A couple of years ago I went to a Buddhist retreat in Houston. One of the participants was a Presbyterian minister, another, a Catholic nun. Neither of these women saw any conflict between practicing Buddhism and believing in God.
The Lama, however, did.
At a group meditation one day, he asked for someone to explain it to him.
“I cannot believe in God,” he said, “because how could a benevolent being allow so much misery in the world.”
Not a new question, and yet, it was one that no one answered for the Lama.
I’ve been going around and around with this.
Today, the light bulb flickered.
The idea is still raw and unformed, and I write quickly, before the light goes out.
The Lama believed that the karma that each of us creates in this lifetime will affect future incarnations.
Others take the position that each soul chooses an incarnation based upon the lessons that that soul wishes to learn in this lifetime.
Both of these ideas place our souls at the center of Creation, giving each of us the power of the Divine.
I love the idea of each of us being Divine. And, I understand how, believing in our own divinity can seem to almost preclude the existence of a separate God.
Unless…
There is a God.
And this God allows free will. Both in heaven and on earth.
If that were the case, then God would not be responsible for allowing misery in the world. We would be responsible for allowing misery in the world.
Because…
God’s answer to the Lama’s lament, “Why don’t you do something?” is,
“I have. I sent you.”
6 comments:
A beautiful post. I too like the idea of each of us being divine.
thank you for visiting me and for your kind advice. I commented in more detail back at my place.
I have always believed that we come into each incarnation with specific lessons to learn and that life brings us the experiences with which to learn them.
For me, there is no conflict between believing in a Supreme Being and practicing Buddhism as best I can, for what would be the point in our being here at all if we were not given free will, and many lifetimes in which to perfect ourselves?
Yes! Amen to that, sister.
Free will has always been my answer. If we didn't have free will, we would not have the choice to love, believe (or not), or (co)create with the divine.
And if we don't have the choice to love God...and each other...why bother to be a bunch of little 'bots. Love without choice is not love.
Love.
I love this post--and completely agree. Free will gives us great power--power we cannot quite comprehend. And because God has a divine plan, he cannot thrwart our progress by interferring when we (or others) abuse that free will.
Can't talk now, gotta do 100 cartwheels over this post.
Dianne,
Your welcome. And thank you for dropping by.
Heart,
Your thoughts are beautiful. I wish someone could have articulated that to the Lama.
Wanda,
Free will is the key. I only wish it didn't get so many of us into so much trouble.
Shauna,
Sometimes I wish that I had been given the "grand plan" at the beginning, so that I could have avoided some of the blunders -- then I realize that it is through the blunders that I have usually learned the most.
Carrie,
100 Cartwheels?! My lord you have a lithe and youthful body. Must be the caffeine!
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