I've been thinking a lot about religion lately, and my own choice of Buddhism. After a LOT of thought and consideration, I have come to the conclusion that I am what I would call philosophically Buddhist. Meaning, I subscribe to meditation and the ideals of non-attachment, and all the good juicy bits about how to lead a life that is healthy for your own state of mind and the states of all the minds you come in contact with.
But the whole reincarnation thing, and enlightenment and all that are just not my cup of tea.
I once discussed this with a Buddhist monk I met while attending an evening of meditation at a Buddhist Temple. Oddly enough, he smiled and told me that in his mind I was doing the best thing. He said the "philosophical" parts are the most important anyway. If something is going to happen after this life it's going to happen with or without my belief, but if I see that a Buddhist lifestyle makes sense to me in the here and now, it really doesn't matter what comes next. Afterlife or not, I will lead a life that makes me happy and fulfills me.
Even the Dalai Lama himself has said that if there is anything in Buddhism that is proven wrong, or you just plain don't agree with, then it must change, either for you or for the many, depending on the scale and evidence. It is not cold, lifeless, unchanging dogma, but rather a tool on how to lead a better life.
More tomorrow, with a quote from one of my heroes, Douglas Adams.
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