Is this life a punishment?

As you may have already guessed by the layout of my blog background, I am growing increasingly interested in the Buddhist culture. The first thing I need to know, or anyone needs to know about Buddhism for that matter, is that I do not know nearly enough about the beliefs, cultural traditions or history of Buddhism to claim to be an expert on Buddhism. I do know that I may live to be 200 years old, reading all day every day of my life and still not come close to fully understanding this system of beliefs. This is because more and more pieces of religious scriptures and doctrines are constantly being written. And even if one were able to fully keep up with this reading, there are still literally thousands of texts that were destroyed by the Chinese invasion into Tibet in the mid-twentieth century. With that being said, all I can say is that what I have learned has helped me greatly in dealing with everyday stress as well as improvement on my depressed state!

One of the things that I have learned from Buddhism is that the belief of karma, or the balance of the universe in order to instill morally enlightening understanding by counteracting negative moral behavior in order to achieve personal gain with negative circumstances almost as a punishment, has the ability to not only affect this lifetime, but the next lifetime as well after reincarnation. Now, we all know there has been one point and time in all our lives where we feel like we're being punished. Most of these thoughts occur simply after a bad day where nothing seems to go right or just an enormous amount of bad luck. But with that said, I can honestly say that my entire life has seemed that I have not been properly equipped with basic tools that most others have in order to function normally in everything from social settings to simple independent tasks. So I honestly have wondered on an almost daily basis if I am being punished for actions in a previous life. Although this at first was extremely frustrating for me, believing I was being punished as well as wondering what I was being punished for knowing I would never have answers, with the new knowledge I have received from the books I have read on Buddhism I am now filled with an immense feeling of hope and encouragement!

One of the major teachings I have read that has helped me with this belief is this: although karma may affect your current life based on actions from a previous one, there is still nothing within the laws of karma that states your life must continue to be filled with anguish for the rest of this life! To put it in simpler terms, if you learn your lesson, your punishment in this life is over. Karma is also designed where you are never meant to know the origin of the punishment or any actions related to it. This also is supported by a major teaching of Buddhism that states the past is never to be viewed in a negative way that causes either regret or guilt. Without the knowledge of previous events that has caused your punishment, your mind is free of distractions and more able to understand the full capabilities of how your soul can make the proper adjustments to be closer to achieving peace and positive energy.

Imagine for just one moment that someone who has been convicted of driving under the influence and vehicular manslaughter has been sentenced to one year of hard physical labor. Now imagine that the complete event of what happened the night he drove drunk and killed someone has been entirely erased from his memory. If all he knew is that he had done something terrible but didn't know what and he also knew that no one was able to tell him what he had done, how different that year of hard labor would be?! Without the specificity of the guilt lingering in his mind and clouding his thoughts, after that year he would be much more grateful for the opportunity to live without the burden of punishment and feel more emotionally and spiritually refreshed! This whole scenario I believe is accurately predicted because of one simple and powerful fact: the most difficult part of overcoming a negative experience you caused is FORGIVING YOURSELF!!! Believe me on this one, I'm talking from experience! If you disagree, please feel free to let me know! One more powerful teaching from Buddhism is the main idea that your mind is and always will be constantly expanding. If anyone offers a different opinion on the matter, I am more than open and willing to hear it! Collaboration leads to the birth of new and exciting ideas!!

Well, I still don't know if anyone is reading this, but if you are then thank you!

Bye for now!
-Justin

Been Awhile

Well, I'm not even sure if anyone is following my blog, but if they were followers, I'm sure they're gone now. I have recently been inspired that the true objectivity behind art is the pure form of expression...not the interpretation. With that being said, to anyone who does indeed read this, please know that it is in no way meant to disrespect how or what you interpret from my writing. I am simply stating that I am writing as a form of self-therapeutic measure if anything else. I would very much enjoy feedback, comments, suggestions or even criticism from anyone who does read this, which is hopefully on a more frequent basis. Thank you very much in advance!


-Justin

The "Ham" Story

There was a story I heard once and I just really enjoyed the analogy that it represents. The story was about a young woman who had recently moved into a new neighborhood. Her new neighbors had welcomed her by giving her a ham as a gift. Upon receiving the ham, the young woman became upset. Noticing his wife was upset, her husband asked why she was so upset. She replied that she didn't know where they had packed the saw for cutting meat and didn't know how long it would be until it was unpacked. Confused, the husband asked why she needed the saw and she said that she has always cut an inch off each side of the ham before she cooks it. When he asked her why she always cut off an inch on each side, she said that it was always the way her mother did it. He asked why her mother did it and she was not sure. So they decided to call her mother and ask why she always cut an inch off the ham and the mother replied that it was always the way that HER mother did it. So then the young lady called her grandmother and asked why she always cut an inch off the ham. The grandmother simply replied that back when she was a young wife, she did not have a pan that was large enough to fit the entire ham so she had to cut an inch off each side of the ham so it would even fit in the pan to cook it.

This story has served me as a great example of how something that we as a civilization, society, community, family or even simply the individual sometimes have the tendency to continue on a tradition without even being aware of it or, more importantly, the purpose and reason behind it. Through internal examination we become closer to external enlightenment. I for one have made a personal goal to never again carry on a tradition simply because "That's how we've always done it"! Not to say that there aren't any traditions worth passing on, but the important ones that need carrying on are the ones that have substance, depth and a sense of something more than just a pattern through time.

First Post

Hello all! I have decided to start a blog not with the intentions that many people will read this but more of a type of therapeutic method for my constant analyzations about everything from my own personal beliefs about religion to why people's driving skills have seem to detiorate and everything in between. But to the few that do read this, I would like to say thank you and welcome to a free spirited and open environment. I greatly value the friends I have in my life and the connections we share and will continue to share. If I happen to post anything that offends anyone, please know that it is completely unintentional and are simply my opinions written down and I apologize. Also please feel free to offer any kind of rebuttal or dispute. I hope to keep this blog entirely open to any free thought from myself or anyone else. Thank you again for visiting my blog and I hope you visit frequently.

All the best
Justin