The World's Religions

In his book The World’s Religions, Huston Smith writes: “We shall try to describe states of consciousness that words can only hint at. We shall use logic to try to corner insights that laugh at our attempt. And ultimately, we shall fail; being ourselves of a different cast of mind, we shall never quite understand the religions that are not our own. But if we take these religions seriously, we need not fail miserably. And to take them seriously we need do only two things. First, we need to see their adherents as men and women who faced problems much like our own. And second, we must rid our minds of all preconceptions that would dull our sensitivity or alertness to fresh insights. If we lay aside our preconceptions about these religions, seeing each as forged by people who were struggling to see something that would give help and meaning to their lives; and if we then try without prejudice to see ourselves what they saw – if we do these things, the veil that separates us from them can turn to gauze.”

In choosing to believe that all the world’s religions are in my life because I choose them to be, I choose Huston Smith’s words to express precisely my belief.

If there is anything original in Sh’am Buddhism it’s accidental. Serendipitous, perhaps. We stand on the shoulders of giants.