My am I confused American college chick ...

My family is half Protestant and half Catholic, so when I was a child each side fought to bring me to their church, and study their religion. I gave up on both when I was 8 or 9, because the preacher told me that Mary and Joseph were my parents, and that I should only listen to them.

So until high school, I was agnostic. Then I started reading up some Buddhist doctrines. However, I'm still not completely satisfied with the answers I've found.

So I'm exploring other religions. At the moment I"m reading a Buddhist book and a King James version of hte bible. Any other book or website suggestions?

Oh, and I don't do cults, that whole mass suicide thing doesn't jive with me ... lol.

I the real answers (if answers even exist) come from within. I commend your desire for the variety that's out there, the more sources you seek out, the more refined you become, the better understanding you can get. I recommend looking up different sources of these sources. No two people will have the same views about things even if these two people call themselves the same thing. Read various translations, read several versions of ideas of what you're after, get away from all of that and the cycle of everyday life and write down you're own thoughts.

Perhaps go on a kibbutz, the way some of them work it would actually cost you negative $ to go. As the flight out to Israel or wherever the kibbutz is would be free, living and eating there wouldn't cost a penny and they would pay you for whatever work you would like to do there. I'm not sure about all of them, but there are a fair amount out there where being Jewish isn't a prerequisite. Plus you'd be living in the backyard of the three main religions of this society (Christianity/Judaism/Islam) seeking out answers and earning a few college credits in language as well.

Besides that I recommend you read up on the various eastern religions such as the buddhist way you've been looking into already along with Hindu, the Hare Krishna's, etc. etc. Then there's good ol' native American religions such as Shamanism, what have you. I don't know off hand any specific texts, but www.erowid.org (http://www.erowid.org) has some decent links if memory serves. They have a great deal on the relationship between drugs and the spirit/mind/whatever as well if that's your trip. If not it's got religious/spiritual/mystical links along with arts and cultures.

Sorry I couldn't be more help, good luck.

Drop out of Buddhism; Prince Siddartha hated women.

Study Tantric Yoga. It's much more in tune with the feminine spirit. Study the fertility goddesses of archaic pagan pantheons.

quote:Originally posted by Tyrant:

Drop out of Buddhism; Prince Siddartha hated women.

Study Tantric Yoga. It's much more in tune with the feminine spirit. Study the fertility goddesses of archaic pagan pantheons.

Not really. From what I've read, it was the current thread (as was all religions at that time period) to treat women as less equal. Tantric yoga, in the Indian form of Buddhism, is one of hte final stages of enlightenment, btw.

quote:Originally posted by Lotana_Aria:

Not really. From what I've read, it was the current thread (as was all religions at that time period) to treat women as less equal. Tantric yoga, in the Indian form of Buddhism, is one of hte final stages of enlightenment, btw.

Your incorrect in one point, Tantric yoga is a path to enlightenment, not a step. To become completely enlightened in Tantric yoga, one must devote their entire lives and beings into it. It's not like you move from being ascetic to being hermitive to being tantric. (Though the buddha moved around, so there is hope for you http://www.totse.com/bbs/smile.gif (http://www.totse.com/bbs/smile.gif) ).

as for reading materials in Buddhism. My favorite readings are "the Lotus sutra" and the "sutta on a better way to catch a snake". (I am buddhist by the way).

Read a more modern translation of the bible along with the king james bible. I really wish some authority would come out with a widely accepted modern translation because the King James and such tend to be very wordy and can be interperated in any way you want, the old english wording tends to confuse many (including myself on occasion).

As for other eastern religions, read the I-ching (taoist). Read vedas, especially the Baghita Veda (sp?). (that's where reincarnation is most wholey documented).

Study the Tanakh. It's the whole of the judaic scripts.

Look into wicca, it is a very female oriented Earth based belief system.

I am assuming you are white, look into nordic paganism, asatru. (I would think though, that race doesn't matter, I just wouldn't ever expect to see asian or black nordic pagans, please correct me or further inform me Tyrant).

