Buddha woke you up? lets hear!

When I was a teen, I was so obsessed with being cool and having things. One summer I volunteered as a tour guide at my local Buddhist temple. I was just volunteering for the hours that I needed for my high school.

Being there, seeing how the monks lived, and how all the volunteers were so at peace. I decided to actually read the leaflets, and books.

I just can't even explain it. I was still myself, but I felt so new. So at peace, just from knowledge in those books. I started to live differently, but so much better.

I am often conflicted on how to explain Buddhism, because I do not worship any Buddhist gods. I feel as though it is more than that.

 

Buddhism is special to me because the power of "god" is yourself. Every other religion says you are nothing and only something if you worship this man who is already god. A Christian will never say you will be the same as Jesus yet as a Buddhist you can one day be Buddha if you work hard enough. Because you are from god you are god. To say this is not evil it is the truth. You also have the light and knowladge.

I was an atheist until I read about Buddha. Actually an atheist on a very dark path. I was into black metal and did many things that to me were just a way to make clear to Christians I did not agree with them. Things I now view as actuly attracting negative energy and just not productive to my goals. I often thought of suicide and revenge on those who wronged me. I knew other kids at my school thought I would be a school shooter. Some had even told me, kind of brave when you think I might get pissed and specifically shoot you no? I loved the idea that I scared them and I loved the Columbine kids. I lived close to that school and at the time they were so cool to me.

Right about the time I began to question this I met a Buddhist. I knew of Buddha before that but I assumed it would be stupid. But at that time in my life I knew I was not happy and part of me knew I was living my life wrong. Buddhism gave me answers that made sense. Answers that acknowledged science and the idea that society changes so maybe what is considered correct also can with new information. All of the sudden I felt so much better about myself and the world. I think deep down I was looking for something beyond dealing with everything with hate upon hate. I certainly was not that angry teen as a child. Being a Buddhist helped me restore that child like love and belief.

Am I at that point of true Nirvana? No I still have short comings espeicly when I encounter people who I see as still being ignorant and on selfish paths of hate and their own selfish interest. But I feel better knowing they too have Buddha nature and one day will grow too.

 

Thank you for your reply. It's beautiful to hear how the teachings have touched your life.

Self empowerment is a wonderful feeling. I was also drawn to Buddhism by the adaptation of what is true, after it is proven. We must remain flexible, and not cling to wrong ideas.

 

After I left Christianity about five years ago, I started learning about Buddhism, and found so many positive aspects of it. I consider myself spiritual now, not leaning towards any one particular label or religion, and still follow some of the teachings within Buddhism. Not clinging to material things, even people, has really helped me stay focused on the present moment. It has helped me to be more peaceful as opposed to just seeking out fleeting moments of happiness. There are different paths one can follow in Buddhism, and you can pour your own identity into it as opposed to having it strip you of who you really are. Just my views of how it's shaped my life so far.

 

My sister (who was #1 in the lease) and family was evicted from our town house somewhere around 2006 and we bought 2 trailers and moved them to a campground since no one will rent to people who had been previously evicted. There wa a Buddhist monestery on top of the mountain our campground was at and a trail leading up to their shrine. There was nothing else to do in summer but climb the trail and there were always these notes they left in the forest around the trail that said all kinds of cryptic stuff.....I googled every one I found and eventually found all sorts or Buddhist rhetoric that I spent entirely too long reading. These days—I see a psichiatrist and he says I have OCD. The last guy gave me antipsychotic meds...but I think I am just enlightened.

Cest la vie.

 

Thats all lovely, and I agree with you

But another way of saying that is: all religions are fucking dumb, just that Buddhism is the least dumb religion

Adversion to materilism, just happens naturally anyway as you get older. Rationalize spending 50 grand on a sports car and it just ends up in your head as the amount of time you cant retire earlier or the 50 grand plus compound interest over however many years - so 80 grand thats not going to be there when you are 70 when you need it so you are not living off cat food.

And as a guy, one is just thinking with their dick when younger, pretend you have wisdom because you dont think with your dick as much. No one really gets wiser, they get more cautious, but they dont really know shit

I mean really, what is so ground breaking about the four noble truths? You want something, you are going to have to pay for it with time and or money, might not be worth it in the end, might end up giving you the shits, If someone actually needs to explain that shit to another, maybe thats the actual problem


But after saying all that, all the Buddhist countries, there is certainly a whole different vibe going on, which cant be explained just by Buddhism, but its got something to do with it. I holiday exclusively in them nowadays. Getting really fed up with the western mindset