It’s Called Enlightenment

Steve Hagen writes in his book, ‘Buddhism Plain and Simple:’

It’s called enlightenment. It’s nothing more or less than seeing things as they are rather than as we wish them to be.

A Journey Not Unlike Yours Perhaps

For as long as I can recall, I’ve been uneasy about my relationship to the Universe, to Creation, to Spirit, to God, to Whatever-You-Call-It.

It stems from my childhood; I was raised in a Southern Baptist protestant conservative tradition. And for a long time that was fine for me. I didn’t question anything I’d been taught.

I fully accepted the creation story, the Old Testament and the New Testament and believe Christianity to be the One True Way to fulfillment.

I taught bible study classes, preached a fair amount, and even had a mini-reputation as a singer-songwriter for a while. But that all changed when I went through a divorce.

Long story short, I lost nearly every friend (inside the church) that my ex-wife and I had and, to this day (some 2o+ years later), still get the cold shoulder from certain people I knew back then.

That really opened my eyes.

I began questioning the motives of people who rejected me based on something that had nothing to do with them. For years I thought it was my fault; that I was somehow not together enough, worthy enough…that I’d somehow screwed something up in life.

My questioning turned to the beliefs and experiences we shared. Were they somehow to blame? Was it the belief system that dictated their behavior?  That labeled me ‘unclean,’ to use the Biblical example, and therefore unworthy of friendship?

Then I questioned the belief itself. Maybe it wasn’t really worth believing. Based on the actions of some of the believers in my life, something suggested that the belief system, in this case the Christian church, might not be where I needed to be.

For Me, the Path is a Different One

For some, like those in my acquaintance who are dedicated to their spiritual path, the traditional is a great fit.  For me, it is no longer.

Like a shirt that’s too snug across the shoulders, I need something with more room.

I don’t need room to have things my own way, but room to explore, to question, to experience, to be me and not some cookie-cutter version of me.

Seeing Things As They Are

As my reading of Hagen’s book continues, I feel like there are layers of entrenched thinking patterns falling away from my mind. It’s not the first book on Buddhist thought I’ve read.  But it is the one I’m reading now and it’s affecting me in a noticeable way.

I’ve been drawn to Buddhist thought for years but have only begun to study it.  As I get older, there seems to be less urgency to ‘get it right’ and more meaning associated with ‘getting to the truth.’

Buddhist living appeals to me because it’s experience-based. It’s not a set of precepts and commandments to be rigidly adhered to. It’s not a hard and fast set of rules that must be kept.

It is simply a way of living in the moment and according to what is right for me.

“So, are you a Buddhist now?”

No. I’m not anything.

If it’s one thing I detest, it’s a label.  Labels attempt to categorize us into well-defined units. Who needs that? Not me.

As I study, learn, and experience more I hope to share them here with you.