Tuesday, August 31, 2010

49,000 paths to enlightenment

It is said that Gautama Buddha 2500 years ago spoke of there being 49,000 correct paths to enlightenment. So, there could be even more paths that have arisen since then. So, to me this means that he saw paths to enlightenment both inside and outside of every religion known then. Since many new religions have formed since that time it is logical that there are many more paths now. However, it also might be true that all new religions all fall in pure motivation of helping both oneself and all other beings within those original 49,000 correct paths to enlightenment as well.

Since the religion I was raised in as a child tended to be very exclusive and exclusionary I was very happy as a being to find a path that was capable of including literally all life in the universe and excluding none. So, for me knowing that there are 49,000 correct paths to enlightenment makes me very happy for all beings in the universe past, present and future including myself.

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