Me and my Bible.

by Bernadette

(Philippines)

When I was little we were raised to always pray to God, follow the ten commandments, go to church, the works. I thought that that was my world, that the church was perfect, that my religion was the only one that existed.

And then I grew up and started to see the gray areas. I discovered the bloody history of my religion, how many wars were fought because of it. I discovered the conspiracies and secrets. As time went by, I found out that the world I had lived in was so different from the world around me. I started to question a lot of things. I started to see the gaps.I started seeing the reality of life. I slowly began to lose connection with my religion. I began to feel empty, like I just existed. It didn’t bring me the same peace it used to when I was a little girl and praying beside my bed.

After discussing world history and reading about Buddhism, I was overwhelmed by Siddharta Gautama’s story that I was moved to tears. I admired him and his courage, his strength and his patience.

It’s a tough decision, one that may shock my family and loved ones. Right now, I want to take that initiative. I want to know more about Buddhism. I’m just not quite sure how to start.