Edwin,
The words you wrote here spoke to me. Thank you for taking time to write them. They just seemed so wise and sensible.
I think you nailed it right on the head when you wrote:
Unfortunately all belief systems are taken over by ego after a while, and the signs are easy to identify. A search for power, large sums of money being charged, sexually frustrated "teachers", rules, a firm belief in the "fact" that they are the only true religion, and many more examples can be found. We can only become awakened when we stop believing, and start experiencing, or as the Buddha said, "Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense. "
And, you said it well when you wrote:
I take great comfort from the fact that no matter the rigid belief system these people were born in, the experience is the same for all people who awaken.
It is so affirming and hopeful that regardless of the religious tradition in which they begin, people who are humble and are awakening arrive at pretty much the same realizations.
I hope this day has been a good one for you. How's the weather in Holland, my friend? --Keith
