It should always be ground, no matter what you are smoking it out of. It just works better. However, you do have to smoke it differently: Generally, if smoking with more than one person, the bowl will cherry, and you do not need to relight it many times. If you do so, that is a waste. If smoking alone, get something flat you can rest on top of the bowl, and it'll be extinguished very quickly, not wasting any. My friend uses a piece of leather, and it works well for him. I use the top of my grinder (metal, burning isn't an issue) but make sure whatever you use is heatproof.

If you grind the bud, pull more slowly, otherwise it can pull through. Doing this will get you a much bigger hit. You don't need to light it for a long time, once the bud is lit, remove the lighter. If you start at the side of a bowl, and cherry til the end (or very close to it) the fire will gradually move across the bowl. It lasts forever, and its called "cornering the bowl." I used to not grind, then I bought a grinder. I'm never going back.

Edit - stupid typos