MiSURA

Check it out. It's just an article about "Jesus through Buddhist eyes". It's about a Christian man who turned to Buddhism in this early thirties. He just talks about how now that he's a Buddhist, his views about Christianity have changed and in what ways they've changed.

I realize that people turn away from Christianity as well as turn to Christianity. But the part that bothered me the most was the last paragraph on the second page.

So, as the Dalai Lama said: 'Everyone wants to be happy; no one wants to suffer.' Jesus and the Buddha are extraordinary friends and teachers. They can show us the Way, but we can't rely on them to make us happy, or to take away our suffering. That is up to us.

I don't think that it's up to us to find happiness or peace. I think it's actually kind of frustrating if you're trying to attain enlightenment and you never get there. If it's all up to you what kind of solace is that? We are only human. We are only capable of so much. Whereas God.... GOD is capable of ALL THINGS. How can we NOT rely on him to free us from sin and grant salvation?

Yeah, Jesus & Buddha could be teaching similar things but again whose authority is higher? Jesus or Buddha's? Another part that bothered me was that the author, after having converted to Buddhism, saw Jesus as more human than God as if the idea of Jesus' authority was dulled. Does it matter that the image of Jesus is now that of just a human rather than fully man and fully God? YES. It does matter. He specifically says that He is the son of God. He wasn't conceived in a natural but supernatural way. He's not your blood brother or father but rather the son of God who is ordained with all the powers of God. If His authority is higher, then whose words would you believe? Jesus or Buddha?

Buddha can teach how to be more compassionate, how to give generously and willingly, and how to let anger just flow right through you, but what is the ultimate goal of doing these "good" things? Is it to make you feel better about yourself? Is it to make you look good in front of others? Is it to make the world "a better place"? The world is also temporary just like ourselves. So what's the point of making the world "better" when tomorrow the end could come? We need to live for the ETERNAL. Jesus shows us the Way so that we can live eternally with Him and the Father. If we prepare the world for the ETERNAL then that's a much noble cause rather than just striving for the world to be better.

I don't mind like looking at Buddhist art and reading about Buddhism. It's really interesting and more knowledge doesn't hurt one bit. But my faith will not be shaken. There is one purpose for me: To live for the God Almighty and HIS PURPOSE, NOT MY OWN.

@ kelvin smith library. i love that place. so peaceful. i just need my tall iced caramel macchiato, a 20min nap, and books to keep me company. i can go all night. well until 2am that is. ^ ^

1) i was a fashion designer.
i really enjoyed watching project runway and thought i had a good eye...... hahah yea right ! but at the "Golden Age of Couture" exhibition, there are some drop dead gorgeous dresses and designs that make me wish i lived in that time period. You can view some of the images HERE.

2) that i could remember everything.
i remember reading kite runner back in senior year of high school. now they're making the film and i totally can't remember what it was about ! i just remember really liking the book and crying b/c it hit me so personally.

3) that i really was a CSI.
this story disturbed me so much b/c it's just like what i would watch on the show, CSI. a child was abandoned at a train station and her father fled to LA while her mother was found dead at their home. i remember reading yesterday that the child was abandoned and i prayed that the child will be able to find her parents. but i didn't expect something twisted like her father abandoning his family for america. i suppose i shouldn't be surprised.

so i'm getting busy and i haven't been putting up a photo everyday.
aish ! how bout photo weekly? =) that's better than no photos, right?
i'm getting the hang of carrying my camera around w/ me.
now it's a matter of taking it out and being comfortable enough to take photos.
i do have a couple to show. ssssoooo i'll get to those when i can.
bye. =)

i really like reading bbc.com. it gives me the quickies on what's going on around the world. i especially like the "in pictures" feature. If I could, maybe I'll just become a photographer.... =D just joking ! =P

but check it out whenever you have time. for me, photos speak much louder so i like looking at them. plus the colors are amazing and i haven't traveled to everywhere in the world so through bbc.com i get a glimpse.

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in my own news, though...
1. tour guide
i am now giving three tours a week ! and i got a raise of $0.25 so i'm making a little more than i did before. in addition, i find out tonight whether or not i got the telecounseling job so i hope i can make more money... for gas, to pay off my camera, food, shoes, yknow.

2. classes
they're going so great ! love love lovvvvvvvve my buddhist art professor. he's exactly the type of professor i want to be. lenient but not passive. concerned but not obsessive. understanding and patient and not angry.

3. sleep
it's SO hard to sleep in my room. i still sleep with my window a little open b/c it does get stuffy after a while. but even if it's opened a crack, i can hear the traffic, ambulance, police cars, and motorcycles. it makes it impossible to sleep. i'm only on the third floor, but being right next to a road doesn't help things.

4. church
i'm using the Bible Study that i completed over the summer. i'm so excited !! we just finished Isaiah so we're starting Jeremiah this study. it's really a simple study. we're going into three specifics about the prophets: 1) who were they? how were they called? what kind of lives did they lead? 2) what did they prophesy? 3) how do they point to Jesus's coming? of COURSE there's SO much more than what i'm covering, but hopefully this will be a comprehensive study rather than an intense Bible Study.


that's all from me ! i'll post a picture later. it's hard to carry my camera around and have enough time to upload it, process it, etcetc. or am i just making excuses. =)

spoon for eating my rice.
spatula to cook my stuff to mix with the rice.
chopsticks have become obsolete.

are my life. if i were to become colorblind right now.... i dunno what i'd do. i'd go absolutely insane.

((this is for monday sept 10th))

my foliage opened up. =) and of course it was photoshopped.

the rest of the pink party pictures are finished.

but i'll just post up my favorites. ^ ^

i like taking pictures of two things: flowers and people.
i like taking "interesting" and "cool" photos that are super close up and make you think what it would've looked like in the big picture. but i just like everyday things more and making them the center. i guess every now and then i want to venture and try out a "cool" photo.

i was never good at abstract things so therefore i go for more concrete things. maybe if i buy more lens i'll explore and do more things. but for now, i just like flowers and people. not necessarily in that order. =)

i should reeeally go to the botanic garden before it closes.. -___-;; or i'll catch it in the spring, i guess. if i can wait that long ! arg.

at cute little places.

i'm trying different watermarks and stuff. that's why my pictures keep on looking different. -__-;;
these pictures aren't that great b/c half the time i was trying to figure out what setting was best, etc.

i ordered the shrimp tempura, unagi crunch, and dragon. that stuffed me pretty darn well. we also waited 1.5hrs for our freakin food. next time, there better be better service !

Yay for Friday tomorrow ! And hopefully after tomorrow's thunderstorming the temperatures will cool down so I can stop sweating and sleep comfortably at night.

...no matter what happens.

this is really for tues, 09/04/07. =)

i forgot the picture from yesterday ! AHH ! i really need to be on top of my stuff. -__-;;

just precious !!

gaege. he secretly loves me. i'm just waiting for him to confess. =) he's a little shy at the age of 2.

excited for classes to start again. man ! so busy ! but this is how life is, ain't it?