Happiness

"...the purpose of our life is happiness...."

"...we don't need more money, we don't need greater success or fame, we don't need the perfect body or even the perfect mate --- right now, at this very moment, we have a mind, which is all the basic equipment we need to achieve complete happiness...the mind...now, the secret to my own hapiness, my own good future, is within my own hands, within my own mind...If you maintain a feeling of compassion, loving kindness, then something automatically opens your inner door..."

(positive thoughts beget positive feelings)

"...Achieving genuine happiness may require bringing about a transformation in your outlook, your way of thinking and this is not a simple matter...(it's) a constant battle within, replacing previous negative conditioning or habituation with new positive conditioning...through training, we can change, we can transform ourselves (our thoughts)...I may become irritated and develop sone anger, but it dissipates very quickly. There is no effect on the deeper mind. (no lingering negative thoughts) This was achieved through gradual practice. It didn't happen over night..."

...CHANGE TAKES TIME...

It is within us all. We can achieve, maintain and live a happy life, regardless of what happens to us or what happens around us. It's all witin you, in your mind. Develop a mind that thinks positive, a mind that sees the good around you and you will also feel happy. You will be HAPPY, you will achieve a peace of mind and your life will become much more enjoyable! It is within you.... YOU CAN DO IT!

The above quotes are by the Dalai Lama
:-)

Faith and God....

As I mentioned before, I was raised a Catholic, went to Catholic school, attended church every Sunday and believed in the hell thing that is always preached about in the weekly sermons. “Fear God” they seemed to say. Funny, but when I read the bible myself, without it being “explained” to me, I saw a God of love. A God of forgiveness. A wise God. A God I wanted to “hang out” with! (Hey, he could turn water into wine…) I did not see the evil, damning one who condemned you for even thinking “bad” thoughts! No, I saw another one.

But then, when I got older and lusted for more knowledge about life, I decided to read up on the different faiths. So, I read books on Jews, Mormons, Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, Indians, Witches, Zoroastrians or Atheists and any other faith that I could find a book on. Know what I found out (I’m sure you have all heard it before)? I found out that they were all right and all wrong. Outside of Athiesm, they were basically all the same, except for the few “little things” that gave them distintion from the others. They all also preached mind control and power over the individual. A “bowing down” to the Almighty. Except Buddhism, which to me, taugh that “all is within you”. Mmmm. I liked that. All is within me….

Now, I don’t call any religion as mine. I don’t follow any set of rules. I simply refer to myself as spiritual, which can cover many bases. I believe, though sometimes question, in a higher power. A higher entity, a god or whatever human name one wants to give it. I believe we are all a part of it. We all make it up. We are all it and it is in all of us. There is no one “person” at the head of the chain. This is not a chain of command thing where the CEO calls all the shots. No, we are all it and it is us. You might be able to compare it to the human body. Consider all the chemicals and atoms that make up the body. We are the atoms and microorganisms that make up this “God”. All that we see and think. Good, bad: Evil, righteousness. All of the stars and galaxies etc... Everything. They are all part of this body. This power. And we are “it”!

I believe in Reincarnation. So that our souls can become complete. Some say to become “perfect”. Healthy might be more like it. But why? I don’t know yet. They say so that we can become one “with” God again. But what if we are already one with God since we are all “part of it” anyway?

I am not sure of everything and obviously don’t have the answers to all the questions. I do, however, have my beliefs BUT always keep an open mind to various opinions and thoughts. To strongly believe in your faith is fine and I can admire that. No problem with it. However, I don’t believe that anyone should be 100%, without a doubt, sure of their beliefs; not to cover the bases but to leave room for error as we are human, after all. Or is that, we are all divine?

(sure Jim, as usual, will have a nice good opinion on this one! :)
:)