One Red Hot Country Mama!

My friend and I went to see the Dalai Lama while he was in Toronto this week. Both of us have read a lot about Buddhism and it often makes its way into our conversations. So – most of what he said was consistent with what we had already learned about and a good reminder. My friend and I both reject organized religion because so often they include parts that don’t agree with our ideas about accepting others, equality of the sexes and a too narrow view of what God is. Nonetheless, we both enjoy learning about different religions to get the best part out of them.

So – when the Dalai Lama said that it is best to follow our traditional religions instead of converting it gave me a mixed reaction. Firstly, I was pleased, since he could have used the audience of 30,000 people in Toronto to try to convert people to his faith, but he didn’t. He encouraged us instead to stick to our own faiths – whether it be Christian, Jewish, Muslim etc. (don’t forget, we are in Toronto here so likely just about every faith is represented ). But, I was also disappointed. What about the people who reject their own traditions or who have a tradition of rejecting traditions such as my case, where my Dad was an atheist and I am an agnostic?

Well, he said that people who are secular, actually have the freest life of them all, since we can choose any parts of any religion that we want. So – instead of thinking about having a sole supplier of religion, I can go shopping for the parts of it I believe in and parts that I don’t.

So – I thought about my different sources of spiritual inputs that I get every day. A bookshelf full of ideas on different religions and spiritual concepts; giving generously to charity; connecting with friends and family; meditation and yoga practice; personal development courses where we share our experiences. So – I guess it isn’t the simplest route in the world – but shopping for spirituality seems to be the most free option, and the one that works for me.