When I joined Buddhism

In my early teenage years, I enrolled in a Buddhist meditation class purely out of a desire to find spiritual fulfillment. Despite the fact that I was raised in an Asian-American family, my family does not perceive some aspects of religion as much as many Christian homes in my community. In contrast, I was restless in my early adolescence and looked for other groups to identify with besides my family, friends, and classmates. Buddhism has been practiced for more than 25 centuries and has now become widespread. In America, Buddhism is becoming more and more well-liked. Buddhist centers have more than doubled in number in the USA over the last two decades (Hardley 3). The ever-growing crowd of Buddhism participants is one of the reasons that prompted me to pursue the religion long upheld by my ancestors. Buddhism is considered compatible with the current scientific oriented society. In recent years researchers have dedicated resources to exploring convergences between science and Buddhism. Buddhism appeals to many Asian-Americans and other individuals since de-emphasis majority of spiritual concepts such as immortal souls and the belief in a divine being such as God.

When I joined the Buddhist meditation class I was merely curious on what makes the religion differ from other religion like Catholicism and if so why is Buddhism more rational. Buddhism holds a moral and theoretical worldview which is in this regard, convergences with other faiths. It emphasizes the importance of living a righteous life to overcome suffering and avoid eventual karma. Buddhism holds the cyclic nature of life, believing that when people die, they are reincarnation. However, unlike other religions, there is no Buddhist God. Buddha was not a God neither was he a divine being and all his faculties were human. Years in Buddhist meditation classes have thought me indeed religion is about basic goodness. It exists to address the problem of suffering emphasizing on the importance of recognizing our suffering, cause of our problems and eventual cessation of suffering through meditation, wisdom, discipline, and efforts. Buddhism insists that there is no savior, but we have the ability to save ourselves. I feel connected to this aspect of Buddhism that insists on personal efforts for results.

Originally, my family was devoted to Buddhism as a religious practice, however, during my childhood, my mother did not seem dedicated to attending every meditation session. According to her, Buddhism did not differ from paganism regarding spiritual dimensions and the religion is not dedicated to the importance of the family. However, when I enrolled in the meditation class, she was happy and told me it would be important in shaping my perceptive of life. Buddhism appeals to many individuals since it is highly pragmatic. As such, it values all concepts that aim in reducing suffering. My mother insisted that Buddhism will be critical in ensuring I understand the importance of self-sufficiency.

My classmates, on the other hand, were not as supportive. According to them the lack of belief in a divine being illustrates that Buddhism as idol worship. One of my friends merely asked who we made prayers when I told him “it is all in mind” he gave me a stare like that proves his point. During one of our class, I remember trying to explain of how Buddhism has improved my concept of self-worth and independence through meditation while they argued Buddhism is neglectful of the idea of family. They sought evidence on the fact that the Buddha abandoned his wife and child in his path to enlightenment hence disregarded sexuality and family.

Western Buddhists believe Buddhism is more a philosophical notion rather than a religion due to the lack of supernatural elements. The practicality of Buddhism as a means of achieving happiness is evident in many Buddhists. The meditation session allows me to reflect on my problems and ways that are equipped to address them. In the current digitalized world, a few hours of peace and reflection in a week are necessary for providing insight. In recent times most of the decisions I make are based on in-depth reflection in the meditation session. As the Buddha himself said “Be a lamp unto ourselves” by using the experience to test Buddhist teachings. Many scholars have described Buddhism as significant as an ‘inner science’ which probes the fulfillment of the mind’s potential.

Buddhism ultimate goal is paranormal happiness, wisdom and moral grace referred as enlightenment. These aspects are important in the society in making a rational decision that is not only just but sensitive to the moral regulations. As such, Buddhism is against social injustices such as robbery, discrimination and substance abuse that provide a false sense of security. Meditation is important in reducing stress and calming the mind which are prerequisites for a responsible member of the society. Buddhism is critical in shaping better members of the community by providing our insight especially those imputed in meditation. Buddhism conforms to many aspects of cognitive science which are significant in driving the economy, improving the environment and community as a whole (Hardley 15). While the concept of the mind as a unified entity is questionable, meditation has worked to improve my life and thousands of other Buddhists. The ever-growing number of intellectuals in Buddhism centers illustrates the conventionality of the religion with modern culture. These graduates provide evidence of the positive influence of Buddhism in the society. Similarly, the lack of clearly defined paths to salvation in Buddhism provides a sense to integrate other important life skills to the teaching of the Buddhism.

































Works Cited

Hardley, Barbara. "The growth of Buddhism in America ." Unity Institute's Lyceum (2011): 1-16.