| Before Enlightenment.... |
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| ...you must chop wood and carry water |
I am known by some as Zenleit, a self-imposed title
derived from Buddhist philsophy. Zen comes from Zen Buddhism and leit is for light. Zen Buddhists seek enlightenment
or pure knowledge of the universe, a philosophy which can be applied to most anything. So when people learn I am from Alabama
I am often asked, "Are you a redneck". My response is yes but I'm an enlightened redneck. Thanks for dropping by. Look around
all you want and please come back any time.
| After Enlightenment.... |
|
| ...you must chop wood and carry water |
Buddhism
The practice of Buddhism began 2,500 years
ago. Only within the past century have Western cultures reached out to embrace Buddhist wisdom, whose essence is to awaken
and to serve. Blocking one’s mortal path to awakened or enlightened service are egotism, greed and selfishness, each
of which leads to endless and needless suffering.
The Four Noble Truths of Buddhism can help
us move beyond earthly limitations and thereby reach Nirvana, a state of mind that is completely and permanently free of suffering.
The good news is that the love light within
us is eager to help light our path to enlightenment. With an awakened heart we can lovingly connect with and deeply appreciate
what is — without seeking to change it, grasp it, or to push it away.
How to awaken? Mindfulness is the key to
a “spacious” practice of Buddhism. Spaciousness allows us to observe without reacting. To draw conclusions or
interpretations is to step out of touch with the here and now. To recognize our interconnection with nature’s five elements
— earth, water, fire, air and space — is to embrace their divinity, and thereby manifest our own divinity or inner
joy, our very own “flow,” our vitality. Buddhists know that love is a verb, not a noun. The way of a Buddha is
simply to stay present, and to be love.
I just wanted to introduce the world to me, some of
my thoughts and philosophies on different things, and my family which has now transcended geopolitical boundries and broken
the restraints of the physical world.
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