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Just wondering, converts what led you to Buddhism?
I'm not really sure what led me to Buddhism, I suppose I just gradually gained a small understadning of it over time, liked it then decided to try it and then decided a liked meditation and it's philosophy and and started practicicing it.
Converts how were you introduced into Buddhism and what made you want to convert?
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and calmer . . .
I'm a Vegan and am against harming ANY beings, so Buddhism definitely works with that part of me.
I am against violence, and Buddhism works with that too.
I also love to sit, listen to, and appreciate the Universe as it is.
I love thinking deeply and meditating.
So Buddhism really just coincides with many aspects of my life and is teaching me much along the Way.
So that is why I am here.
I happened upon a Buddhist place and realized here is the HOW TO! I turned to the lady next to me and said just that- she said she felt the same way when she first came there (15 years ago) And then she said Coming here has brought me closer to Christ. I knew if a place was that open minded I was in the right place. My life has never been the same:)
In college much the same and I had an art history east/west plus a chinese culture class so I really got to examine the vibe and writings on various papers.
I was then busy with grad school in chemistry, but had a mental breakdown. I started meditating and the dharma in books was a lifeline.
I was brought up in a completely non-spiritual / non-religious house (never been to church bar weddings and funerals) and community.
I always felt there was something missing in my life but wasn't sure what. I got married, had a kid and have become financially secure but still felt the same way.
About 18 months ago I picked up and read The Art of Happiness (not sure why I picked it up) and it just spoke directly to my heart! Haven't looked back.......I do sometimes wonder if the tenderness and love that arose in my heart when my daughter was born made me ready to hear the dharma? Perhaps I wouldn't have been open to that book until after she was born. Who knows?
The concept of Samsara has always (for me) made sense over that of the experience of reality being that of a playground for a divine bully boy.
And ending suffering sounds pretty good to me
Several years later.
I was backpacking in Australia and attending an outdoors bbq. When someone asked me if I was a buddhist because I was not drinking any alcohol. A month or two later at Bali, still backpacking, 06:00 am in the morning I saw a man meditating three meters from the sea at sunrise.
Two years later.
I picked up boxing, then added tai-chi practise which lead to Zen practise which lead to a weird mix of philosofical and esothorical views/believes, buddhism and taoism.
So i started studdying buddhism as a teenager out of rebellion first, but it all made sense to me, so i just kept with it...
I got there, it was early ninties, and February. I got there, and the story was the paper boy discovered that the ladies papers were backing up. The house was in total darkness and the temprature was below zero. Couldn't get into the front door because there was no steps. Got to the back and into a enclosed porch, and the heavy smell of amonia almost kicked me back.
****graphic details ahead****
Dogs were barking and going nuts; and the officer wanted to call the fire department to gain entry; I told him lets see first but get the ambulance here. I banged on the door, and yelled, Police who's in here. The other officer had a smirk and repeated she's dead. the lights came on, (and I have no idea why we didn't explode from the amount of amonia) His smirk dropped to an oh sh(*. The woman was elderly, and yelled out shes coming down and wants help.
The ambulance arrives, as she's coming out, old around seventish, only wearing a very worn night gown. She opens the door, and I get to see around seven dogs yelping and tearing to get out; and the remains of two chewd up.
Got her out, and left message to state dog warden, and my chief. I get in for the four to midnight shift. Chief is jokingly livid; "What the F(*& did you give me!? It turns out that there were at least ten dogs, and several litters of puppies. Over three inches of dog feces throughout the house, and no oil in the tanks, the stuff was frozen. No one noticed here for at least two months, including the family. The dogs had to be put down, and she was court ordered out of her families care.
I did some of the back ground investigation; she was a very avid church gower, but not a giver. I asked the Priest when was the last time he saw here. He was very ...condescending. When I told him what happened, his reply. "Oh so that's what happened to her."
I called him everything but human; and left the faith. I grew more attatched to Buddhism. And I got caught on that Satanic Occult crimes craze then. And it did several things. I learned the tennants of Buddhism was more to what I did as a cop. And, a specialization in Child Abuse, Spousal Abuse, and sex crimes. So, hopefully I did something right. :facepalm:
However, by the time I was a young teen, I was ready to reject that particular religious path for something much less patriarchal / rigidly misogynist.
So I would say my real "conversion" was deciding to be a Wiccan/Pagan -- but with some Buddhist influences, for sure. That was my spiritual path for a long long time (35+ yrs).
Then again at some point a few years back, I re-evaluated my spiritual path and concepts, acknowledged my spiritual needs and beliefs had evolved again, and decided to slide the other foot over the line into Buddhism wholeheartedly; leaving behind the Pagan Goddess deity, the delusion of witchcraft/magic and just BE a Buddhist.
It really wasn't a profound 'conversion' or a huge leap, it was more like a slippery slope.
I considered myself a neo-pagan for awhile, but I didn't like the lack of organization and the fact I had no one to practice with. I felt like I was just making stuff up, and that didn't sit with me intellecually.
What I did for the next few years is I sat alone trying to figure out the meaning of life, truth, etc. but I go no where. Looking back I can call it a sad mockey of the Buddha's journey, only mine didn't go well.
I was always a nerd about Japanese language and literature, and I found there was a Nichiren-Shu temple right behind my apartment building. I went there once, and I've been going ever since. No need to try and invent the wheel from scratch when other's have already put so much effort into getting things figured out.