The possibilities are endless. Like I_Like_Traffic_Lights said, the more you look the better. You will end up picking up on the aspects that you like in every faith.

Good luck, I hope you find something that comforts you and rests your soul.

you don't have to find a religion. you can live perfectly happy without entering into the whole debate. maybe you will find something, and maybe you will be happily self sufficient, but to find the religion that makes you happy is something i find odd. religion is not a new shirt, you have to wear a shirt, but you don't have to have a religion.

forget about it, people can survive without religion.

basically, IMO, the reason you are not finding the right answers is because you are not asking the right questions. don't ask 'what religion is right for me?', ask 'why do i want, or need any religion at all?'

go talk to a priest

isn't this working backwards anyway. shouldn't the belife come before the religion?

do you belive in god?

do you belive in the bible? (if yes to these to, look at christian religions)

do you belive in reincarnation? (if yes look at some of the eastern religions)

do you belive in anything? (otherwise you are nihlist)

do you belive in many gods? (shit, iassume there are still splinters of greekesk religions around)

etc etc

you don't find a religion then try and fit it, see what religion fits what you belive. this requires independent thought, not choosing the better of the evils. write down what you belive. your morals, your thoughts on the afterlife and your opinion of dieties. then, if you want to formalise yourself, and surrender yourself from thought and responsibility, then go join a religion.

if you must talk to someone religious, don't talk to a preist, he is trying to sell you god, talk to someone non-partial. buddists are good like that, but there are far too many trendy buddists who miss the point completely.

I was thinking about starting Rushism. Maybe you would like to join? Our first sermon is titled Closer to the Heart.

P.s. American College chick? Send me a pic!

[This message has been edited by fly_by_night (edited 08-09-2004).]

Science could be considered a religion as it has its own set of beliefs and believers. Read "A Brief History of Time"- Stephen Hawking. And then progress onwards.

[This message has been edited by icantthinkofaname (edited 08-09-2004).]

quote:Originally posted by Tyrant:

[B]Drop out of Buddhism; Prince Siddartha hated women.

Haha, Tyrant it is fun http://www.totse.com/bbs/biggrin.gif (http://www.totse.com/bbs/biggrin.gif)

Buddha cannot hate, if he does, then he is not a Buddha.

quote:Originally posted by RAOVQ:



you don't find a religion then try and fit it, see what religion fits what you belive. this requires independent thought, not choosing the better of the evils. write down what you belive. your morals, your thoughts on the afterlife and your opinion of dieties. then, if you want to formalise yourself, and surrender yourself from thought and responsibility, then go join a religion.

[/B]

Excellent advice! Don't compromise yourself by jumping onto someone else's train of thought. Spend a great deal of time studying all different phases of religions, and never hesitate to insert your own ideas into it. Only you can truly define what's "right" for your lifestyle.

quote:Originally posted by Sniper:

Haha, Tyrant it is fun http://www.totse.com/bbs/biggrin.gif (http://www.totse.com/bbs/biggrin.gif)

Buddha cannot hate, if he does, then he is not a Buddha.

Oh, Tyrant was just overembellishing. Siddhartha did not permit women to be in his ranks because he believed it would tempt the men, and until near the end of his life he believed that women couldn't break themselves away from lust and sexual desire. Thusly not capable of enlightenment in this lifetime.

He didn't hate them, he just had twisted views on them. Jesus on the other hand, loved women.

quote:Originally posted by aTribeCalledSean:

Oh, Tyrant was just overembellishing. Siddhartha did not permit women to be in his ranks because he believed it would tempt the men, and until near the end of his life he believed that women couldn't break themselves away from lust and sexual desire. Thusly not capable of enlightenment in this lifetime.

^Not only Siddhartha did that as far as I know. I even heard a story about a woman who was beautiful and wasn't permitted to ranks of some teacher for he thought she would tempt the young followers and she took red hot metal and burned her face to become ugly.