6/10/05

I always considered my in-laws to be “non-practicing” Buddhists. They know the monks in the M-Town temple; they have them over for blessings for marriages, births, moving to a new home, and deaths; yet they don’t go to the temple on a regular basis or do any other type of weekly ritual to show their faith. A few times a year, they will put food out for their departed family members, but I never thought they were devout. Since being in this class, I have come to realize that their lack of ritual shows their devoutness. If you were to ask them what religion they are, they wouldn’t be able to tell you. They don’t know it as a religion; they know it as a way of life. I understand now that living their lives is the best way to show their devoutness to Buddha. They are experiencing life and are not caught up in ritual or anything that they have to do.

I have realized through this class that I am further along my path than I thought I was and I am that far because I haven’t been thinking about where I am on the path. I’m just continuing on my path without regard to where I have been or how much I have learned. I am just experiencing the learning and the passing of time. I have also realized that I only say things like “God”, “hell” or whatever the case may be because that is what some people understand. I have realized that I do not have to believe in anything to follow my path. It’s hard to put these thoughts into words.

In regards to other religions, specifically the Baptist since that is what I know, I never understood how they could talk about the things you have to believe in order to be “saved” when the Bible states that you have to “have faith like a child” to get to heaven. Doesn’t that imply that you don’t have to believe in anything? Children accept things as they are without having to believe in it or understand it yet “Christians” are constantly saying that a person has to believe in “God”, believe Jesus died on the cross for their sins, and believe that He (Jesus) is the only way to get salvation. That seems too difficult for a child to grasp to me. They also state that “salvation is not of works” yet they constantly try to show their faith by the things they do: saying the sinner’s prayer, going to church every time the door is open, some women don’t wear pants, some don’t go to movies, some don’t listen to anything except religious music, and they go “soul-winning” where they go door to door trying to get people to their church and to say the “sinner’s prayer”. Isn’t that just works?

I have finally come to the realization that I have been looking for a label that encompasses my thoughts regarding life and “religion” and I have also realized that I no longer need a label. My thoughts are what they are, nothing more, and nothing less. I don’t have to believe in anything. Beliefs are hard to change when you, as a person, grow and change. It’s hard to let go of a belief, but thoughts and ideas change and expand as a person learns more through their experiences.