We went camping this weekend and took D.'s brand new boat on a maiden voyage. My expectations were that we NOT buy an expensive boat, but D. was so set on it for more than a year that it was the only thing I heard about. D. definitely must know the wisdom of The Secret, because he manifested this boat into his life even though I was his counterbalance in this regard. I remember Joe saying something along the lines of, "If something doesn't meet your expectations, change your expectations." So, here we go. My new expectation is that D. enjoys his new boat. Please do not think we are rich because we bought a new boat. If you want to know the truth, we couldn't afford it! I'll be relying on Social Security to buy the groceries when I'm older, trust me. I won't have some fancy retirement because we're not savvy like that. I don't invest, and I hardly put anything into a retirement fund, maybe only $50 a paycheck. I'm just not aware enough of financial matters to be smart enough to do so. My stepmother, the Christian, told me today that The Bible says we should only worry about today. Even though I'm not a Christian I freely admit that The Bible is a source of wisdom.
After the photos of the boating adventure you see a photograph of "The Big P." on our camping trip, then a photo of our house. We moved here right after Thanksgiving in 2003. Then there is the Big Happy Buddha statue that I bought a couple years ago from a local concrete statue manufacturer. The last is a Buddha statue that my aunt - my mom's sister - gave me last year. She has been the source of two other Buddha figurines that I have on display in my house. When I start to think that my family thinks I'm weird for my alternative beliefs, I can just remember my aunt D. who supplied me with some Buddhas. :) (I'm not Buddhist, either, but I am fond of the statues.)
14 comments:
Nice boat. Nice Buddha.
Thanks, mate! Maybe we should put a Buddha in the boat. A couple years ago I took my garden gnome and placed him in various places around the yard and took his photograph. I even put him on one of the steps in the pool.
I have nothing against material security. It doesn't exist.
Altho I believe in material prosperity. Nothing wrong with that.
We don't have to work for spiritual merrits; they tend to make us religious and falsely pious. God is good.
I heard that Christianity is the root cause of poverty. I don't agree.
It is the root cause of pride and hypocrisy. Perhaps. Not sure. ;>)
Pythagoras, good to see you. I thought you had disappeared. You wrote a poem and left and haven't returned until today. Maybe you felt shy.
I really don't feel that there is anything wrong with material security, either, as long as those who are materially secure don't identify with it. Sometimes material wealth brings even more greed and also has a way of making people less pleasant, but not all. I remember my boss and his wife from my first job after college. They weren't very pleasant people, and I got the impression that they thought they were better than everyone else. They tried to make me feel like a peon. This type of people makes me feel very uncomfortable. But I do know that there are wealthy people who are kind. Bill Gates, even though he is more wealthy than I can stand...lol... he is very charitable.
I have never heard that Christianity is the root cause of poverty, but interestingly enough, most very poor people that I know are Christians. I think it's just because the most popular religion is Christianity.
Maybe we don't have to work for spiritual merit because it comes naturally. If that is so, does it mean we are inherently good people?
I try not to say bad things about Christians but I can't help but notice that many that I know are hypocrites. At the same time, I also know some very good Christian people.
One "devoutly" Christian man I know is very greedy when it comes to money. He cheated his sister out of property and now she is very poor and on social security disability while he rakes in more and more cash. Some other Christians I know who are "devout" and "deeply religious" are also very bigoted. For some reason, I tend to associate Christian people with close-mindedness. I guess it's because of my own personal experiences. It could be that the majority of them are wonderful people. I don't know.
But, while I judge Christians I also have my own faults. "Judge not lest ye be judged." I think that's how the saying goes.
Maybe I am too hard on Christians. I was a born-again Christian. Maybe I lost my beliefs and faith. And most Christians I encounter think I am the Devil (Satanic laughter) but I don't mind. ;>)
I seem to have taken the leap of faith that Jesus was not the Messiah. Or that there is no such thing as the Messiah.
And I don't seem to be afraid. I used to tremble in fear when I was a still a Christian. In fact I often would lose my mind. Even felt I was possessed. Now, I don't seem to give a damn. And I stay cool most of the time.
But I don't really mind Christians. Or being with Christians and arguing with them. I often make fun of them. But I really like them. I kind of trust them more than other people. My neighbors are devout Christians and I am very nice to them. And I think they like me. They used to think I was possessed. Really.
"Judge not lest ye be judged."
I think this is exactly what I mean by hypocrisy. The Bible is full of judgements. Inspite of this saying. And Christians can't help judging others even for very little or minor things.
I tend to judge people too but I try to be as rational as I could be when I do. However, when I started to see the good in other people that's when I became very friendly and popular.
I used to be very judgemental especially when I felt that people showed pride, arrogance and vanity. I couldn't stand it. But I realized I was not better. I was spiritually proud, arrogant and vain. And maybe I still am. Definitely!
I just have to accept it and learn to live with it.
Let me say something about the Buddha. I have a nice statue of an elegant Buddha in ebony. Not a fat, lazy, laughing Buddha. A very handsome, princely and serious one sitting in meditation. I love wood-carvings.
Pythagoras, I too was once a Christian. I went to church every Sunday. When I was a child I was dragged to church by my parents, but when I became a young teenager I went for a while by myself and became deeply interested in the religion. However, it was not long before I started witnessing many of the negative people who called themselves Christians, when it is normally Christians who put on the aura that they are deeply devout and very self-righteous. It was more hypocracy than I could stand, so I strayed from the religion. Since then, I have found Spirit, but not in one man from history, although that one man was a very wise spiritual teacher. I have found Spirit in everything that surrounds me and everything inside of me. I can now stand outside of all religions and look at them as a spectator and say that they are all beautiful and all of them hold truths. It is more difficult for a Christian to claim this, because most religious - not just the Christians - believe that their faith is the one true way, and anyone who does not follow that particular path is "Godless". Because of this, I do not claim to be from any religion. I am simply spiritual. I do not think there really is a label for me. That's good, because labels can cause stereotypes, and stereotypes cause separation. Even I fall prey to the tendency to stereotype others, much as I have done with the Christians. As you see, I am not perfect. But then, I never claimed to be.
You are starting to see the good in others because you are changing your thoughts. Our perspective of the world can be very negative when we are not in the right frame of mind. Consciously change those thoughts, though, and over time the view of the world improves. Before you know it, you're living in a beautiful world! And that means that most of the people are beautiful, too!
I have other Buddha figurines, too. Maybe I should take pictures of them. If you ever feel like sending me photographs of yours, feel free to email me. You know that you can still remain anonymous if you create an email account online using a false name. I know your anonymity is important to you. I just want you to know that you are safe with me.
I have been talkative about myself yesterday, haven't I. Well, I was just trying to tell you something. Sometimes I just too tired to think clearly. The medium in myself, I guess.
I think I'm beginning to realize just what I am up to. Perhaps I am trying to tell you what I feel about certain things. I hope you don't take them too seriously. I'm glad you can think for yourself.
Perhaps this is how I try to overcome my social anxiety, any trace of it that's left. Why I prefer to be anonymous, I don't know yet. Too many blogs, too little time? ;>)
Pythagoras, I enjoy your company. I think sometimes we can be hard on ourselves. :)
If you're like me, the Internet is my main source of socializing. I prefer it this way, I guess, although I am trying to make some friends in my area.
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