1/11/11!
First off: HAPPY BELATED NEW YEAR LIVEJOURNAL!
Second off: I GOT INTO MY FIRST CHOICE COLLEGE! Washington College! I'm going and I'm so excited. Not exactly sure what I want to major in (I'm keeping an open mind here), but I'm leaning towards Creative Writing and/or Earth Science/Geology, in pursuit of Paleontology. C8 Dinosaurs ftw.
Researching Buddhism for my English paper is making me want to seriously convert to Buddhism. The more I read about it the more I like it. I never disliked it, I just had never read about it in depth. There's no ceremony to join; you just start, and stay with your own self discipline, which in my opinion is much more satisfying than just staying in a religion for fear of God/Hell/etc. Buddhism doesn't even have a god, and is more of a way to live one's life than a religion. You follow Buddha's teachings to pursue enlightenment and happiness. No threats, no forcing, no invisible man in the sky telling you what to think or how to live your life just because he said so. The closest thing they have to a god is the Dalai Lama, but he is a living, breathing person you can walk up to and physically touch and talk to. Buddhism even allows people to practice other religions alongside it. You can be a Christian, a Jew, or a Muslim, and still practice Buddhism with no conflicts.
I've always liked Buddhism from the first time I heard about it. My first impression of it was extremely striking. I was young enough then to only believe in heaven and hell because it was the easiest way to explain what happened after death to me. I was watching (I believe it was) Seven Years in Tibet for a history class, and one scene in particular I remember vividly. A foreigner had enlisted the help of some Buddhist monks in building something. Construction was taking forever, and when the foreigner finally asked what was taking so long, a monk showed him a worm. The monk told him they had to dig slowly, with their bare hands, so they wouldn't kill any worms or insects they came across. It's the only scene I remember from that movie.
I feel like some of the more simple teachings of Buddhism have always been in the back of my mind. I got myself out of a deep depression several years ago by simply stopping thinking about the negative aspects of my life, and refusing to let myself get angry or frustrated anymore. I only focused on getting through each moment, step by step, closer to something better. Any negative thoughts that nagged at me I simply let go into a journal. I told myself as soon as the thoughts were written into the journal, I would not linger on them any longer and move on.
I was shocked at how well this strategy worked, and still use it. I've gotten much better at simply letting go of negative emotions and thoughts - I no longer need a journal to empty them into. My view of life changed when I changed, for the positive.
This is in no way Buddhism in its purest form, but when I started browsing the internet to pick a research topic, I was astonished at how closely my standards of living and morals aligned with Buddhism. What impressed me even more was that Buddhism actually discourages following things blindly. A true Buddhist spends his or her life contemplating the real meaning of the Four Noble Truths, among other teachings. It is impossible to truly follow Buddha's teachings if one gives them no thought and just accepts them. Even more, my unwavering belief in science is in no way compromised with Buddhism, something I have always disliked about other major religions (specifically Christianity, as I've been more exposed to it). Buddhism gives me something that no other religion does: reasonable teachings that do not force me to make compromises or sacrifices in my life, and a religious figure that is palpable.
... Not trying to be preachy here! D: Buddhism just really intrigues me at the moment. I'll see how I feel 8 weeks from now when the research paper is due, and only then will I make my decision. I don't agree with most religions, but I do respect each and every one of them and would hate to just start calling myself a Buddhist on a whim. It would be a discredit to true Buddhists.
tl;dr
Buddhism looks pretty awesome the more I read about it. I might even consider converting if I'm not sick of it by the time I'm finished a research paper on it that's due 8 weeks from now.
Second off: I GOT INTO MY FIRST CHOICE COLLEGE! Washington College! I'm going and I'm so excited. Not exactly sure what I want to major in (I'm keeping an open mind here), but I'm leaning towards Creative Writing and/or Earth Science/Geology, in pursuit of Paleontology. C8 Dinosaurs ftw.
Researching Buddhism for my English paper is making me want to seriously convert to Buddhism. The more I read about it the more I like it. I never disliked it, I just had never read about it in depth. There's no ceremony to join; you just start, and stay with your own self discipline, which in my opinion is much more satisfying than just staying in a religion for fear of God/Hell/etc. Buddhism doesn't even have a god, and is more of a way to live one's life than a religion. You follow Buddha's teachings to pursue enlightenment and happiness. No threats, no forcing, no invisible man in the sky telling you what to think or how to live your life just because he said so. The closest thing they have to a god is the Dalai Lama, but he is a living, breathing person you can walk up to and physically touch and talk to. Buddhism even allows people to practice other religions alongside it. You can be a Christian, a Jew, or a Muslim, and still practice Buddhism with no conflicts.
I've always liked Buddhism from the first time I heard about it. My first impression of it was extremely striking. I was young enough then to only believe in heaven and hell because it was the easiest way to explain what happened after death to me. I was watching (I believe it was) Seven Years in Tibet for a history class, and one scene in particular I remember vividly. A foreigner had enlisted the help of some Buddhist monks in building something. Construction was taking forever, and when the foreigner finally asked what was taking so long, a monk showed him a worm. The monk told him they had to dig slowly, with their bare hands, so they wouldn't kill any worms or insects they came across. It's the only scene I remember from that movie.
I feel like some of the more simple teachings of Buddhism have always been in the back of my mind. I got myself out of a deep depression several years ago by simply stopping thinking about the negative aspects of my life, and refusing to let myself get angry or frustrated anymore. I only focused on getting through each moment, step by step, closer to something better. Any negative thoughts that nagged at me I simply let go into a journal. I told myself as soon as the thoughts were written into the journal, I would not linger on them any longer and move on.
I was shocked at how well this strategy worked, and still use it. I've gotten much better at simply letting go of negative emotions and thoughts - I no longer need a journal to empty them into. My view of life changed when I changed, for the positive.
This is in no way Buddhism in its purest form, but when I started browsing the internet to pick a research topic, I was astonished at how closely my standards of living and morals aligned with Buddhism. What impressed me even more was that Buddhism actually discourages following things blindly. A true Buddhist spends his or her life contemplating the real meaning of the Four Noble Truths, among other teachings. It is impossible to truly follow Buddha's teachings if one gives them no thought and just accepts them. Even more, my unwavering belief in science is in no way compromised with Buddhism, something I have always disliked about other major religions (specifically Christianity, as I've been more exposed to it). Buddhism gives me something that no other religion does: reasonable teachings that do not force me to make compromises or sacrifices in my life, and a religious figure that is palpable.
... Not trying to be preachy here! D: Buddhism just really intrigues me at the moment. I'll see how I feel 8 weeks from now when the research paper is due, and only then will I make my decision. I don't agree with most religions, but I do respect each and every one of them and would hate to just start calling myself a Buddhist on a whim. It would be a discredit to true Buddhists.
tl;dr
Buddhism looks pretty awesome the more I read about it. I might even consider converting if I'm not sick of it by the time I'm finished a research paper on it that's due 8 weeks from now.