STUDENT:

What about people who have been practicing Buddhism and are now older? Should there be a difference in their approach to practice?

SHIH-FU:

As long-time practitioners get older, their practice should become more stable. There were likely many diversions when the practitioners were younger, making their practice inconsistent. There would have been times when practitioners had to put the practice aside to attend to other things. But as they get older, there are fewer things to attend to. Assuming practitioners have a solid foundation, practice should become more stable, with fewer interruptions. It is likely they will not stray from the practice.

Of course, these are generalizations. There are exceptions. As some get older, situations change in ways that make practice more difficult. For example, a person may get physically ill or exceedingly weak. On the other hand, some people get more energetic and high-spirited with age. Or, the environment may change and disrupt the practice.

Also, as people get older, they usually retire from their jobs. If a person has practiced Buddhism as a hobby all along, he or she may continue to view it that way after retirement, and keep it secondary while filling his or her spare time with a new primary interest.