On facebook I make a random journal entry about what I'm thinking currently. I publish it with a link to a song from an under rated musician. What I've spoken about lately is spirituality and healing being important themes in my life. This specific post talks about the willingnes to change and forget any guilt. On Friday's I listen to Tina Turners' Beyond Children' album to feed my spiritual appetite. When I'm fed spirituality the right way, I feel like my 'inner light' has been filled. Because I'm doing a community play now, life has been hectic. I've done mantra's repetively during walks to work to make up for lost time with zazen. Being backstage gets everybodies adrenaline running, so I do qi gong and zazen backstage before going on stage! Here is my thoughts on changing to be a Buddhist in the modern world:
In my life experience, people asked me 'what religion are you?'. In the past, I represented who I am by wearing mala beads. The question of religion became, 'what kind of Buddhist are you, Sean?'. People told me, 'Buddhists don't have girlfriends, can eat meat, blah, blah, blabbity, blah'. I actually surprise people when I swear. Tae Kwon-do practice beat the foul language out of me. They say that you get buried in the religious tradition grandma followed. I fear people will try to convert me at the end of my life to save my soul. For one reason I think it's disrespectful to deny somebody their own spiritual needs. If you think about it, how did grandma become a Christian? How did the family become Anglican?
I like to think the minister who made my family Anglican was a Buddhist. I was raised to be Christian, somehow I turned out Buddhist. In Buddhism, we talk about the cycle of samsara. You could be reborn in a good rebirth guaranteed you let go, loved well, and gave generously. Using my own spiritual judgment using life experience, it would make sense to believe something so weird. My life is not your run of the mill go to school, get married and have kids. The people of The Winnipeg Dharma Centre are inherently Jewish. Lama Gerry was asked questions about reincarnation by a boy scout one Tuesday evening. He stuck with his answer, '(Dharma is not concerned with the afterlife) I don't know what happens when we die. Let's find out in the ending credits, okay?'.
Dad even bought me 'The Teachings of the Buddha' when I was a teenager. He asked me (as an adult), 'why do you like those Asian traditions?'. The answer might be he converted me to Buddhism by giving me that book. I believe that everything fell into place for me in this life, with my life experience, I'm able to decide what's right for me. What I like about Buddhism is that it emphasizes not having blind faith in an idea no matter how tried and true. You have to observe the universe through your own lens to get a fair judgment. The Dalai Lama said 'you don't need to be a Buddhist, to know how to breathe'. If I decide I don't want to be a Buddhist, I can make my own decision to change. Sadhu.
In my life experience, people asked me 'what religion are you?'. In the past, I represented who I am by wearing mala beads. The question of religion became, 'what kind of Buddhist are you, Sean?'. People told me, 'Buddhists don't have girlfriends, can eat meat, blah, blah, blabbity, blah'. I actually surprise people when I swear. Tae Kwon-do practice beat the foul language out of me. They say that you get buried in the religious tradition grandma followed. I fear people will try to convert me at the end of my life to save my soul. For one reason I think it's disrespectful to deny somebody their own spiritual needs. If you think about it, how did grandma become a Christian? How did the family become Anglican?
I like to think the minister who made my family Anglican was a Buddhist. I was raised to be Christian, somehow I turned out Buddhist. In Buddhism, we talk about the cycle of samsara. You could be reborn in a good rebirth guaranteed you let go, loved well, and gave generously. Using my own spiritual judgment using life experience, it would make sense to believe something so weird. My life is not your run of the mill go to school, get married and have kids. The people of The Winnipeg Dharma Centre are inherently Jewish. Lama Gerry was asked questions about reincarnation by a boy scout one Tuesday evening. He stuck with his answer, '(Dharma is not concerned with the afterlife) I don't know what happens when we die. Let's find out in the ending credits, okay?'.
Dad even bought me 'The Teachings of the Buddha' when I was a teenager. He asked me (as an adult), 'why do you like those Asian traditions?'. The answer might be he converted me to Buddhism by giving me that book. I believe that everything fell into place for me in this life, with my life experience, I'm able to decide what's right for me. What I like about Buddhism is that it emphasizes not having blind faith in an idea no matter how tried and true. You have to observe the universe through your own lens to get a fair judgment. The Dalai Lama said 'you don't need to be a Buddhist, to know how to breathe'. If I decide I don't want to be a Buddhist, I can make my own decision to change. Sadhu.
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