Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Back to Thich Nhat Hanh

I'm reading Living Buddha, Living Christ, by Thich Nhat Hanh. I am still reading the Book of Mormon, but I just couldn't wait to delve into the book that came so highly recommended. This passage in the book resonated with me, "The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green earth in the present moment."

I've been thinking about the stories we are told through religious texts and wondering why we have to put faith in tales that go so far beyond our realm of reason. The world we live in is amazing and things happen every single day that, even with an explanation, are astounding. I look at the variety of species that surround me and I look at art work created by another human and I am in awe. The problem, as Thich Nhat Hanh points out, is living in the moment and realizing the splendor surrounding us.

I was raised on the stories from the Bible, but later looked at them as symbolism versus truth. I now see them as similar to the tales of Aesop, and we certainly don't take those literally, do we? Why do we believe the stories in the Bible and the Book of Mormon are actually true? Why do we need to believe in things that don't make sense to try to make sense of our world?

1 comment:

  1. Living Buddha, Living Christ was the book that changed so much for me, in a very good way!

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