Atheist Turned Believer

 It should be obvious by now that what we're discussing is not easy, not the least because we've stated as much several times.  In all my research, I've yet to run into any author who thought it was possible to achieve nirvana through private effort.  There is a unanimous consensus that the pupil must seek out a teacher, rabbi, imam, sensei, lama, daozhang, or guru.  And, where will one find these wise people?  Short of entering a monastery, one's best bet is to find a place of common worship where adherents meet en masse, then listening carefully to the membership and picking out the pieces of Truth held by each.  This is, as far as I can ascertain, the main reason for church attendance.  Many people are not fond of church attendance, nor was I for many years, both when I believed and disbelieved.  It is necessary, however, and it is necessary to avoid entering any of the congregation's cliques when doing so, because one never knows in whom wisdo...

I have of late been talking exclusively about my journey toward peace and tranquility, but how does one apply the concepts in the real world (if we are to assume this world is real)?  For this, we again turn to Buddhism.  I should point out that the principles being discussed are not Buddhist, per se.  They can be found in the Ten Commandments.  The are easily noticed in the words of Confucius, Mohamed and Christ.  They are even echoed in the atheist writings of Marx and Nietzsche. We use the Buddhist method because, while all these others make reference and allusion to the principles, it was the Buddhists who systematized them.  We've already examined the Three Immutable Facts of Impermanence, Suffering and Emptiness.  We've looked at the Four Noble Truths that (1) life is suffering, (2) suffering is caused by desire, (3) suffering ends when we let go of desire, and (4) the way to end desire can be found along the Eightfold Path.  So, what is the...

 "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Romans 12:2 (NKJV)  I've commented before in this blog that meditation can lead to new insights in interpreting Scripture, and this verse serves as a prime example.  Everyone that I've ever heard expound on this verse interprets the first clause the same way.  Everyone seems to think that it means to turn one's spiritual back on the world, and they define this back-turning in one of two ways: either to grow more conservative and refuse to "conform" to the evils of liberalism, or to grow more liberal and refuse to "conform" to the oppressiveness of conservatism.   Each faction, of course, believes their own interpretation to be right (and their opponents' wrong), and both sides can easily point out their extreme differences and irreconcilable divergences. I heartily disagree.  ...

 This morning, I found my cushion, sat down and started counting breaths.  I became one with the earth, one with the sky, one with the universe and finally one with the Creator. I immediately started to consider Matthew 5:48: "Be perfect, even as your Father in Heaven is perfect."  I began to pray "Lord, I want to be perfect like you." Then I heard the still, quiet voice in my head.  "What's stopping you?" As an aside, I know a lot of people talk about the voice of God being powerful, authoritative, omniscient.  I don't doubt it.  But the voice I hear, for better or worse, is usually sarcastic.  I have a lot of fun with God. I started enumerating my many shortcomings, for they are legion.  I thought of all the bad habits that, no matter how aware I become, no matter how I promise myself to do better, no matter how annoyed with myself I get, I just keep falling back into them.  I cried out, "I am so weak!"  To which God responded, "Th...