Why i am not a buddhist...

Buddhism has always been something that i have been very interested in. But there have been two things that have stopped me diving right in and declaring myself a buddhist.

You see, i like the peace, the kindness, the compassion for humanity - and i believe i subscribe to all of these ways of life wholeheartedly. The mindfulness and the universal love-ness of buddhism just touched me at a time when i so needed it in my life.

But there are two things that i can't quite get to grips with:

1. No magic.
I'm a spiritual being and like a bit of magic in my beliefs. Think of 'The Secret' and 'Think and Grow Rich' these basically teach that YOU set the direction and nature/ the universe/ god/ whomever shows up with the goods. I believe this, i cherish this and i'm so totally grateful for life's magicness. In the buddha's teaching - the magic is in the philosophy but not in the air. The Buddha would have said that subscribing to the 'The Secret' ticks off two of the three poisons (greed and delusion). Personally, i need to believe in the magic. Particle physics is 'magic'... existence is indeed 'magic'. I need to wake up every morning knowing that i will interact with the unexplained!

2. Being desireless
The buddha taught that you had to rid yourself of all desire to be free from suffering. I agree with this. But then all modern teaching tell us that desire leads to everything good. The first chapter of Think and Grow Rich is basically about letting desire consume you until you get what you want. Tony Robbin's 'The Edge' tells you to get disturbed about whatever you want to change - which means tapping into your suffering at its most raw level. The Secret tells us that our desire and beliefs come into fruition through the law of attraction.

But the thing that always bothered me: the buddha was a great man that achieved great things. He spent 45 years of his life passing on his teachings, opening monasteries, giving sermons, talking to people about his ideas. If the buddha was desireless would he done any of this or would he just have hung out under his Bo tree in a state of blissful nibbana?! He wanted to rid the world of suffering - there is no greater desire than that, but that is still a desire. Ultimately, the buddha is defined by his desire! He is famed for his desire and worked for 45 years to pursue it! Anyone else see the paradox in that?

What i do love about buddhism is that i can question this... ask what other people think, debate, discuss and then reach my own conclusion. I will not burn in a fire of eternal hell for identifying a blip. And that is why i love buddhist philosophy so much and i'm l---------l <-- *that* close from being a buddhist!

Ted Williams: Golden Voice guy...

The river of life can take some funny twists and turns.

One warm September afternoon in 2008, a took a call which began a whole new era of my life, this whole world opened up to me. It got me a new job and then another new job. It took me to far flung places, tons of new friends and enabled me to live at a quality of life I thought totally out of reach. Plus, opportunities are not great at staying within their boundaries - my personal 'win' meant that a load of other people got a good opportunity, like some strange cosmic chain-reaction.

I sometimes think of my 'right time/right place' stroke of luck. I knew of people more deserving than I. How come the opportunity floated down into my lap and not theirs? I think to myself - 'what would have happened if i hadn't answered that call?'

I've considered this time and time again. Firstly, I can't feel guilty about the fact that lady luck cast her wand at me. Instead, i take comfort in the old expression: 'when opportunity knocks, it has bloody knuckles'.

So, my philosophy is, even if i had missed that call one warm September afternoon. I would have kept doing my thang, kept interacting positivity with the world around me, kept showing up with the goods and kept being open to the possibilities. I am absolutely certain that some other exciting opportunity would have stepped forward and changed the course of my life in another way, just a different way. Now, that i've had this life changing experience, i consider myself 'lucky' and I swear that good things are attracted to this positive energy.

Ted Williams, this newly famous voice over guy is a wonderful example of opportunity in action. You can't just manifest things in the comfort of your living room. Sure - visualize it, dream about it, write it down, pray to god, feng shui your home in the most auspicious way - but, just like our buddy Ted: keep showing up in life, keep dreaming, keep believing, keep asking and formally invite opportunity into your life. With enough stubbornness, enough perseverance, enough 'tries' and lots of energy - opportunity will step forth and shake you by the hand. In interviews with JK Rowling, she describes herself as a 'trier'. She's someone who will have a go and believe in herself. I'm pretty darn convinced that 'Life favors triers'!

Wherever you're at, whatever you want to do: Keep trying :-)