How to Become a Buddha

Studying Buddhist Teachings

Choose Buddhist texts to study based on your preferences. There's no set path for what teachings to read and when. Pick what speaks to you, or what interests you, and dive in. For example, if you're really interested in meditation, choose pieces on mindfulness and breathing. Some popular classic texts include The Way of the Bodhisattva by Shantideva, The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching by Thich Nhat Hanh, and On the Path to Enlightenment by Matthieu Ricard. If there's a Buddhist center or community near you, ask one of the teachers for recommendations on what to read first. You can find Buddhist texts and books online or at a bookstore or library.

Follow the 3 stages of understanding when reading Buddhist texts. These 3 stages of studying Buddha’s teachings, which are known as dharma, are hearing, contemplating, and meditating. First, read, or “hear,” the text. Then think about what it means and make sure you understand it. Finally, meditate on the teaching to let it fully soak in. Set aside time each day to spend reading and absorbing the material. Studying the teachings consistently will help you absorb it all better. Pick one phrase or mantra from your teaching that day to use in your meditation.

Learn the Four Noble Truths for a summary of Buddha’s teachings. Think of these truths like the core pillars of Buddhism. They outline how to recognize and let go of pain throughout your life. If you don’t understand the Four Noble Truths, you won’t be able to be free of suffering or reach nirvana. The 4th truth contains the Noble Eightfold Path, which is a Buddhist set of principles detailing 8 steps to spiritual awakening. The Four Noble Truths 1. Life includes suffering, like pain and eventually death. 2. Suffering is created by wanting or craving something. 3. Happiness can be achieved by overcoming suffering. 4. The Noble Eightfold Path will end suffering.

Find a spiritual teacher if you want more guidance. Learning from someone who knows a lot about the religion can help deepen your own knowledge and understanding of Buddhism. Ask the Buddhist temple or center in your area to find out if there are any teachers who would be interested in taking on a new student. You can even find a teacher who is already a Buddha to act as a mentor and role model. If you know a Buddhist who is very experienced or knowledgeable, consider asking them to become your teacher. Say something like, “I really want to become a Buddha but I need extra help. Would you be willing to tutor me?” Another option is to take a group class at a local community college or meditation center. There are also online courses led by Buddhist gurus you can sign up for.

Developing the Mindset of a Buddha

Make the most of every moment to understand nothing is permanent. According to Buddha, the only guaranteed thing in life is death. It may sound morbid, but being aware of your impermanence can actually enhance your life. Live every minute as if it’s your last, focusing your energy on enjoying whatever that might be and always looking for the positive. Check in occasionally by asking yourself, “If I died right now, would I be happy or proud of how I spent my last moments?” If the answer is no, find a way to improve your current situation to change that to a yes. For instance, if you’re in a boring meeting at work, instead of dwelling on how long it’s dragging on, appreciate the softness of your favorite sweater on your back or impress your boss by offering a new idea.

Practice putting yourself in someone else’s shoes to learn compassion. The next time you walk by a homeless person on the street, for example, pause and try to see things through their eyes. Not only will you better understand the situation and get a new perspective on it, you’ll also be able to react more sensitively and compassionately. For example, maybe you're walking fast because it's freezing outside and you only have a thin coat on. But then you realize the homeless person has no coat, and nowhere to go. Imagine if that was you. Since you stopped to considered their point of view, you might give them some of your loose change to buy a warm meal instead of just passing by. This practice spreads more love and peace, rather than indifference and hurt.

Focus on the present by being more mindful with your actions. Mindfulness is one of the most important aspects of Buddhism. To incorporate it into your own life, try a technique known as savoring. Pay attention to the sights, sounds, textures, or tastes of whatever is happening right now. For example, if you’re eating a brownie, notice the chewiness or the way the chocolate chips melt on your tongue. Avoid dwelling on the past or living for the future. If you notice those thoughts pop up, like when you start worrying about your big date tonight, redirect your attention to the current moment instead. A good way to bring yourself back to the present is by taking a few deep breaths and focusing on the sensation of the air moving in and out of your nostrils.

Create balance in everything you do by taking the middle path. In Buddhism, the middle path states that you should never be at one extreme or another. Instead, you should live your life in the middle, striking a healthy balance between the two. Work this principle into all aspects of your life, like work, family time, and even the food you eat. For example, don’t spend all of your time working, but don’t laze around 24/7 either. The middle path would be spending 8 hours a day at the office, and then coming home to relax or be with your loved ones. This applies to how you treat others, too. While you don’t want to be rude to someone, for instance, you also don’t want to be fake. The balance would be to be honest about your feelings while still being compassionate.

