Finding meaning in all religions

There's a church a few streets away from my house that I drive by every day on the way to work and back. Sometimes I notice that the church has a banner hung up at the front of it, with some sort of slogan or message. Today it says "The first duty of love is to listen". This was apparently said  by Paul Tillich, who according to Wikipedia, was "a German American Christian existentialist philosopher and theologian who is widely regarded as one of the most influential theologians of the twentieth century."

A couple of months ago I saw another sign at the same church, and having a lot on my mind, the quote really resonated with me and seemed to be where I needed it to be at just the right time. Unfortunately I can't remember what the quote was, which is a bit annoying! It was something to do with not despairing or losing hope, and I think God was in there somewhere. How annoying that something that was so poignant has completely slipped from my memory. It's true what Maya Angelou said though - you don't always remember the words, but you remember the feelings they gave you.

I digress. My point is that this was a sign outside a Methodist church, and I'm no Christian. I'm a Buddhist. But it made me think - I believe that all religions share much of the same fundamental values, regardless of how they are taught, the rituals and the people who practice them. I believe there is something to be taken away from all religions - that if you look closely enough at each one, you can find something, even if it's just something small, that is valuable and that will resonate with you. Have a go.

(Out of interest, I came across this webpage which has some very good quotes about despair - none of which is the one I'm thinking of. Still very interesting, though.)

Not a Buddha quote

Apparently this quote is not actually a quote from Buddha even though it is attributed to him. But I like it anyway because it promotes gratefulness and positivity:

"Let us rise up and be thankful,
for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little,
and if we didn't learn a little at least we didn't get sick,
and if we got sick at least we didn't die,
so let us all be thankful."

Yoda agrees with this blog

Here's another quick take on the whole be-nice-to-people-and-you'll-be-happy thing. Can you get a more reliable source than the great Master Yoda himself?

“Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”

See? Hate leads to suffering. Also, fear and anger are pretty bad, too. If Yoda says it, it must be true.

Winston Churchill says stop worrying

"When I look back on all these worries, I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which had never happened.”
- Winston Churchill

Abraham Lincoln ~ Happiness Quotes

"Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."
 - Abraham Lincoln

Jamminess ~ Happiness Quotes

"Happiness is like jam. You can t spread even a little without getting some on yourself."
            - Anonymous
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Apparently being kind and generous to other people will make you feel happy, as well as them. But to find out for sure if this is true, you'll have to try it out for yourself! Namaste.

Unsoiled by the world ~ Happiness Quotes

"As a lotus flower is born in water, grows in water and rises out of water to stand above it unsoiled, so I, born in the world, raised in the world having overcome the world, live unsoiled by the world." - Buddha

This is one of my favourite quotes, as I find it really inspirational. It means we will go through bad experiences but come out the other side. If I'm having a tough time, this beautiful quote can make me feel stronger and more powerful. It's just another reminder that nothing lasts forever, even when bad experiences and feelings feel like they will. We're all lotus flowers. Now don't you feel strong and pretty? Namaste!