Yesterday, I went to my first class to learn about Buddhism. The little I know about it is that it’s a philosophy (a way of life) and not a religion, and that the Dalai Lama practices it. That was the extent of my knowledge. After the 90 minute class (the topic was “The Five Eyes”- more on that in another post), I was fascinated by the ways in which Buddhism brings together philosophy, morality, psychology and science.
I decided to create this blog to chronicle my journey and share with you what I learn as I learn it. I welcome your comments, whether you are new to Buddhism like me or have been studying it for a while.
Let me step back for a moment and explain how I ended up in the Buddhist class.
For a while now, I’ve been sensing a change in the way I view the world and myself in it. I have never been religious or spiritual, yet I think often about why we are here, what is our purpose, and how can we make others’ lives better.
I think this began when I started learning more about food – where our food comes from and how what we put into our bodies is directly related to our well-being and understanding of how we fit into the greater earth.
Initially, I was looking for an eating plan that would give me more energy. I happened to stumble across a book called “Eat Clean” in the bookstore when I was browsing one day, and I was intrigued.
As I began to examine ingredient lists in pre-packaged foods and sought to buy organic and local, I also stopped to think about where our animal protein comes from (beef, chicken, pork) and how it makes it to our tables (sadly, with the prevalence of “factory farming”, it’s not a pleasant thought).
After watching the documentaries “Food, Inc.” (about factory farming) and “The Cove” (about the slaughter of dolphins in Taiji, Japan), I became convinced that I needed to live my life differently. I needed to stop being on auto-pilot (buying whatever food is on the shelf at the grocery store just because it’s there; using plastic bags simply because they are available; purchasing disposable items even though renewable alternatives may be available).
Instead, I needed to start focusing on the moment – appreciating and respecting nature and understanding my place within it.
So, that’s where the Buddhist class came in. I knew that Buddhism emphasized “being present” and living in the moment, so I thought it could provide me with a framework for what I was already feeling. And, from what I learned yesterday, it sounds like it will. In my next post, I’ll share with you what I learned about The Five Eyes.
If you are also new to Buddhism, here are some links I found that may be useful:
http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/5minbud.htm
http://www.thebigview.com/buddhism/buddhasresume.html
