Today is Buddha’s birth celebrations. He was a great psychologist and precisely knew the formula for happiness. Some Buddhists look up-to him as God, whereas I see him as an enlightened man who shared with us about living freely without misery. He talked about living in moderation, by keeping wants and desires to a minimum that you can accomplish. One of the secrets of my happiness comes from the teachings of Buddha and other religious masters.
I attended the Mahabodhi society in Bangalore for the weekly sermons. One particular day, I was amazed at learning about the Four truths, then walked up-to the monk to appreciate him and extended my hand, he refused to shake, and pointed me to touch his feet. I walked away from the society for the last time. By the way, touching feet is a cultural expression of showing respect. I express by respecting the message.
But I learned a big lesson, and that is to ignore some of what the priests, monks, pastors, Imams and Rabbis say about their religions, and instead follow their books, you’ll find the truth, and the truth is freedom from anxieties, tensions, fears, apprehensions etc,.
The holy books are generally books of wisdom except the interpretations of “men” who were interested in gains to be had.
Please note, I write about the essence of every major festival of most religions, the idea is for us to learn about each other when we live on the same planet with least bias toward fellow humans
Mike Ghouse
Center for Pluralism
www.CenterforPluralism.com
A non-profit organization.