My Exploration Of Buddhism

As I began my field research exploration of Buddhism, I knew that I had some preconceived notions and expectations because of my own experiences at Buddhist institutions. Through my personal meditations at the Land of the Medicine Buddha from 2014- present, I have begun to learn how to practice silencing my mind in order to be more present and mindful of my current state. I have begun to live more morally and compassionately through my own desire to live a well conducted and disciplined life. However, I by no means felt like I had the ideology understood when I took on furthering my Buddhist research and knowledge. I knew there was much more for me to understand about Buddhism. My experience at the Berkeley Buddhist Temple made me aware of how vast the Buddhist community reaches and how deep the roots go. I …show more content…
In essence, the myth of liberation says that life is destroyed by delusions and suffering. The goal of is to free humans from this cycle of death and rebirth so they can eventually reach enlightenment. To me, I find this romantic and mysterious. Because I myself have tapped into a place where I feel like enlightenment is fathomable and not some far off concept. It is an actual attainable and real state of being one can reach, the myth of liberation specifically Buddhism, are beautifully enticing concepts to me. Correspondingly, the myth of history and its understanding of faith and God’s will is so very logical it is hard not to believe. A problem with this life is sin, and we must strive not sin and to live in harmony with God’s will. It appears to be so simple, death can be overcome by faith and our time here is to encounter and realize God. While I agree with living in harmony with God’s will and using my time on this Earth to grow closer with God, I do not agree with the restrictions the myth of history places on