Sure! I will do my best

(1) How did I become a Buddhist?  I wanted to know the fundamental nature of reality, who I am really (not who I think I am), to enlighten and to surmount suffering.  I encountered the Buddha’s cornerstone teachings early in life and they resonated very powerfully – so much so that when I encountered horrific bodily pain, when I began to recall past lives, I began to take the question of karma very seriously, decided to do my utmost never to incarnate into this world again as well as to benefit others to the best way I can, ie: to present calm, peace, equanimity to all persons and to be as compassionate as possible regardless of the form or content that comes my way, and regardless of whether I am the source of the upset or confusion – as in, negative states of being or consciousness – or the outer world – ie, persons in my environment, world at large, etc.  I became a Buddhist finally because there were no answers in this world to address my suffering: no medication, no doctor, no hope of recovery, either. I had to come to a place of peace where none could really be found.  In turning to the East for answers, Buddhism was the one philosophy that answered the question: what is the ultimate reality to the fullest, requiring no imagination or hope or input from me.  And so it can be said to present a very stark truth, a very difficult truth to accept, but nonetheless, it does offer the experiential knowledge whereby one can say, “I have seen the ultimate nature of reality,” at the end.  If one is able to sufficiently cultivate mental clarity and drop all illusions and delusions along the way.  It is a very pure, a very undefiled consciousness which appeals to me, as there is nothing in this world that is worth getting all invested in and making a fuss over – this world largely unable to apperceive and appreciate the underlying harmony and gorgeous lights and colors that also make up the conscious and mental realms which I, also, have in fact, been lucky enough to see. But those were not enough … they come and go … the beautiful lights that one can see in altered states of consciousness… and so it can be said: I wanted the truth and decided to go as far as I can go to realize it … to return to it … naked and pure without barriers and hindrances. I am nowhere near that goal, but I am glad to be on the path.  Many a year of my life spent contemplating the deeper questions due to my health problems and conditions, I live in utmost gratitude for the discoveries of the Ven. Buddha, happy that someone so loved humanity that he gave up every conceivable comfort to live a life of relative austerity, devoted to the cause of educating us as to how we too might realize such noble aims and ends.  To be free of suffering and to live free of harmful causes and effects is a cause most noble indeed.  One need not even be a Buddhist to appreciate what all went into the teachings by simply reading the Tripitaka and reflecting on all the experiences Buddha took on just to be able to teach others how to reach these goals themselves. So deeply moved and honored at this utterly selfless and loving human being.  And feel just as honored, moved, and touched at the sangha and persons of the cloth following this example.

(2)  I pray all the time.  This is inconsistent with Buddhism.  But I pray mostly out of habit… and it’s mostly a conversation with Buddha or Christ – exemplars of love, kindness and compassion.  I always pray with my heart as open as possible, and honestly. I open the mind up and share all the things I tried to keep secret and private – the dark nasty places … and this is because darkness and ignorance are the biggest hindrances to clarity of mind and heart.  I train myself to not be ashamed about these dark thoughts and feelings by sharing them in prayer.  And then after I confess all the things that maybe I wasn’t mindful about (mindfulness is the Buddhist way of owning one’s reality – to be aware of all activities, thoughts, feelings as they arise ideally), things I maybe wished I could have done differently in the day… or assistance to accept physical pain and suffering, poverty and some of the more challenging things I face in life – like the constant concern for maybe needing another surgery.

(3)  Question 3 is odd: this can be answered by simply googling his life. It’s a biographical question. If its meant subjectively, Buddha is my best friend.  He is also my guardian.  And he is also my teacher.  I never met a human being with the same level of integrity, loyalty, loving kindness and compassion – and for this reason, I say he is my best friend. Also, if you speak to Buddha, you have a definite sense of something listening. The same goes for Christ.  If you are very silent, and you are very acutely aware of energy, you feel a sort of slight density in the air right about three feet away – as if there is some presence listening. Also inside, the same presence is listening. And then there is the sense of real compassion – as if being hugged from the inside-out. It is an amazing feeling. That is what Buddha is to me.

