“Look within. Thou art the Buddha.”
~ Buddha
For some reason, I was fascinated with the clouds over Hans Lollick this morning. Maybe it’s because the one cloud looks so much like an elephant to me. Funny that my pipe dream is to create an elephant sanctuary on Hans Lollick, should I ever win the lottery. Hey, maybe it’s a sign that I should go pick up a ticket today LOL !! But besides the elephant, do you see the little man in prayer?
So yesterday, I had a friend graciously write me, to thank me for spreading positivity. (You are very welcome!) They also wrote that they were kicking themselves for not having taken more classes or engaged in more self learning …
So I ask, why not today?
It’s never too late to begin the path towards self discovery and faith. You see, this was part of the problem for me too. I felt I had no where to go, because I couldn’t quite embrace my own spirituality. And it was very lonely. Painful. And what I’ve learned over these past four years of inquiry, is that there really is nothing more important. I believe the level of peace which one will feel in our final days is in direct proportion to the amount of questioning that we’ve done, the searching within and without. And what you will find is that whatever you believe, there are others that share that same belief. You won’t feel so alone anymore …. Whatever beliefs ring true for you …
Buddha taught: “Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense. Believe nothing merely because you have been told it. Do not believe what your teacher tells you merely out of respect for the teacher. But whatsoever, after due examination and analysis, you find to be kind, conducive to the good, the benefit, the welfare of all beings — that doctrine believe and cling to, and take it as your guide.”
This statement has been very freeing for me. It asks me to seek. That is all.
And it has been with much joy, that I have explored many traditions, and come to appreciate the teachings of so many great prophets …
Ed & Debbie Shapiro write: In the seeking of such meaning, religion and spirituality come together. Spirituality highlights qualities such as caring, kindness, compassion, tolerance, service and community, and, in its truest sense, so does religion. But where religion is defined by its tradition and teachings, spirituality is defined by what is real in our own experience, arising from an inner search within ourselves, the finding of our own truth. Where religion tends to breed separation — my religion vs. your religion, my God is the only real God, my ethics are better than yours, etc. — spirituality sees all people as equal. We are not an “ism” or a label, we are spiritual beings whose purpose is to awaken to our true nature. Buddha wasn’t a Buddhist, Jesus wasn’t a Christian. The great ones didn’t create a religion, they just said to look within. They recognized the truth that is always here, always present, but so easily forgotten.”
Did you know that there are at least 21 “major” religions practiced in the world today (and then many divisions even within those)? No doubt you are familiar with the various Christian traditions. Even Buddhists have differing schools and traditions: Theravadan, Mahayana, Soto Zen, Rinzai Zen, Vajrayana (Tantra), and Pure Land. What about Islam, Hindu, Baha, Jainism, Wicca, or even Rastafarian Yes, I’ve delved into all of them …
Beliefnet.com is a great place to start … “Even if YOU don’t know what faith you are, Belief-O-Matic knows. Answer 20 questions about your concept of God, the afterlife, human nature, and more, and Belief-O-Matic will tell you what religion (if any) you practice…or ought to consider practicing.”
Take the Belief-O-Matic Quiz here:
http://www.beliefnet.com/Entertainment/Quizzes/BeliefOMatic.aspx
Feeling more like delving into some more metaphysical realms? Here’s another resource I ran across just this morning …
http://www.spiritual-endeavors.org/spiritual.htm
So how about today? Dig in … There’s a whole spiritual world out there, just waiting for you to come and explore … ❤
