today a friend posed the question of how i became an 'accidental Buddhist'. truth is, nothing in my conscious being ever alerted me to the fact that i would one day find this eastern practice so naturally comforting.
as a child i was never exposed to other spiritual practices & was taught that ANYTHING outside of Christianity was 'pagan' worship. i faithfully attended church on sundays & bible class on wednesdays. i quoted scripture easily. i judged people who did not believe what i believed harshly.
i did all these things but God did not exist in my heart. not personally. not really. God was disposable.
then life shouted... my maternal Grandmother was diagnosed with lung cancer & began her transition from this world to the next. as i witnessed the Creator honoring my Grandmother's life by granting her every prayer until death, my Spirit opened to the quest of living life with honor.
i prayed a simple prayer. that God would show me how & where he resided in ME. i wanted to be healed. i wanted to be renewed. i had no idea of what course my life would take {and it has taken many, many turns/twists/dips} but i learned to have real faith... the kind i had never known before.
by shedding first what i didn't believe {Kelly, you're on the right track girl!} i was able to dig deep to discover my own spiritual truth & that knowing sustains me daily.
it exists when no one else understands it OR believes its presence/value in my life. i have learned that it is not important that i find perfect words to explain my belief. what is important is that i LIVE my belief daily. moment by moment.
by sheer volition Buddhism has forced me to embrace a life that is more Authentic. more real. more true. when i fall short, it prompts me to dust myself off & try again & again.
it is the path for me. i know this now more than ever before & as i look back over the past 14 years at where i am today, i know that its presence in my life was NO accident!
it was my Destiny!
Peace & OM!:-)
mechie >> please checkout the new skin on DonaAmechia.com ya'll... it is my most personal work yet!
Thank you for that answer, I loved the phrase "accidental Buddhist" and was very curious how that came to be. I think one section in your post in particular bears repeating, "it exists when no one else understands it OR believes its presence/value in my life. i have learned that it is not important that i find perfect words to explain my belief. what is important is that i LIVE my belief daily. moment by moment"...living it *is* so much more important than explaining it. I am certainly one to get hung up on words, writing is my first love, but some times it is important to even set that aside and simply be. Thanks for the reminder.
Posted by: Kelly | 18 January 2006 at 01:40 AM
Wow, hey you! I remember you from way back and now I've found you again. I always love that, and it seems to me that you're doing great. I'll be sure to be coming back....*xoxo* God bless!
Posted by: fran | 18 January 2006 at 06:17 PM
FIAH!
I like.
one of these days you and I will collaborate.
:)
Posted by: soul | 20 January 2006 at 02:30 PM
love you Mechie...I am happy that you have found what you were seeking. Many of us don't even take the necessary steps to elevate our conscious to a level where we can even begin to start searching for. I also continue to pray for your brother dear.
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many folks talk about faith but here is a man living it daily. a TRUE inspiration to all who know him. thank you greggy!:-)
Posted by: greggy | 21 January 2006 at 06:47 PM