1 post tagged “buddhism”

Crazy crazy weather. It was 60 degrees not that long ago! We didn't get the ice and snow buildup here as predicted. We had some, but not like we expected. Now, today, we're actually getting snow and the ground is covered. This better not mean that "winter" is going to extend into April or May. Ugh.

I don't start my new job until the end of February, so I won't be giving my notice at work until the first part of the month. I'm taking some time off before then which I'm looking forward to more than I can express.

I've been moving out of my comfort zone more lately. For the past three weeks, I've been checking out the services at the local Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. It's been a welcoming, comfortable experience so far. I was raised as a Catholic but distanced myself from it as a teenager. Then, in my 30s, I became a Buddhist. Although Buddhism, in general, makes a lot of sense to me, I didn't like the "restrictions" on what I should/shouldn't read and find value in. For instance, the particular practice that I belonged to NEVER discussed the teachings of other Buddhist leaders outside of that particular sect. All other Buddhist teachings were deemed inferior; I took that to mean there was no value in them. I tried, a couple of times, to make myself "fit" into that practice, but it never felt quite right to me.

Fast forward to about a month ago when I starting searching online for some religious communities in my area. I came across the local UU group. When I lived in Syracuse, NY, I remember attending a couple of GLBT events at a UU church, and I knew of their openness to GLBT issues. Still, I thought they were a Christian group. Much to my pleasant surprise, they are non-creedal and welcoming of all beliefs. Though the UU historical background is Christian,  they welcome Jews, Muslims, pagans, Buddhists, atheists, humanists...it's a pretty wild concept for me to accept, but I'm slowly understanding their purpose and principles. It's such a refreshing change.