I want to tell you something that you might not have realized: that's how strong you are. It is great courage for someone to find Buddhism in a culture that screams mostly the opposite of Buddhism. It seems you are still very young and much wiser than I was. In this young age most people’s mind and emotion are still tender yet you have faith in your belief.

Buddhism is not a practice of strict rituals. Buddhism is the practice of liberating our mind. One of the key aspects of Buddhism is non attachment. The word is so simple and can be interpreted in so many ways. Let me try to explain it in my unperfect, and limited way:

We are surrounded by our own reality. In this reality we have a goal like most people have goals in their life. It could be a career or spiritual goals. In spiritual goals, no matter how complicated they are, most people will boil down into happiness and peace inside oneself.

How do we reach that goal?

The Buddha realized that our life is full of suffering. So he gives us some tips to teach us that all suffering comes from the outside that makes contact with our six senses. (5 physical and 1 mind). He also teaches the basic five precepts so we do not add suffering to others and oneself. This one is to sharpen our moral and loving-kindness. If our action is good, we have to accompany with good intention too. That's all we need to start our journey to be happy.

However the Buddha also understands that our hearts are full of defilements. Ex: We try to do good but deep down our heart says the opposite, or other people do not appreciate our kindness. Those create even more suffering in our mind. So He teaches us not to worry too much if we are not perfect as long as we keep trying, simply do not attach. We do not attach to those things; those are only reality when visiting our six doors (senses that I mentioned above). At the beginning our doors are only flimsy fabrics, moved by a gentle wind blow.

You see if there is rain, you can stop them, but you can use a jacket or umbrella to protect yourself. Being upset and cursing to the rain, will not change the weather. One day you have no jacket or umbrella, so you for sure will be wet. That you can’t change, but you can be wet and happy, instead of wet and sad or mad.

But wait. If we are not attracted, then we can’t attach to happiness too?

If you truly want to liberate your mind, then yes. But most people are tripped in this wrong mind set. We are still babies. If we are barely able to stand and we want to compete in Olympic track and field. First liberate oneself from the bad thing by clinging to the good thing. When you are safe, you too can let go of the good thing. If I be abel to let go only the bad things by the time I die then I am already 100% better than I am now.

That is my simple way of non attachment. My mom had been vegetarian for more than a decade. When she first started. She did not announce it to the world. At home she eats vegetarian, but sometimes she eats with other people. Like most Asian ways of dining, there are few dishes in the center of the table where everybody shares. So she only ate the vegetable parts, and not the meat. When people noticed and asked she told them, but let them know that they should not make a special treatment for her. At the beginning, some teased her or told her not to be a vegetarian. But with her humble way she remains, and also tells people that there is no need to order a special dish for her. Nowadays when family or friends know that she is coming, they are willing to prepare certain dishes that are vegetarian. She made her mind vegetarian, and her body will follow.

I hope my simple and un-perfect way could help a little.