Rants and thoughts

I always feel like Easter is a wierd holiday. I mean what do I tell the kids? We are non-christians that try to follow Buddhist teachings and honor the holiday for it's importance? Also kiddies the holiday is abot this guy who along time ago got nailed to a cross and....... Then to complicate matters it just so happens that the Passion of Christ was on TV last night at work. Suffice to say that this bloodletting was brutal. I am not sure why there was so much focus on the brutality, and there was alot. I remember as a kid seeing the made-for-TV special," The life of Christ" and being pretty impacted by it. It is hard not to be. The guy got nailed to cross! That is powerful. I think though that therein lies the problem. How do you argue with it? You don't. I believe that Jesus was real and did great things, I am just not so sure that he would be real pleased at the currnent state of his flock. I think the crucifiction brings up anger as well, and that can breed intolorence. Especially toward the Jews, if you saw the movie. I had to pause and reflect about the phrase "Happy Easter", cause I don't think it is very congruous. I remember in high school, I was "born again" and was real convicted at the time. But I remember making a poster that showed Jesus and the Easter Bunny and the quote on it said "which one died for your sins". I really felt like I was making a statement. Interesting how thinks change. Tolle says that if you believe that only your religion is the truth, you are using it in the service of the ego. Then religion becomes ideology and creates the illusion of superiority which divides and creates conflict between people. You can look no further than the Moussaoui case to see that. The bible is a doctrine of faith which is based on thoughts or ideas. Which at best can only point to the truth, but it can never be the truth. It can only serve the ego. Openess and tolerance can only lead to the truth. Just as Jesus said, "I am the truth, the light and the way". Not that his words were the truth. The truth resides inside. You don't search for it in Jesus or anyone else, it is and always has been inside all of us. Doctrines and leaders of religion only help us get there. There is no easy way. We just keep peeling back the onion layers, day after day, and try to keep smiling.

hunting for the Buddha,

VJ