As I mentioned in an earlier blog post, my sister's a Buddhist teacher at the Dromtonpa Kadampa Meditation Center in Indianapolis, and though I don't consider myself Buddhist, I believe in a lot of the ideas that they teach and enjoy supporting my sister by going to an occasional class or special event. The latest event I attended was a particularly special one, as the Spiritual Director for the entire United States, Gen Kelsang Jampa, joined us for the evening and gave a teaching over the idea that you don't have to be Buddhist to take their lessons and apply them to your everyday life and become a more peaceful, happy person.
From the very first moment that you meet Gen Jampa, you can feel his happiness flow out of him and into you. Because he's doing what he truly loves and spreading the messages of Buddha, he seems very comfortable in his life and in his role as a leader, and being able to see someone so comfortable in a world that sometimes can seem so hard is very reassuring. If he can reach happiness, then maybe I can too.
I feel like most spiritual leaders will have this comfort in their lives (not tying myself strongly to any one religion and never really having met any spiritual leader besides Gen Jampa, I can't say for sure, but if you can believe so strongly in something that you can go out and preach that belief, I'm assuming that you've got to be pretty confident about the path that you've chosen). That comfort and confidence and happiness has a way of giving you hope as you chat with someone that devoted, so I really feel like everyone could benefit from meeting some sort of spiritual leader (even if you don't consider yourself religious).
So my challenge to you: Strike up a conversation with a preacher or a rabbi or a monk or an imam or a nun. They're actually more relateable to you than you think, and they've got some great advice.
And my question to you: Did you notice I reversed my challenge and question? ;) No, my question is, what's a spiritual moment that you had that made a difference in your life?
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