How do I become a Buddhist, and can someone explain Buddhism to me?

Entire books, even libraries, have been written about Buddhism, and that’s fine. However, I think most of Buddhism can be reduced to the following saying:

Rule 1. Don’t sweat the small stuff, and

But the the difference with some religions is: it is not quite a matter of perfection for perfection’s sake, but rather than if you are truly freed from materialism and selfishness, you simply won’t feel the need to hurt, dominate, or abuse other souls. Why would a truly evolved soul need to do things like that? And this state of awareness (Enlightenment) can be approached through a moderate, benevolent lifestyle, along with meditation and — above all — the acquisition of patience and understanding.

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And here you see the difference in the Western and Asian faiths. Buddhists, as a rule, usually aren’t obsessed with going around and spreading their faith by force, or by conquering everyone in sight… But rather by cultivating a sense of harmony and inner peace that for 2,500 years, has attracted followers.

Rule 2. Everything is the small stuff.

The Ego, to a Buddhist, is above all the illusion of an individual that he or she is at the center of the universe, and everything else is less important. One of the main goals of Buddhism is for the Ego (or illusion of separateness) to gradually fade way.

Should I have left it alone and kept quiet? I came out as gay to my adult kids last week. Age 61 married 15 years, divorced for 20. I feel so guilty for ruining their lives by living a lie.

Of course it is not QUITE that simple. In different ways, though, Christianity and Buddhism, are similar in that they reduce the cause of human suffering as basically being too attached to one’s Ego, or one’s exaggerated sense of self… even though behind everything there may be just one vast Consciousness, or Cosmic Intelligence.

Buddhists tend to think that this comes down to a transcendent awareness that can never be reduced to words alone. But it says that by practicing a few simple ideas, known as the Eightfold Path, one can approach this Cosmic Awareness over time.

Yes, that will strike many as a gross over-simplification. But it isn’t really. So much of what Christ taught, and what Buddha taught, can *ALMOST* be reduced to something like, “Try to be a better person.” And along with that, the learning of patience and moderation in all things.

Humans have evolved and become hairless and odor free. How do other races learn about evolution since evolution does not apply to them?

What so many of the world’s great “Faiths” attempt to do is to free the soul from obsessive identification with the Ego’s point of view, and free up an awareness of Cosmic Perspective.