Practicing the Basics of Buddhism as a Student
By Katie Tsuchimoto | She/her/hers | Eugene, OR | Tri-State Denver Buddhist Temple
October 15, 2022
As a student, time management is often difficult. It can be hard to find the time and motivation to attend temple services, participate in community activities, and dedicate time to your spirituality. After spending much of my childhood at temple, playing taiko, and volunteering for my home temple, I felt a lot of guilt in my first year of university. I stopped engaging in all temple and Buddhist activities. It’s hard to find time to practice our old habits in new environments.
One of the easiest ways to engage in our spirituality is through our mindset and the way we lead our lives.
The three main ideas I have been more cognizant of as a student are attachment to grades, balance (middle path), and right mindfulness. What I have found is that implementing a Buddhist-based mindset, rather than forcing myself to attend temple services and events, has been more beneficial to my mental health and work life balance.
Grades and Attachment
Academic validation is very important to many students, which can often foster a toxic learning experience and cause excessive suffering. The Four Noble Truths discuss the truth of the birth, existence, and death of suffering. One of the core concepts of the Buddhist religion is that attachment leads to suffering. When you put immense value in anything, it can lead to suffering.
When we place too much importance on our grades, and attach them to our worth, we often suffer. Striving for perfect grades and test scores can often be more harmful than beneficial, especially when other things are being sacrificed for them. Letting go of perfection and accepting average performance can lead to a healthier relationship with schooling.
Balance (Middle Path)
Letting go of our unhealthy relationship with grades can help us achieve a better work/life balance. Another important Buddhist teaching is the concept of the middle path. We shall not go to any extreme, as that can be too dangerous and detrimental. The best path to walk is in the middle.
We can interpret this in terms of having a work/life balance. We shall not expend all of our efforts on schoolwork (which leads to burnout), nor shall we not put in any work at all (which is a waste of resources and time). Finding our own middle path between the two extremes allows us to be free from the stress and anxiety surrounding the college experience.
Living in the Moment (Right Mindfulness)
Right mindfulness is all about having pure, kind thoughts while not falling too far into the past or looking too far ahead in the future. This encapsulates having a clear conscience, always thinking positively, and living within the present moment. The more we center ourselves in the moment, the more we can ease our suffering.
This concept of living in the moment relates heavily to the middle path. When we live too far in the future we can cause ourselves extra anxiety, and when we think too far in the past we can fall into self-hatred and a state of depression.
These three Buddhist fundamentals can foster a much healthier and happier headspace, which can be especially helpful for students.
It can be very difficult to change mental habits, but being cognizant of what we are wanting to change may foster change in itself.
This can also serve as a gentle reminder to take care of yourself during this difficult time as a student and give yourself grace about not being as engaged with temple activities as we were in the past. Just implementing some simple mindset changes can alter your experience as a student for the better.
In gassho,
Katie Tsuchimoto
