Buddhism stands on three foundational legs: virtue, concentration (the meditation practices) and wisdom. The three are inextricable in their effect on each other; however, I’m going to approach your question today through the leg of meditation practice as over the last decade or so a tremendous amount of neuroscience has validated the practical benefits of meditation for mind and body.

I became a Buddhist suddenly as well as gradually. But let me back up and tell a relevant anecdote.

As I knew I’d be surrounded by plenty of experts while in Thailand this past April, I brought with me a backlog of Ask a Buddhist questions.

I think the quick answer you’d get from any school of Buddhism might be: slowly, with patient perseverance.

The Buddha addressed the topic of speech very directly and specifically.

Although he was an important reformer of Indian society and its religious practices, the Buddha’s concerns addressed the individual, not the fixing of social systems.