|
 Growing
in Love
Balanced Relationships
The Brahmacariya Community
The Breath of Life
Freedom and Independence
Freedom and Oppression
Making Desicions
Dhamma 101 Tutorial
|
|
Making Decisions
By: Amber Watson-Nancarrow [Poornima]
Buddhism. What is it? Some say it
is a religion. Some say it is a philosophy. Some say it is a way of
life.
There is no divine God to believe in. There aren't any Supreme
Beings to worship. Yet, it provides a path towards Emancipation.
That is, attainment of permanent happiness. Who is it that
gives us this Emancipation? Ourselves. So, what exactly does
it mean to be following Buddhism or to call oneself a Buddhist?
To
follow Buddism, you have to think. You have to decide for
yourself. Do the teachings make sense? Do I agree with them?
Are they something that I can practice? The Buddha suggested
to never accept anything simply because everyone accepts it to be
true, or because your culture, your society, or religion says it is
true.
To even know if the teachings make sense, you have to read the
teachings. So, read books about Buddhism. Familiarize yourself with
the teachings. Again, ask yourself: does it make sense, do I agree
with it, and can I practice it?
When you've decided that the
teachings make sense and that you can agree to them, then you need
to practice what you have been reading. Try it out in your
everyday life. At home. At work. Try it with the kids, a
spouse, family members, friends, or strangers. Experience the
impermanent nature of life. Discover the arising and passing ways of
your emotions. Practice nonattachment to worldly possessions.
Experience Buddhism. For yourself, that is.
Next, become involved.
Surround yourself with other people who are on the same path as you.
Discuss with them your experiences and questions. This doesn't mean
to abandon all previous relationships, but surely you can see the
importance of being around people who are on the same spiritual path
as yourself. For example, you can't expect to learn to play
piano from hanging around painters. If you wanted to become better
at playing piano, occasionally you would need to spend time
discussing piano with fellow piano practitioners. The same is with
Buddhism.
As you follow Buddhism, and Buddhism is beginning to make
more sense, you may then find yourself saying, "I'm a
Buddhist". Then you can decide: Is it your religion? Is
it your philosophy? Or is it your way of life? Perhaps, you'll
decide that it's all three.
|
