RELIGION or POLITICS - Can we talk??

Good morning, friends, and a great new week ahead for all. I have so ordained. Ta Da!

Eastern Wisdom :
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The True mission of religion is to help people manifest the POWER within themselves, to overcome their difficulties, and be HAPPY.

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I am picking up from my last blog where I explained my early life, with a tyrannical father, who was a Presbyterian Minister, and who died when I was 14 years of age.

Then, after continuing to attend a church for a couple years after his death, I decided I had too many questions regarding religion, and no answers, so I just quit going to any church for many years after that.

As is in my previous mentions, I have been married 5 times, and of course religion was sort of active or inactive in each. But collectively they led up to my being a Nichiren Buddhist today.

I am not particularly proud of the numbers of marriages, but as my life pursued itself, they just happened, and I can't give an easy explanation of why so many. 

 My first marriage of some 14 years, was to an RN, who I met while selling magazines, door to door, and traveling from city to city, with a group of guys, doing the same.  

I won't go into any details of this marriage, which happened in 1937, but each marriage has it's own story, or, as I have said, "I had five lives, as well as wives". Two sons, born 9 years apart. The only mention of religion in this marriage, was that this first wife thought after the first son was born that we should do some church going for the first son's sake. We did attend one church for awhile but with my lack of enthusiasm, it just sort of petered out.

In marriage #2, with also 2 sons, it was me that suggested going to a church, which we did, two of them. The last one I even wound up being ordained a Deacon. However, neither the marriage or the church going lasted, with a divorce after 14 years. 

My third marriage was to a Canadian lady, and church was never a topic of discussion. We spent some summers in Canada and winters in Florida. However, I, for some inner reason, desired some spiritual connection, and searched for a church or religion that was somewhat different. I found it in the Unity movement, suggested to me by a golfing friend.

At the time, the Unity beliefs and philosophy appealed to me greatly and I enjoyed attending. This wife attended with me for a time, but we ran out of reasons to stay married, so after some 13 years, I initiated a divorce. 

I continued to attend church, and being single, I also attended a number of singles gatherings. Since I did not prefer being single, I finally met wife # 4. 

Fortunately, having been a sort of Catholic, she liked attending Unity with me, and we became active, both serving as ushers, and I Head Usher for many years. I also served a 3 year term on the church Board.

Again, I won't go into marriage details, but this marriage too, burnt out after about 14 years. I initiated a divorce here too with #4. I cannot, nor will not. put all the blame of my wives. I do believe, much of the faults were mine. Oh yes, and the thread through all these marriages was that in none were there any normal family signs of affection.   

Wife #5 came about, by a sort of co-incident, though I don't really believe in them. But it happened and this wife turned out to be a treasure and we are in our 25th year as of May 3rd., next.

Now, I am very close to my first two sons, and we keep in constant contact with them and with all the hugging and kissing that goes with normal human relationships. Doris, my present wife has taken to them and they, she, and it has been good all around. Not perfect, but good.

This wife also took to Unity and we had some happy years there, until one day, I saw a picture of a home meeting of what was called a Nichiren Buddhist meeting, and invited inquiries. I called a number expressing my curiousity, and was invited to attend a meeting. We did.

Well, chanting is a big part of Buddhism, and I enjoyed it though I knew nothing about it etc. After the chanting, they discussed certain points on human relations within the Buddhist membership, along with anyone who might wish to relate a benefit received as a result of practice and study. Each meeting has a different venue, and are held in private homes, once a week. Their is also daily practice, with study or reading involved , twice a day, in the morning and evening, with chanting being the regular part of both.

Well, when our first meeting was over, along with the after meeting chatting, my wife and I were about to leave when the husband host, said to me "CJ, if you chant 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the evening, your life will do a 180 degree change". As it so happened my wife were having severe financial problems, and me at 83, so I did what the man said and indeed, I chanted, and lo and behold, my life and our lives did change completely. In truth, the practice proved itself. I got a job within that 30 days, and it has been better and better ever since for us.

I will say in closing today's blog, that my wife did not take to the practice as I did, and being basically a serious Christian, she decided to stay with Christianity. She tried it, more to her credit, but in our differences we support each other.

Now, the basis for this blog was supposed to be on affection in families. Showing affection is part of this Buddhist practice and now, we and they, have lots of it. My wife will agree that I have changed much for the better because of my turning to Nichiren Buddhism, and good things continue.

If anyone in my future blogs, whether it be in religion or politics, has any desire to have dialogue on differences in religions, and get into why I love and enjoy this Buddhism, then I will be happy to share thoughts and ideas.     Cheers.  Back soon.     CJ