First let me start this blog journal entry off by stating that I am an ATHEIST. The word “atheist’ was all capitalized because I feel for the purposes of this post I establish right away my philosophical world view. I am very well educated to what that word “atheist” implies. Philosophy really is the art of thinking, and the word atheis
Now that that is out of the way let me get to topic of this thread.
The books that helped me the most are not necessarily self help books. The books I read are mostly philosophical in nature and science books. Books like Frederich Nietzsche, The Genealogy of Morals and Charles Darwin The Origin of Species and The Descent of Man. I read more contemporary science books as well. Authors like Stephen Jay Gould, The Structure of Evolutionary Theory, Ian Tattersal, The Fossil Trail, and Robert Broom, Getting Here. I also like reading about what our great American forefathers had to say so I read the memoirs of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin. When I wan
Because I had suffered from a very poor self esteem I felt a profound need to expand upon my knowledge. I completed reading philosophical books like The Genealogy of Morals and The Art of War. Next I added science books to personal library and when I finished reading them I had learned a lot, and yet I was also left with what seemed to me like very profound questions. So it was at that juncture in my life that I felt an uncontrollable need to discover what my place in this world was. Who are we? Why are we the only sentien
I wanted to become more intelligent because I drastically needed to build upon my self image. However at that point in my life the quest that I had embarked upon seemed to like it had ended at an impasse. I arrived at an intellectual fork in the road. One road would yield more knowledge and education that I desired but it did not even attempt to answer the more interesting questions I had. Then there was other road that did offer some explanations to the inquiries I had at that time. However these supposed solutions were purely speculative, hardly even hypothetical in nature, and in no way based in real science or research.
Let me set another record straight that I am a huge skeptic. I do not accep
So I decided that the questions I needed answered may be found metaphysical philosophy. Siddhartha, the founding father of modern day Buddhism said a lot of very fascinating things. He taught the Eight Fold Path and the Four Noble Truths. Learning the philosophy of the Buddha offered me a way of thinking, and more importantly a way of life. Buddha espoused that all of us, everything in this world, and even our galaxy is transitory. Because all sentient beings and all things have a temporary nature, it is imperative that their time be spent maximizing their existence. Simply stated, this is the only life we're ever going to have, so you better make the best of it.
Buddhism enriched my life and gave me purpose. Becoming a pupil of the Buddha offered solutions to all of those very interesting questions that we all have. My purpose in life is to be the best me that I can possibly be. I learned that practicing acts of compassion we not only help those we're assisting we ultimately end up enriching our own lives. Mankind should not be charitable towards our fellow man for promises of rewards; instead men and women should assist one another for goodness sake alone. That act of kindness would then leave the benefactor free of debt and allow them to have the capacity to repeat the same process to those who are in need as well.
At one point in my life those were my reading habits and what I had learned, and that is how my life was enriched. It was at that time that I started attending a monastery and I became pupil of the philosophy of the Buddha. I took refuge in the Buddha and Sangha and according Buddhism I was considered a Buddhist. I devoted my life to the teachings of the Buddha and it was not until I acted upon the knowledge that I gained that I acquired an education about my purpose in life.
Last night my wife and I went to the grocery store to get dinner. While we were leaving I saw these statuettes of the Buddha in the garden center. Well actually they were not the Buddha, they were Hoatia. They laughing fat guy most people associate as the Buddha is not Siddartha. That is not important right now for the purpose of this entry. I commented to Jen that I liked those figurines and that I wanted one of them. It was while we were going down the elevator that remembered everything that Buddhist philosophy did for me. How Buddhism both enriched and enhanced my life. It occurred to me that that way of living must be a lifestyle choice for me again. I knew how was going to recover from the devastation that AD/HD caused in my life. I am so confident in my decision that not following through with my plans will never be a viable option. The tools Buddhist philosophy can offer me are going will play an intricate role in my rehabilitation. I feel a PROFOUND need to return Buddhism. I believe that this is going to be a FUNDAMENTALLY important to my recovery and ultimately my rehabilitation. My mind is made up, I am going to do this.
When I was at a very unhappy point in my life, I was also the most at peace. I was working in a warehouse that I profoundly disliked. I had to get up at
I continued getting up in the early AM hours every day, I walked the two miles every day, and I did abide the horrible working conditions every day. I did all of that because to a certain degree that AD/HD would allow my mind was at peace. Buddhism offered me a way to not be at odds while engaged in an environment that was very negative. Buddhism empowered me; it allowed me to be in a peaceful state of mind. I need to return to that philosophy once again. I must go back to a way of living that can give me the tools needed to rehabilitate and gain control over all the dysfunction that AD/HD and my destructive habits caused.
I said earlier on in this blog that I am an atheist and that I am a huge skeptic. Those two facts have not changed at all. Buddhism does not make claims that a Supreme Being exists. Any demi-gods that Buddhism says exists are extensions of our own selves. Buddhism teaches that universal karmic law is a fact and that we all have had past lives. Perhaps karma is true and maybe I was a slug, duck, or the queen of
Everything, this whole entire long post is leading up to this moment. I AM GOING TO BECOME A BUDDHIST AGAIN! That does not mean I will wear robes. It does mean I am going to attend a monastery again. It does not mean I will shave my head, and if I do its not because I am a Buddhist. It does not mean I am no longer an atheist and it does not mean I am no longer a skeptic. It does mean I am returning to a way of life that brought me happiness, clarity, and peace of mind. I need this in my life now more than ever before.
2 comments:
Hello Lees
I just read your post and I admire or conviction to life and mastering your “being” AD/HD. I agree with your views about us “not being disordered” - we simply do things differently with our biggest obstacles being a society bent on only serving the majority.
I have also just signed up to your You Tube page and I will e-mail you but understand it will be in AD/HD time. lol
Keep up the good work.
Cheers
Robert Cooper
Founder
AD/HD Foundation of Canada
www.adhdfoundation.ca
rcooper@adhdfoundation.ca
PS: Have you considered becoming a columnist? You write with pointed passion and your art – well that is a whole other career!
What do you mean when you say you are going to return to Buddhism again? I am very attracted to Buddhism and have read several books, attended a local center, etc. But I haven't found a Buddhist community and I'm not sure what it realy means to be a Buddhist. What does it mean to you? Do you practice with others?
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