unconditional love  within a Christian context  cross pollination  sunsets  Fractal universe - one in many, many in one 

Researching into the endless developments of religion, religion seems to be one intimidating labyrinth...With corridors breaking off into dead ends and leading into other rival kingdoms...Catholics, Presbyterians, Evangelists etc.

In retrospect God has been many things. Recall into your past when the God you imagined looking down at you had been as changing and malleable as your beliefs and attitudes. Although you may exclusively adhere to one creed, your development of understanding has not ceased...you continue to grow, or at least you should...

I think the labyrinth of religion has mirrored our inner confusion, tangled with emotional and mental impasses and blocks of every kind. A religion is ours because it works for us...Supplies a need. We find solace in our religions. But the problem in attempting to convert others is convincing others of there NEED for your creed. It's like trying to shove a sphere through a square shaped hole, the need may not be there, they might need something else.

A person who has problems with anger, may need God to be angry and judgmental to justify their feelings. A person who is accepting and non-judgmental may need God to be like them, because if God isn't, then that would mean God is below the standards they hold for themselves. God is who we need God to be.

All need arises from pain. Buddha sparked his philosophy in his attempt to escape it. He NEEDED to.

But remember no one is right or wrong...Everyone walking according to their unique path for healing. This is all about learning.

In God's MERCY and LOVE he does intervene and rain down release and peace at times...

I remember when I knelt in front of the alter in total emotional agony. A friend walked behind me and put his hand on my shoulder...at that moment It felt as though gas was filling my insides, peace descended and my body relaxed. It was like I had taken a shot of morphine. The pain had gone...not totally but helped me move on with my life. But God can't do this all the time...Sometimes he needs to distance himself so we can find our own inner power, to flex our own muscles.

Buddhism for the most part is an escape religion, at least a lot of it taught in the NEW AGE material as pure gold information. Even the jokes are such downers...

Why did the Buddhist buy a happy meal at Mc. Donalds?

Because all life is suffering!

I don't know whether to laugh or cry and curl into a fetal position...

Emptiness is taught.

Non-attachment is taught, but the tenant that all life is suffering itself becomes an attachment...If they didn't have that attachment they wouldn't need to become Buddhist to escape it! And the Buddhist wouldn't need a happy meal to feel better.

If you are a Buddhist...I give you a bow. No disrespect...I just simply acknowledge the flaws of dogma in Buddhism just as there is dogma in Christianity. Both likewise have much to offer. And so I give you a Buddhist high five! (the emptiness you feel when you give someone a high five and miss) lol

Buddhism tells us we should accept our reality, like moving tranquility as a cloud we should float through life in unshakable peace. But we should not layer peace over pain. You can meditate and dissolve into nothing to escape your problems, but as soon as you awake your problems will still be there...By seeking a better feeling you are not accepting the moment. If you need to cry, then cry! IF you need to go ballistic then go ballistic! (provided that you don't hurt anybody)...

I just a month ago broke up with my girlfriend...For the first few days I decided to let it all out...No matter where I was. Which my body dictated to be in a restaurant! It was like in a comedy movie, where the comedian over acts his sorrow to make it funny...I literally was sobbing LOUD and blowing my nose in front of every one. I was looking at my meal going "WHY GOD?" "WHY?"...My terriake chicken wouldn't answer. So I cried some more.

I cried in the shower. I cried while driving. I cried while playing tennis. I have literally ran out of reasons to cry...I'm now almost totally empty. I cried out all the complaining, the disappointment, the resentment and soon I got to a place where I no longer had to fight the reality of the situation. I finally was able to feel the pain without judgment and watch it fade away. Every once in a while the sadness comes back, but it is no longer pain. I feel it, give it a hug, tell it thats just the way its has to be and send it on its way. Now I can see her in the future and totally be fine inside. I can love her but I don't NEED her. The NEED/PAIN has been flushed out.

This pain had been a valuable learning experience to me and I thank God by NOT being there to remove the sadness. Each time I cried I felt peace accompanied with a little bit of EMPOWERMENT...My peace was from me! Not from her, not from anything external. I found it, it is mine directly and thus no one can take it away.

In this acceptance I escaped suffering! This is true gold provided by Buddhism...It just needs to be more refined. You escape suffering by moving through it, not avoiding it.

If life gives you lemons, you turn it into delicious lemonade. Thats the Buddhist mentality that shouldn't be exclusively "Buddhist"...

So to be enlightened (or at least it helps in bringing us to enlightenment)...Be like a child. :)Be true to yourself and always do what you NEED. If you need to be mad, be mad. Maybe thats what Jesus meant when he said:

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

If you need to be sad, be sad! Go away from people and take time to fully feel your emotions to let them go, that way you won't be searching for external ways to make you feel better your whole life.

Enlightenment in a nut shell is freedom...Remaining pure, unstained, who you are NOW which is whoever you want to be. The past is the past, its over. And the enlightened person is over it. According to Buddhism the only constant is change...use its winds to carry you, not drag you. soar with bliss! Out with the old in with the new!

Enlightenment sounds like this...