Sometimes the path to spirituality is a long and winding one. Three people share how their lives took an unexpected religious turn | ellijac
When it comes to faith, research has found that more than two in three people follow a religion or a set of spiritual beliefs. Of those, almost half remain committed to the religion of their upbringing, while more than half are open to changing their religious views given the right circumstances and evidence.
I read many books and spoke to many people about different ways of living. It was eventually through reading the Bible that I came to understand that the Christian god was my creator. Researching the evidence for the first time persuaded me that Jesus was God in the flesh. Still, life isn’t always easy. I face plenty of struggles. I’ve almost gone bankrupt, had my heart broken and lost loved ones. But when I do go through tough times, it’s wonderful to know that God is there to guide me.”Ayya Yeshe, 44, is the founder of the Bodhicitta Dakini Monastery in Tasmania. She became a Buddhist nun at the age of 23 and set out to live monastic life on her own terms.
Being cut out from my tradition and its support, I slept at friends’ houses and in my car, and I was sometimes homeless. Still, I volunteered and taught meditation in prisons, rehab centres and schools, and this service made me realise that my personal suffering was small by comparison. This life is hard and wonderful in equal measure. I’ve felt quite lonely and lived on less than the minimum wage, but the reward is that I wake up and feel peace and joy and know I’ve lived by my highest ideal: compassion.”Lila Elizabeth Knights, 44, is a Sydney yoga teacher who went from a conservative Christian background to being a Hare Krishna nun.“When I discovered Buddhism at university in my early 20s, I became a vegetarian and began meditating.
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