The Proper Lifestyle for Practicing Buddhism

　Not necessarily; it depends on the situation. While one should abandon meaningless enjoyment as a lifestyle, reasonable enjoyment can be maintained. What does this mean? There is a saying: “A Buddha statue needs a layer of gold; a person needs proper attire.” The layer of gold is to inspire sentient beings; attire should be proper according to one’s role. A person’s lifestyle reflects their status, position and perspective. In situations where one needs to conform to the occasion with dignity and etiquette, if one’s means allows, one can show proper bearing and solemnity. Yet one should not indulge in luxury when resources are limited, finances are weak, or the social environment is depressed. Even if a person were wealthy, they could still forsake enjoyment to be in harmony with the public during difficult times. Mahatma Gandhi of India was an example of this. 　On certain occasions, for common courtesy or safety or to meet with dignitaries, one may need to dress formally according to time of day and use private transportation. In Japan and the West, there are dress codes for funerals, weddings, and various formal gatherings, and working or casual attire is obviously not appropriate. Therefore, dressing according to the occasion is not considered enjoyment. 　Karma, the law of cause and effect, is highly emphasized in Buddhism. One’s well-being in life is retribution for the cumulative acts from previous lives. So, partaking in pleasure and enjoyment is like withdrawing money from one’s own bank account – the more one withdraws, the less balance remains. Eventually the account will be depleted. The more pleasure one partakes in, the fewer blessings remain; eventually one could use up all the blessings. Therefore, a person who enjoys good fortune in this life should cherish their blessings, and continue cultivating blessings, to eventually arrive at the full bliss of virtue as well as good fortune. It is not en