it helps you recognize where the mind went. Use the word lightly, then feel the next breath or the contact of the seat.
Sometimes an important thought keeps returning. You can make a brief note if you need to remember it, then come back to the practice. Notice the difference between recognizing a thought and following the whole story.
Use the feeling of each step to stay present while moving.
Let the steps guide your attention
Choose a short, clear path on a level surface. Keep your eyes open and walk at a comfortable pace. A hallway or a quiet stretch of path is enough.
Feel the foot meet the ground, and notice the weight move from one foot to the other. At the end of the path, stop, notice that you’re standing, and turn before you begin again.
If you prefer to stay seated, feel your feet on the floor and gently shift pressure from one foot to the other. Give the movement the same steady attention.
If walking, take a few unhurried steps. Notice the contact and shift of weight. Stop and turn when you reach the end.
If you notice your mind wandering, return to one step or one shift of pressure. Keep attention on where you’re going and use the optional timer only if it helps.
2:00
At the end of the path, your mind rushes ahead to the next round. What can you notice now?
Bring it into your day
When might walking practice fit naturally into your day? Choose a safe place where you can try it again.
Build a weekly routine you can return to when life changes.
Make a plan you can keep
Look back at the practices in this course. You can choose a short sit, a few mindful steps, or both. Start with a time and place you can picture clearly.
Give the routine a fallback. If your usual morning sit is interrupted, you might try one minute after lunch. If you miss a day entirely, begin again at the next opportunity.
At the end of the week, ask what helped you remember, what got in the way, and what adjustment would make it easier to continue. Let the answers guide your next week.
Practice honest, useful speech and choose a moment when it can be heard.
Let the words serve the conversation
In Foundations, you practiced pausing before replying to a friend. Here we add three questions. Is this true? Could it help? Is this a good time to say it?
At work, you might need to tell someone their part of a task is unfinished. Be specific about what happened and what you need. Give them room to explain and choose a private moment when you can.
If you’ve already spoken sharply, a short repair can help. Name what you did, acknowledge its effect, and say what you want to do differently.
Use attention, honest requests, and dependable actions to build trust.
Make room to hear the other person
When someone tells you about a difficult day, notice how quickly you begin preparing an answer. Try listening long enough to understand what they are asking for.
A small question can help. “Would you like me to listen, or would you like help thinking this through?” If you need to set a limit, you can still do it kindly and clearly.
Trust grows when words and actions agree. Keep the commitments you can, and speak up early when a promise needs to change.
Recognize irritation early and choose a response that reduces harm.
Notice anger before it speaks for you
Anger can show up as heat, tightness, or the urge to interrupt. See whether you can recognize one sign in the body before you act.
A pause may give you enough space to choose the next step. Feel your feet or take one ordinary breath. If needed, ask for time and come back when you can speak clearly.
You can wish someone well and still set a firm boundary. A clear request such as “I need us to stop speaking this way” can protect the people in the conversation.
Offer time, attention, or practical help with care for the recipient.
Give in a way the other person can receive
Generosity is called dāna in Pāli. It can include sharing food, making time for someone, helping with a task, or giving material support. Begin by noticing what would genuinely help.
Ask before assuming. A neighbor might welcome a ride, or they might prefer help carrying a bag. Offer something you can give freely and give them room to decline.
Afterward, take a moment to notice what giving was like. You may notice joy, an expectation of thanks, or both. Let that experience teach you about your intentions.
Make a personal practice plan for ordinary moments at home, work, and in the community.
Carry the path into one real day
Think back to where you began. You practiced a pause, learned to notice what adds to unease, and tried sitting and walking with attention. Each of those skills can come with you into an ordinary day.
Choose one situation that matters to you. A hard conversation may call for a clear intention and careful speech. A restless morning may call for a short sit. A neighbor’s need may invite generosity.
Give yourself a way to review the experience kindly. Ask what you noticed, what helped, and what you’d try next time. Small adjustments make the practice your own.