Achieving Enlightenment

Meditate every day to learn how to control your thoughts. Meditation can change how your brain functions, building new neural pathways that make you happier and calmer. Sit or lay in a comfortable pose, close your eyes, and begin bringing your attention to your breath. As you meditate, notice any thoughts that come up (good or bad), then let them go instead of dwelling on them or avoiding them. Download a meditation app on your phone or follow along with a guided video online if you want help getting started. You can meditate on a mantra, like "be the change you wish to see in the world," if you have a specific intention you want to focus on that day. You can also try chanting “om” or listening to soothing sounds, like crashing waves or birds chirping. Meditate any time of the day for as long as you’d like. You can always start with 5 minutes, then slowly build up to 1 hour a day, for instance.

Become a Bodhisattva by following the 10 Meritorious Deeds. A Bodhisattva is someone who is seeking enlightenment. Aim to live according to the Ten Meritorious Deeds, which are a set of commandments taught by Buddha himself that include things like helping others, learning the “right view,” and avoiding stealing or lying. The “right view” in Buddhism means seeing the world and yourself as they really are, instead of how you’ve been taught or influenced to see them by society. Write the 10 Meritorious Deeds somewhere that you see them everyday as a reminder, like in the notes app on your phone or on a piece of paper on the fridge. The 10 Meritorious Deeds 1. Giving charity 2. Morality 3. Meditation and mental growth 4. Respecting those who are worthy of it 5. Helping others 6. Sharing merits with others 7. Celebrating the merits of others 8. Teaching and preaching the Dhamma 9. Listening to the Dhamma 10. Straightening your view

Live a minimalist lifestyle to learn non-attachment. Part of becoming a Buddha is reducing how attached you are to material things, like money or clothes. Declutter your house by getting rid of anything you don’t need or use anymore. Pare it down to the basics, keeping only what is absolutely necessary, like the pillow you sleep on rather than the decorative throw pillows. Be picky when selecting what to keep and what to get rid of. Do you really need all of those shoes in your closet? Apply the minimalist mindset to your buying habits, too. Only purchase what you need and avoid impulse buys. The more uncluttered your life is, the more uncluttered your mind will be.

Erase any doubts you still have about Buddhism. There are 4 primary stages that a Buddha goes through to reach nirvana. The first stage, known as Sotapanna or "Stream-enterer," is mainly characterized by no longer questioning Buddhist readings. Once you accept Buddha's teachings as the ultimate truth, you will be confident in your spirituality. You'll know you're a stream-enterer when you're practicing Buddhism because you know it's the right thing to do, not because you feel like you should to fit in. If you're struggling to get rid of lingering doubts or insecurities, find a guru or teacher to help guide you and answer any questions you have about what you're learning.

Move to the 2nd stage of enlightenment by releasing the 3 poisons. This stage is known as Sakadagami, or "Once-returner." In it, you'll let go of the 3 poisons, which are greed, anger, and ignorance. To do this, be mindful of when you're having poisonous thoughts, and then free yourself of those thoughts instead of dwelling on them. You can practice giving to overcome greed, empathy and compassion to overcome anger, and observing karma to overcome ignorance. You can also overcome greed by doing more service, like by volunteering in the community or helping others.

Eliminate attachment to sexual desires to reach the 3rd stage. Known as Anāgāmi or "Non-returner," this is the stage when you not only continue to calm your mind, you also are able to control impure thoughts and lust. Note that you don't have to forego sex or pretend you have no desires. The goal is to stop being obsessed with those desires. An easy way to do so is by practicing observation and imagination of our body simply as a vessel of blood, flesh, skeleton, pus, phlegm, urine and feces under a thin layer of skin. This method is particularly very helpful in resisting temptations. Buddha described in many sutras about the details of how our body decays and decomposes after we die as a mean to overcome greed over human body. Meditating on purity every day can help tame sexual thoughts. Some Buddhists do choose to be completely celibate to help prevent any attachment to lust or fantasies.

Reach nirvana by accepting the idea of no-self. No-self means that you are not a soul or identity, but rather a temporary existence formed by mental and physical parts. This stage is about letting go of ego and selfishness. Be patient if you don’t understand no-self completely. It’s a very abstract concept that can take years to grasp. As all sentient beings have the same buddhahood by nature, we are all equal by nature. You can practice the observation of karma and recognise the fact that everything as an unity to gradually achieve no-self. Nirvana also requires a very advanced meditation practice. Focus only on the sensation of your breath to completely clear your mind of all thoughts and achieve this state. A convenient way for people in this era to achieve this state is by substituting all wandering thoughts with one single yet powerful thought - Amitabha Buddha. Shakyamuni Buddha has foreseen that we egoistic people in this era are impossible to achieve the state without the help from a buddha who has yet to enter nirvana. He described in the Buddha Speaks of Infinite Life Sutra (Sukhāvatī-vyūhaḥ-sūtra) how Amitabha Buddha made 48 vows to help all sentient beings attain buddhahood in the most convenient and effective ways.