When i discovered Buddhism quite by "accident" about four years ago I felt like i was coming home. It is a beautiful way to live one's life and I have found so much safety and peace from my practice and beliefs.

I meditate daily and do practice to Buddha Tara who is the deity I feel most connection with, many has been the time I have gone for refuge to her and she has always been there for me, things then always sort themselves as they are meant to and i receive peace, we just need to trust in the process, which is not always so easy to do.

Talking of refuge, when I first was introduced to monks and nuns and saw them at gatherings I thought they "had got it", they were enlightened, then i began to see their flaws and human characters and it was explained to me that they "have gone for refuge", they are sheltering away from life. This makes perfect sense to me and I have definitely had strong nun callings myself. Especially when life gets difficult or painful.

When things get difficult for me I go for refuge to the Buddha, it makes me safe, very recently I have had some dark and difficult times, and sitting at my shrine, meditating and asking Tara for help has held me.

To remember daily that we are all only here for a short time, in this life form, all that is around us is impermanent, there really is no need for us to worry or fret, is totally freeing and liberating. We all know this on some level, but to really understand it is amazing, life changing for me.

The Buddha says the cause of all of our pain is from attachment and this is so true, it is not so easy to love without attachment but once you can grasp this To love our children and partners and loved ones without the grasping, jealousy, insecurities is wonderful, just to love and be content with what we have knowing we are cared for by the universe.

If we could just see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change - The Buddha.

Learn more about this author, Louise Lawler.
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