I'm starting to think that you had the right idea. This whole Buddhism thing really makes sense. It's almost as if everything that I already believe fits into it. There is no "self." We are one with everything, with the entire universe. There does not have to be one God, one Atman or whatever you feel like calling it. People put so much emphasis on believing in one specific thing, or being, or "higher power," (which is the term that I most often use(d)). Giving credit to those beings for all life just seems absurd. If there is a man in front of you who has been shot by a poisonus arrow, will you sit and ponder "Hmm. Maybe this was God's plan, for him to die." Or, " This is the way it was supposed to be.." No. You would get the arrow out and do what you could to save him. If there was one God, who had a plan for everyone then that dude would have been shot for a reason and was probably supposed to die.
Granted I am just starting to learn the very basics of Buddhism, it seems that their goal in life is to live the best way that you can. They talk a lot about living in a way that reduces the most suffering for everyone. Can you imagine what a great place this world would be if everyone thought of that, instead of putting their own desires and wants for material things first. I, sadly, don't think the human race is capeable of such selflessness.
Then again, I question if there is anything at all. All that every religion is, is an idea. Someone thought of something, and eventually it spread. What if everything that everyone believes was just some idea some guy came up with, and called it an epiphany? Or an enlightenment? What if there really is just nothing? Maybe the reason we believe all of these religions, or reasons for living, is because we'r scared to face the truth that when we're gone, there is nothing. Our lives had no secret meaning, and we merely cease to exsit. While this thought, obviously, crosses my mind, I find it hard to convince myself that there really is nothing. Maybe I'm hopefully because of the way I was raised. Or maybe I'm just hopeful that there is a greater cause, because the thought of nothingness is a very scary thought. For now, I'll stick with my gut. It doesn't seem to fail me often, and my gut tells me that the Buddhists might have been onto something. We are one with the universe, and we should strive to achieve eudaimonia through relieving suffering of everything, and everyone around and within us.
So, there's my thoughts for the day.
Also, I've decided to become a partial vegetarian. Switching from a regular diet to a vegetarian diet is comparable to swiching from a suburban to a hybrid car, on the amount of green house gas emmisions. I say partially, because I know it is a hard thing, and a very inconvinient thing for things such as family get togethers and whatnot. So, if it is a situation that I can control, there will be no meat involved. Also, I have a great love for all life, no matter what form it takes. Eating an aminal almost seems slightly barbaric.
That is all. For now.
