Though I gave up Christianity and religion 20 years ago, it's uncanny how their themes periodically manage to find their way into my conversations. A dear friend of mine who is Buddhist lamented to me that after much initial progress in her life of prayer (chanting, actually) she has fallen into a rut and lost her confidence. I shared a thought that came to my mind from the Christian concept of Baptism.
According to Christian thought, spiritual awakening happens first with a baptism, which is essentially a kind of purification of oneself. The baptism is the starting point. As far as I know, there is no similar starting point in Buddhism. My friend has been spending much time chanting for such things such as strength, courage, and wisdom, but I wondered aloud to her today whether before asking to receive things, perhaps she should chant for some sort of an inner cleansing first, so that as a vessel, she might be in a better condition to receive those gifts. She'd give it some thought, she told me, and I know she will.
Religion is so personal to those who choose such a path, and so I don't want to appear glib. But I do believe my advice above is an illustration of how beauty and wisdom can be found in all religions for those that keep an open mind.
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