The PathTo....

There are many paths to enlightenment. Be sure to take one with a heart.
Lao Tzu

It was a quiet weekend. Photography, cooking, spending time talking with friends and doing some reading on Buddhist thought as it relates to the psychology of mind as well as some Taoism. I also had an encounter with someone who tried to "save me" while I was sitting in my patio. I live in an area of California that one native described to me as the Bible Belt of California. It's hard at times, because I don't place a label on my thoughts/universal view and I'm often questioned here about them. When pressed, I try to be diplomatic and tell people I believe that there are many paths to truths. That is, I think all traditions of philosophy and religions are akin to looking through a prism which splits the one light into many colors, and thus I try to respect what an individual has found to be the path to truth for them. This has served me well sometimes and at other times when I'm exasperated from someone's rude persistance, I will finally tell them I'm a Taoist/Buddhist/Pagan as I find these traditions have touched my life. That usually seems to stun the most persistent and allows me to make my escape.

I like the quote above because it sums up my thoughts, whatever path I take I want it to be with a heart to feel love and compassion. If only the extremists in various belief systems would allow their paths to embrace this rather than that of hate and harm, our world would be a better place....

R.E.M., "Losing My Religion":