Being Introduced to Buddhism

Being introduced to another type of religion was incredibly interesting. I've never really done any research into the many other types that are out in the world. My friend Marina introduced me to the one she has followed for many years as in her own words, "saved her and changed her life". So, I wanted to see what she meant by that.

The first thing she explained to me was that becoming a Buddhist means you open your mind to new worlds, to new people and to new opportunities. At this point, I was intrigued to learn more about how being a Buddhist affects her daily life.

Marina had many books on other people's perspectives of Buddhism which I thought was very informative as it shows she accepts other people’s opinions about her religion. She then introduced me to different types of podcasts and Youtubers that have inspired her.

She introduced me to her religion because she knows about how I suffer from my mental health daily: she believed if I were to try the ways of Buddhism and explore it, then I could free my mind to hopefully get better.
How did I feel about this? Well, don't get me wrong, I was scared at first but then once I explored the ins and outs of the beautiful religion it opened my mind.

My favourite part about learning about the religion was through tarot cards. These cards are a healing tool to help us explore the light but also dark parts of our lives. They are also used to help you find guidance and your inner strengths.
What I found so interesting about these cards was how they used nature to find self-healing. I've never been one to believe that nature has a cure for everything but I do not doubt it either. I'm very open to listening and learning about how nature can heal us naturally and it's quite magical!

Marina also explained how she uses these cards every time she has to make an important decision or if she questions something in her life, she turns to the tarot cards. They help her to justify what to do and how to deal with the current situation.

To continue the research into Buddhism, Marina is taking me to her local temple to discover what it's like to be inside one and to meet with the people who look after the temple. I'll get to ask them questions that I've been wanting to find the answer to for a while like;

- What inspires them every day to look up to Budda for guidance?
- How did they discover the religion?
- What would they recommend I look into for guidance?
Just by exploring the inner depths of a different religion has been beautiful and it has opened my eyes to the inner beauty of our world. 

Reading the tarot cards that were picked out and put in front of me tells me how my mind and body need healing. How I should not focus on the past anymore but here and now. As you cannot change the past so what's the point in stressing about it?
But what you can work on is your future but most importantly right now, work on your happiness, your inner being and your mind and soul! Healing is a process that takes time but it is possible! 

So, from here I will take the next step to find more help. For my mental health and well-being, I have a strong belief in how these tarot cards and the religion can help me guide myself through recovery and hopefully, one day be able to live my life again with happiness. 

- Mel
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MEL