Friday, October 7, 2011

Howard’s Inner Circle, No. 38: Whatever Comes Turn Towards It: Even Wildfires

I am fascinated by the myriad of religions and philosophies. However, I have always had difficulty understanding the essence of any particular religion or philosophy that I’ve studied. That was resolved when it became apparent that to obtain the requisite insight I needed to see the application of the religion or philosophy in a practical context. Such was the case when I read Fire Monks: Zen Mind Meets Wildfire at the Gates of Tassajara by Colleen Morton Busch about a wildfire threatening a Buddhist monastery.

By giving the participants’ backgrounds, the monastery’s history, the firefighters’ warnings, and describing, in detail, the actions and decisions of those at the monastery, I became an observer after the fact on how an individual’s beliefs and life experiences determine their actions. Seeing this application into an actual situation enabled me to relate to and finally fully to understand why I have this fascination with religions and philosophies. You see, in the essence of each, there is something I can learn to live my life better.
© 2011
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