Spirit Search

We start where everyone begins, in the darkness of ignorance. At first we wander aimlessly through the mist, with no noise and no sound. Little by little, the mist starts to clear and we start to see a light. It starts growing and it continues to grow as time goes on. Our curiosity grows; what is that light that we see? We are entranced by that light even though we have no idea what it is. Sometimes we see it coming closer, sometimes it moves away. When it is near, we feel the intensity of the light, we see everything clearly. We bathe in the warmth of the heavenly rays. When it moves away, we lose sight of who we are and the coldness of death seems to draw near. But our will is stronger than the forces of time and nature and we persist to reach the light. We persist even though we know that we may never find out what that paradise is. It may be beyond our comprehension, beyond this reality, hidden from the great Father Time and Mother Nature. At least to our perception... In reality, that's what we're limited to, our perception. We are confined to this I, this point of view. It keeps us from truth because nothing out there can satisfy us. The light is within my friends, the light is within.

My life had a normal beginning. I was a child, a born and raised Catholic. I continued to conform and believe in what I was supposed to believe in until I reached my teenage years, which I am still in by the way. I gained a lot from being Catholic. I must say that before I continue because I gained a whole lot more and I am becoming a better person because I got a little lost.
My life seemed to be monotonous, I was following the same path, I was getting bored. My life seemed to have only one purpose: Be a good boy, do your work, trust in God, eat your veggies, etc. Ok, maybe multiple subdivisions, but it was basically the American purpose. I was following the American way, the fast-paced life with a semi-strong religious tradition. I had curiosity and an open mind however, which some/a lot of Americans do not have anymore. This small characteristic, this little piece of my mind, made, makes, and will make a significant impact on my life.
I was introduced to Zen Buddhism during the summer of my Freshman year of high school. Right now I am a Senior, but I'm getting ahead of myself. Once I was introduced to Zen Buddhism and meditation, my curiosity kicked in and I wanted to find out more. I meditated as often as I could, I read online articles about Zen Buddhism, I started questioning many things, including myself and my own beliefs. More to come....