Becoming Buddhist
2025, October, Issue 170
Don’t do it!
Aspire to Awaken first!
Buddhism is not for someone,
some self who has no desire to awaken,
nor is it for someone
who clings to this world,
thinking that it is somehow real,
nor is it for someone who clings to belief;
Let it go! Let it all go!
This Spiritual Path is a Path of Discovery,
This Path is to be placed above all else!
Don’t do it!
If you haven’t come to that point
where your life is falling apart,
when you realize you are not prepared
for the death bardo,
that point when you realize that
awakening is the only option,
Don’t become Buddhist!
If aspiring is too much,
Don’t think Buddhism will help in the least!
First,
Make that aspiration unbreakable,
Before you decide, before you decide,
Aspire to Awaken!
Becoming Buddhist is,
Is really not something
Frivolous, static, cloistered or secret,
How could it be that,
When it’s about opening your mind?
It’s not,
Not arbitrary beliefs,
Nor when, where, there
they go shopping for big world religions,
Not something, not something
to be picked up in aisle 108
at the super-mega-market,
among all the other religions
in the highly institutional religious section,
nor under
Esoteric Eastern Philosophy,
not something
that will ever feel like answers found,
because it keeps moving as you awaken,
like waves flowing over a cliff,
not something you carelessly sample,
abandoning when it loses its appeal,
not just, not just
another obscure ancient science,
not just a lifestyle change,
not just something for the cool kids
who like to go on fancy retreats,
bragging about who they met;
Buddhism must only be undertaken
if you are ready to let go,
let go, to discover what is,
already there, obvious, unfathomable;
Becoming Buddhist means
you are ready,
ready to awaken already;
Are you ready?
Ready for the ineffable,
ready
to let go, to find a way
to awaken?
Buddhism is not to be taken lightly!
It’s not what you think!
Without an unbreakable
Aspiration to Awaken,
you will only find misery, heartbreak,
disappointment beyond belief,
when it all comes crashing down on you,
when you realize you had no foundation;
Your mind is to be
examined with true intentions;
To awaken,
Obliterate obstacles,
So much darker, insurmountable,
than you could possibly imagine at the outset;
And how could you imagine when,
when you had not investigated mind?
The demons, you must face with no fear,
With extreme courageous
Perseverance unwavering,
Never giving up,
You stand there wounded on the battlefield
Glowing, brightly shining
with awareness,
remaining
perfectly at ease
As demons become annihilated,
all these fierce, snarling, raging
Aspects of you, aspects of you,
far more
than you had imagined possible,
demons of hate, of desire,
demons you couldn’t fathom
without opening mind,
to examine
the possibilities,
the honest View;
Nevertheless,
You remain steadfast;
Your own awakening
must be held as most precious,
because it is the only way
to our own liberation!
Do not give up, ever!
Or you will find yourself
utterly without hope,
in an even worse life,
where suffering perpetuates
your own bonds,
being nearly impossible to endure;
Don’t become Buddhist
unless you are deeply committed,
truly wishing to discover reality,
reality for yourself,
reality for all beings,
reality for the first time ever
in an infinite series of lifetimes!
A poem by Robert Aho © 2025
I realize that this may be a shock to people; however, I really don’t think anyone should ever become Buddhist, unless you have developed an unbreakable Aspiration to Awaken. I’ve seen too many times when people vowed to be Buddhist, only to abandon it at some point. If a person abandons Buddhism, then they are wasting their precious lifetime. Don’t be in any hurry to become Buddhist. Don’t even consider becoming Buddhist, unless you can remain on the Path until you actually fully awaken.
You can learn many things from Buddhism that will help you in your own life, without needing to abandon whatever beliefs you now hold dear. Meditation will help you to think more clearly, which is something that has been tested and measured. Teachings on loving kindness will help you to be more agreeable to the people around you. Learning to become more peaceful will help you to deal with stress. All of these things will help you to live longer and become happier.
Once upon a time, my doctor actually recommended that I should either learn how to meditate or go shopping for a coffin. He was trying to make a point about how stress was killing me. At the time, I was a Principal Architect, with my own firm, working a hundred hours a week, driven to succeed. That was killing me, as well as hurting those around me.
So, I began to meditate. I dabbled at first, then I gradually became more serious. Only after realizing none of the things I was doing actually led to lasting benefit did I vow to become Buddhist. I aspired to awaken, and I’ve been very stubborn about it!
It seems to me that we need to be very dedicated to awakening or we will not benefit. As far as Buddhism goes, it’s about discovery. We must Aspire to Awaken first!
Awaken!
Blessings in Light,
Robert Aho
❤️