The balance of multiplicity: I was 13 when Buddhism found me and exploded my Catholic kid brain
I was raised Roman Catholic. The way it was taught to me didn't line up with the experiences of my life up to that point
Before I was confirmed I told my mom that I was having doubts. She scheduled a private meeting with the priest
I said: "If God created all of us, what created God"
His only response was "faith". I needed to have it to understand greater mysteries and priests were the go between. I still got confirmed even though I immediately left the church
That moment set me on the path to find what I actually believe--- to be the one who actually holds the knowledge, the one who has a relationship with something higher
Like an ever-expanding recipe, I put together my belief system through this life from everywhere
Buddhism and Daoism felt most right and are my base. Then I added some Animism. Then some healthy Agnosticism. Then hands on work with psychedelics and plant medicines. Then shamanic traditions throughout the world. Then Egyptian, Celtic, Hawaiian, Mayan, and Norse mythology. Then our some of our own mythology (LoTR, GoT, Harry Potter, Marvel)
I'm left in a place where I feel like a hodge-podged student of the world and of all the stories we tell ourselves about the great mystery of life. Definitely vagabond living 👌
This has been informing my political understanding these days
A bubbling cauldron of ideas from liberals to libertarians, anarchists to socialists, conservatives to communists, globalists to nationalists, anti- to pro-, and all the things in between
I supposed that makes my belief system harder, one that has to be regularly maintained and upgraded
But it works for me to know that I can at least understand the reasons why belief systems are formed and have respect for the opinions born through individual experience
Who am I to sit in intense judgement of others 🤷♀️ share your story, I'll listen
Grains of sand on the beach, stars in the skies, or molecules that surround us-- all expansive and contractive in our own worlds and minds
I welcome all
And now I realize I've been following the Jesus path for a while 🤯 full circle
