My very dear one,
Regarding your question about how to spread Buddhism to people, there are different ways, but according to my observations, it depends very much on the people. For instance, university students use reasoning, not just faith, so for educated people one needs to explain Buddhist philosophy, especially about the mind. For instance: What is the absolute nature of the mind and the conventional nature of the mind?
You can present the ultimate nature of mind, emptiness, the clear light, the nature of the Buddha, which means the potential to be fully enlightened, which is free from all the defilements, gross and subtle, and which has all the qualities and all realizations. This is how you can liberate all numberless sentient beings from all sufferings and their causes and bring them to full enlightenment. You may need to study this a little, so you’ll need to read books on these subjects.
Then you can present the conventional nature of the mind, which means the mind and its functions, what the mind can do, also reincarnation, the mind that continues from life to life, how the body stops but the mind continues. For example, it is like the flame of a butter lamp—when the wax burns down you pour in new wax, but the flame still continues. Or, it is like when you light one candle from another, using the flame and then the flame continues. It is similar regarding the continuation of the mind. This doesn’t mean that one’s past life is in the present now, it doesn’t mean that. One’s past life happened and one’s future life will happen. Then you can teach subjects like karma. All these subjects are regarding the conventional nature of mind. These are deeper ways to introduce Buddhism.
A short way to introduce Buddhism is you can say, like His Holiness the Dalai Lama always says: The view of Buddhism is dependent arising and the conduct is not to harm others, and on that basis to benefit others.
One very special thing about Buddhism is compassion, toward not only poor people, but also rich people, without discrimination, white or Black or any other nationality, for all human beings, any type, in numberless universes. There is also compassion for every single animal and insect, for the tiniest creature that you can see only in a microscope, for other beings that ordinary people are not aware of. There is also compassion for every hell being. hungry ghost, worldly god, and many other beings. There is compassion for all other sentient beings. The aim is to have compassion for everyone, not only for one’s friends, but for one’s enemy, those who harm you, too. We also have compassion for strangers; for those who are devoted to and worship Buddha and for those who do not believe in Buddha, for everyone. We aim to stop harming others and to benefit others, because nobody wants to suffer and everyone wants happiness—this is just a basic reason.
This goes back to the main philosophy of Buddhism—that everything is a dependent arising, whether permanent phenomena or impermanent phenomena. Everything exists in mere name, merely imputed by the mind, therefore everything is empty of independence, of existing from its own side, from inherent existence. This is the ultimate nature of everything, and everything is functioning; everything exists and is functioning while it is empty, functioning in mere name. This last part might be a bit hard for people to understand unless they have a lot of merit.
Then, you can also explain about the Four Noble Truths. This is a basic teaching on how to end your suffering, which means how to end the cause of suffering—delusion and karma. The cause of suffering is delusion and karma and this can be ended. How? Because there is a true path. Buddhism explains very clearly how to proceed on the path.
Not only Buddha achieved liberation, which is the cessation of all sufferings and their causes, by actualizing the path, but numberless great yogis, holy beings, and Buddhist scholars also achieved the path, not just on blind faith, but through analysis of the Buddha’s teachings. They achieved total liberation and full enlightenment. The root of this was generating great compassion for all sentient beings.
This gives you a wide view of Buddhism, an idea of how you can begin and finish the path quickly, how to liberate beings from all sufferings and to achieve great liberation, perfect bliss. Then you are fully qualified to liberate all numberless sentient beings from all sufferings and bring them to full enlightenment. I think this gives people faith and a general picture of Buddhism.
These things go into the very foundation and details, are the basis for the Four Noble Truths, the nature of mind, the function of the mind, reincarnation, and karma. The very important thing is that you read many books by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, public talks, and many books about Buddhist philosophy. Listen to and study His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s public talks and general talks, and you will learn many things and how to explain things to people, how to give advice for life.
These are good books as well, the first three are my books:
These might help people who have problems; it is like medicine for their minds.
Also, there are Lama Yeshe's books, lamrim books, lojong books, A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life by Shantideva, Advice for Life—these are sayings of the Buddha, and any book by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Generally, in your daily life, you can bring compassion into conversations, with children and adults, with anybody, as much as possible. This reminds you and reminds others.
With much love and prayers...
