Why should one learn Buddhism?

(The following is adapted from Master Tam’s writing)

Many people will be interested to find the answer.
From the ultimate meaning, one can reply: because one wishes to attain liberation and become
the Buddha. However, this answer may not be interested for those who have never learned
anything about Buddhism. Hence Master Tam explains from our worldly perspective: if one
wishes to live freely, one has to know Buddhism and practice, too.
To enter Buddhism, one has to start with a correct view. For instance, Buddhists talk about
“emptiness”. So what does it mean? If one equates emptiness with nothing, this is an incorrect
view. If one thinks everything has no intrinsic nature thus this lack of intrinsic nature is emptiness,
this is also wrong! To correctly understand emptiness, we have to discuss from the ultimate point
of view which is beyond the scope of these few lines. Here we can only say with the correct view
of emptiness and apply this in everyday lives, one can live freely. At least in this world with
confused affairs, one can have a decisive view. This is called the “first thought” in Zen Buddhism
or “no thought” in the Nyingma School.
Master Tam then illustrates with his past experience on the international gold market years ago
when he found that everyday lives and contemplative practices can supplement each other
rather than conflicting. He made many important decisions based on the first thought for buying
in or out in the gold market. Whenever news he received, he contemplated emptiness without
any actual analysis, then like the shimmer of the holy light, he instantly got a decision. Master
Tam shared this experience to explain one can learn Buddhism even with a very busy modern life.
The Zen school emphasizes a lot on learning Buddhism through daily lives. Many case studies are
presented as the “ordinary mind” which means everyday routine activities. Zen in daily lives is
living as it is and not bounded by various notions and conceptions. Like one famous Zen case
when the Zen master was asked to explain the Buddhist meanings, he would tell the enquirer to
take tea. Tea is just part of everyday routine and a method of practicing the ordinary mind.
Tantrayana is similar. Master Tam recalls his experience of learning from Dudjom Rinpoche (of
the Nyingma School) many years ago. Dudjom Rinpoche found Master Tam feeling uneasy in the
private Buddhist lesson and knew Master Tam had the custom of smoking so he asked the lamas
to provide an ash tray for Master Tam in the lesson. This sounds inconceivable from our
conventional thinking but for Dudjom Rinpoche, this is just ordinary. The key is whether one is
confined within notions and conceptions in life: bounded by which one just adheres to
conceptuality but free from these one lives with an ordinary mind.
Hence this is why we learn Buddhism. In brief, without Buddhism we cannot have a correct view
and practices to free ourselves from notions and conceptions and to live with mastery of life.
However, this does not mean we can do anything outrageously and disregard any conventional
rule. If one has a strong intention to negate or rebel against notion or conception, this intention
will become another notion or conception. The correct conduct does not adhere onto any
conception!
This is only a very brief introduction. The view and practices of Buddhism need to be discussed
in much more details.