Prescription Religion

An old boyfriend once had a T-shirt with a marvelous and pithy list that summarized the major world religions with a quick irreverent quote for each.

After being raised Catholic, I became a more generic Christian, moving eventually to Buddhism in my thirties.

How do these two things relate?

I sometimes think that Buddhism - for all it has kept me grounded, given me great insights, and meditation - might be the worst thing for me. Truth be told, I've always been a very compassionate person. (Look at my choice of career and political views.) Being able to put myself in another's shoes has never been something I've had to work particularly hard at. In fact, what I often think I need is assertiveness training - to get better at standing up for myself, recognizing when I am being taken advantage of, being firm and clear about what I want and need and will and won't accept.

Which has led me to the belief that what we may need, in place of this modern western ability to shop with impunity for pretty much any faith or spirituality that speaks to us, is someone ELSE to tell us what we need.

Prescription religion.

I look at myself lately - 40 years old and staring hard at my second divorce; glaring questions there about my judgement, at least in one major area! The last thing I need is to sit around thinking and talking about the need for compassion and emptiness! I need some stronger stuff....Wrath of God, chosen people. Maybe I need to ingest some a couple of shots of fundamentalism and start getting ready for the Rapture. Maybe I need to go back to confession, list sins and be absolved.

Sigh.

I am kidding, of course. Mostly. I am reading commentaries on the Diamond sutra lately. I was lucky enough to go to a daylong seminar on it, years ago, and have always loved the realization that only transcending emotions lets you see them; that "all form is emptiness, all emptiness is form," meaning that for all that they consume us at the moment, emotions are really only in us and don't exist otherwise or on their own. From there it's a short leap to being able to hold yourself above or apart from them to really see them.

(Except when you are consumed with primal tears at odd times. On hearing a song that hits you the wrong way. Driving home.)

I have asked the old boyfriend for the T-shirt and he doesn't have it anymore. Couldn't find it on line, either. I think I will spend some time on a comparative religious study, taking snippets as needed.

Later: Stepping in dogshit.