Religion and spirituality have always had a presence in my thoughts. I still struggle with how and why organized faith has been a driving force behind bigotry, genocide, and oppression throughout history. Feelings of resentment for religion still creep in when I look at what we are doing on this planet of ours. In search of answers to these issues and to confront issues of my own I looked into the works of The Dalai Lama, Gandhi, and Malala Yousafzai among others. I learned of what Thich Quang Duc did to stand up to the oppressive forces that always find ways to take hold in our society. More questions were raised than answered, but these individuals restored some semblance of optimism for those who follow what they do not fully understand. Because that is what keeps us all going. Scientists and Preachers alike. Find bliss and beauty in prayer and meditation...but do so with an open mind and open heart. Be kind and joyous, for it is such a big world with so much to learn.
"A knowledge of the existence of something we cannot penetrate, of the manifestations of the profoundest reason and the most radiant beauty, which are only accessible to our reason in their most elementary forms—it is this knowledge and this emotion that constitute the truly religious attitude; in this sense, and in this alone, I am a deeply religious man."
-Albert Einstein
