I kept my Christian belief to my youth, but when my father fell sick to my 20 years and saw him suffer so much, after 4 years of endless suffering, I also became an atheist, but as is the old saying goes "nothing is forever in this life, never say never, ever or forever..."
When everything seemed to fall, came to me books of Lobsang Rampa, with them I became very interested in Tibetan culture and religion, however I could never fully accept his philosophy of life, although I incorporate a large part of their religion in my new believing. I started a new cycle in my life, trying to unite Christianity with Buddhism ...
Years went by and everything changes, came to me over time the interest in reading about the philosophy and religion about hinduism , but also about Inca and Maya people...
So I began to notice commonalities in world religions. The spiritual level as I understand it unifies the belief of mankind ...
My life has had many changes, may be it's the destiny of this life that I had ... fight for things, lose interest and change direction, try and try to move on...so many times.
Whenever I noticed the conflict in myself and also in others, the competition between material and social goals, and its clear antagonism with inner peace. Every time I devoted my best efforts to worldly progress was when despite my accomplishments my inside felt more miserable. And other times I spent my effort in spiritual way...things become complicated for me in social aspects... so it appeared to be a matter of choice one or the other but not both.
Maybe the big inside break was generated in the process that led me to my initiation into Reiki, and then my unwavering determination to achieve mastery. From the beginning I heard that if completely devoted my life to Reiki I can reach that goal, but only so...
Then came a moment that a rebellion was born in me and I decided to follow my own way. Without realizing that this decision would change my life as much as it did, because it pushed me to modify a lot in my inner self. Even so I managed to reach my master degree while continuing to "hooked" to my traditional economic support, like one more worker. I found a way to continue so, but of course with their costs ...
What I want to share all this, is that there is no single way to reach a goal, what matters is the will to stick to a decision, and sustain the effort every day to achieve it.
To grow spiritually is not necessary to be religious, neither to follow a dogma, you don't need to bow to rules dictated by others ...
I'm not saying that to marked a unique path is easy to follow, but strongly argue that...I only achieve to feel good when I stay in the attempt to overcome my own, when every day I do my spiritual work, I not worry to follow a rigid routine that if I don´t perform makes me feel bad, but worry to hold some daily job, not step backwards ...
If I'm working on an improvement of transforming a defect into the path of its opposite, a virtue, not let me back ... Try in the working day, take care of my concepts without allowing contaminated by the events of daily life.
And back to the alternative religion or spirituality, for me, one thing does not remove the other, but at the same time if you hold, being religious does not mean that it is spiritual.
I remember an interview that was done to the Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of the Tibetan people:
What is the best religion?
"The best religion is the one you get closer to God, to infinity. Is one that makes you better"
What makes me better?
"Those that makes you more compassionate, more sensitive, more detached, more loving, more caring, more responsible, more ethical ... religion that you get to do that is the best religion"
In this way, I encourage my readers, that do not bind to the concepts established by others, if they feel comfortable with a religion, hold it. Still, thank God you can make thousands of ways. Whether it's through a traditional prayer, or that same sentence but just memorize wrong don't worry repeat, because at least we do, and yet it's okay if we do our own personal prayer.
The fact of thank God for everything brings a significant return as a reward ... we feel better. It is important to pray, it is not good to ask. It is important to pray but to maintain an attitude more in line with what we pray. It makes no senso to trap yourself, something very simple there is no worse judge than yourself.
To finish this article, sing your mantras, pray as you feel better, learn to smile at yourself in the mirror, try your best path to follow and you will live more in peace, and so it will be easier your way and those who share your life and those who cross you each day.
A hug for everyone, Paul Barbe
