Greetings

I would like to thank you all for your input on the subject.  It is a blessing to meet you all!  I am glad to see you agree that no matter what our differences are, we are to accept each other.  Your replies have been of much help in giving a more in depth description of this topic.  Bless you & take care.

Regards,
Night Owl

I was a rebel since I was a child. I was never comfortable with the concept of religion. I really hate it when you have to fill in the blank in forms and applications. I think there's that space for that in virtually every forms in my country . I would alternate between taoism or buddhism most of the time.

I discovered that both these "religion"  were not religion at all. To me, the taoists of ancient china were the most rebellious bunch of enlightened alchemists. Taoist use the term cultivating and refining. They cultivated the truths: in body, speech and mind, they also cultivated the virtues. The final stage they aim is to merge with the tao " (sounds like some similarity to yoga). Many taoists had used the slogan like "My destiny is in my own hand and is not up to the heavens".

Buddha's teaching has transformed into mahayana sect when it enters china.   I memory serves correctly, the buddhism practised in Thailand is the "original" teachings.
The mahayana sect also have their focus on cultivating: cultivating the heart and also in cultivating virtues.
Gee... I am really not sure about the original buddha's teaching, anyone....?

I guess I can say the same for Jesus teachings: cultivating the heart and cultivating virtue......

Ah I didn't know I feel that way about religion if I didnt get that out of my head? What a good thread, Thanks.

Now I understand y I reacted very badly when someone says "hey you should come to our church"....          

In response to your request for info regarding the teachings of Gautama, I have posted a piece on Buddhism in a new thread - 'Buddhism - Guide to practical living.'

Greetings to you all

After pondering more about the subject I posted, I realized that I prefer no religion at all.  What I prefer to do is study all the types of religion and keep only that which is good in mind.  But if I had to choose, I would say that nature is my religion.  I am truly fond about nature, and getting away somewhere in nature, truly helps me find peace and stability.  The overwhelming energy flowing within nature helps me connect to a more spiritual level then any other place would.  I completely respect nature and all it has to offer.  

That which really struck me, was that in any religion it should focus on developing yourself spiritually in order to reach your full potential, to be one with nature and all in it, to be one with the universe and one with God.  And there is much to learn from all the types of religion.  Yet, as I was forced to grow up in a Christian religion, I have realized that there is much that Christians can learn from other religions.  In Christianity they mostly teach the Gospel, any other form of spirituality they are against.  In my opinion this is not the way it is suppose to be, because they are with holding information to those who seek true enlightenment.  I have always been different, I have special abilities which one of them is having premonitions.  This caused me to feel like an outcast during my childhood, because something that I see now as a gift was to them something evil.  I have noticed that there are many today turning their backs on Christianity because they too realize that in order for them to reach enlightenment, they have to take risks and study other religions until they have found the one that is suitable for themselves.  I hear many people saying today that from Christianity and many other religions, spirituality are moving forward.  

I have recently stumbled upon another religion, one that is very old.  The name of this religion is Gnosticism, and this religion existed in the period before Christ was born.  From this religion two other religions then moved forth, the one is Paganism and the other is Christianity.  I am finding Gnosticism very interesting, because there is much within the believes of this religion that I agree with and to be honest, it is fun for me to study a religion for a change that is very old, one that is one of the oldest religions in history.  

Something interesting I also want to share with you.  Now I have respect for all religions, including Christianity, but let me tell you what happened first.  A few years ago, a Christian Preacher visited me.  I immediately saw the potential of this person, he has a very special talent, he can reach into your soul and see things about you that only you know about.  Anyways, he started talking about me and he told me things about me that only I knew.  But as like him, I also have the same gift, so I started doing the same with him.  The thing is, I realize that in someway I was sort of disrespectful because instead of listening to him, I started playing a game with him.  Anyways, as the time passed we became friends.  Then he had a dream one night of me becoming a preaching, which I must truly say is a ridiculous suggestion to begin with...lol!  On that topic, he asked me if I would be interested in becoming one.  I told him that there are too many things about Christianity that I am against.  He asked me like what...  So, I told him that when preaching or sharing knowledge to people about the spirit etc, I believe that one should do it somewhere in nature.  I told him that preaching in a building is not my idea of how it should be done.  One doesn't need a building to preach for in my opinion it is something that is man made.  Another thing that I told him is that if one preaches somewhere in nature, all is welcome including those who are poor.  I told him that I understand that a building offers protection against things like rain, but then one can just come together another day if you preach in nature.  Anyways, to keep the story short, he became angry at me.  He told me that it is not their ways and he is totally against it.  Which in return I asked him why?  What is so bad about the idea of preaching somewhere in nature, according to the Gospel, that is how Jesus did it, so why can't they?  He got so mad at me that he climb in his car and left without replying to my question.  Up to this day I have never seen him again or heard from him again.  

From this experience I had, I realized that no one can preach for me and neither can I for them.  It is a path that I should take alone by studying the different religions and making notes of that which I agree with.  Growing spiritually is up to me, and no one else because then someone else's believes can be forced on me.  I prefer to be free, to make my own choices and believe what I choose to believe and not what someone else wants me to believe.  Upon realizing this, that was the day I became a seeker.  Today I have grown spiritually to have finally reach a point to where I have awakened spiritually.  I have reached enlightenment to a point where I see things in a whole new perspective.  I think many of you all out there will agree that you are Seekers.  And that is so great!!!  So, I wish you all many blessings to come your way, take care & good luck to you all.

Best Regards,
Night Owl