(4)  My belief about God/Gods:  I have perceived energies that seem to be highly conscious with the third eye – of both light and dark qualities.  It would seem as though there is a mental plane on which entities may exist (Buddha also speaks of this in his teachings), but these are very secondary concerns to Buddhist practice, because the real question is: what am I, the practitioner, doing with my time in space-time… and not what these other entities are doing. Their business is not mine.  I will find out when I die, if I do not enlighten in this lifetime, whether there is in fact a God or not – and if there is one, I cannot imagine that entity having a problem with persons working to be less angry, more forgiving and more loving, and especially showing kindness to the sick, poor and disabled.  And so God is really not my business.  If there is one, if there is not one, the Supreme consciousness – again, if there is one or not – does not need my opinions to exist or not to exist.  What brings me comfort is that I do the best I can to be a kind loving human being inside and out, to walk my talk, and to not assume that’s what I do – but to pay attention and know that is what I am doing – and when not, to be OK with that, too, and to be OK with what others do too.

(5)  See all above paragraphs, because I think my answers above do make this point clear.  But if I had to sum up, it would be to walk one’s talk and to seek always to lighten the load of suffering in this world – to be a source of light wherever I go to the best I can. We all have bad days, but … mindful of Buddha’s statement that suffering is illusory, I hope that even as the body may suffer as it does, that by my actions, deeds and attitude, I example just how possible it is for human beings to rise above differences, to forgive, to live with generous hearts, to be free of arrogance and to ignore the meanness in the world as just another example of human ignorance — the vast majority of humanity not seeing and appreciating the vast web of cause and effect, blindly visiting harms and ‘get even with’ or ‘get one over on’ on fellow man – and thereby incurring some of the darkest energies possible on the world, their loved ones, and themselves.  It is a very deluded and sad world.  Many a creature are suffering innocently causes and effects that had nothing whatsoever to do with them – but that greed, avarice, malice (ill will) and ignorance keep them trapped and bound in needing and wanting things that can never ever satisfy or please them.  In this sense, Buddhism offers the greatest hope of educating people as to why they suffer — suffering being caused by the person having it — and also the way to peace through it all. It’s a very wonderful way to reach love.

(6) I do see many similarities between the body of Christ’s teachings in the New Testament and the Buddha’s teachings.  What Christ told the public to do  – and his admonition against judgment and condemnation is extremely similar… that is one way I can say I can see Buddhism as being a religion, although it is truly more of a philosophical way of looking at things. I can say it is a religion in a more fundamental way with reference to the teachings themselves: in my practice, I have observed that the level of moral purity one has determines the level of joy and bliss available when one does meditate.  Because the morality of Buddhist teachings make the meditations more powerful, more real, and more meaningful, it is not just a question of philosophy.  I feel there is actually a very sacred holiness accompanying most monks I have observed or seen that I can only perceive in the rarest of ‘holy places’ and therefore, there is, to me, more than religiousity, but a downright holistic sacredness that extends beyond religion – it’s like an existential holiness in that all beings are included in the Buddhist intention for peace, joy and wellbeing.  All mind states are included in the Buddhist intention for peace, joy and wellbeing. And so are all people.  I cannot think of anything more holy — ie, more whole, more inclusive — than these intentions, which are constantly expressed in these practices.  And so this is actually holiness, not religion. It’s beyond religion.

(7) Again, due to the types of suffering I have had to experience in life, I can say without Buddha’s teachings on mindfulness… without having constantly applied single-pointed mind, without having had the insight to treat the conditions I have faced and face with utmost equanimity – that is, as much as I can manage – I can honestly say I would probably have gone insane by now or be dead.  It’s beyond the telling what Buddha did for me. What he does for me whenever I return to mindfulness… because whenever I forget, the suffering smacks me in the face, and I am awake and alert and can tell the difference.

I hope these answers were sufficient! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to express my deep love, gratitude and utmost veneration to the Sangha, to the Dhamma, and the Buddha.  Without these, life would not be possible in this body, and with this personal history of this lifetime. And that is why I always advise anyone who will listen, if you are still and you contemplate the Buddha’s insights with open, honest mind, there is such deep wisdom there, that the path practically unfolds all by itself… it is the most beautiful and lovely way of living because it is honest, sincere, and very very profound… it is gentle, it is kind, and it is probably the most intensely loving way of being: to be aware of all one’s unloving, unkind actions… in order to make happier, healthier and more joyful choices bit by bit… always in self-compassion… never forcing or compelling self or others to do or be anything. It’s like finding water in the desert or on the hottest days when every one around you is thirsty – you always feel like you are fresh and clean if you choose to simply be aware as you go through life.
Again, thank you for letting me share!

Namaste _/\_ Christine

I also have to do a report. Would anyone have an issue with me using this information?