i thought about Buddhism for a while,but i decided rather than follow a certain religion(no matter how lose the "rules" are)i have decided rather to make my own dharma and decide the best path when i come to the fork rather than huddle over scriptures wondering what their actual meaning is.i've meditated over this alot and it always seems one religion has atleast one thing wrong with it or one thing i do not agree with so i will make my own path duther than follow and specific guideline(once again regardless of how lose it is).most of this i decided after meditateing over a story i read:
late one night a young theif with little experience crept into a wealthy merchants house.he had fallen on hard times and decided that burglary was a more straightforward career than most others,and an occupation immediately at hand.he carefully planned everything.he closely observed the merchants home,when he got home,when he went to bed,the easyest way in.once inside the house he calculated that he would be able to search the home while the merchant snored away.
all went marvelously at first.he found,as he expected, an open window and wriggled easily into the merchants storeroom.from the bed chamber he could hear the merchant snoreing and snuffiling happily in dreamland.but,groping his way though the dark room he stubbed his bare toe against a table leg.
chokeing back a yelp of pain,terrified of wakeing the merchant,he smaked himself on the for head,for all his carefull planing he had forgoten to bring a light.
in the dimness however he was able to make out an oil lamp on a table.the theif reached into his pocket and pulled out flint and steel struk a spark and lit the lamp,as he picked up the lamp,a small spider scuttled out from under its base.
"thank you for saveing my life" said the spider "before he went to bed the merchant set this lamp down on top of me so i couldnt escape.if you hadnt come along i wouldnt have lased the night;indeed id have perished miserably,far from my web and my brood of little ones
"you have saved a life and showed compassion" the spider went on,although the impatiant theif protested he had no intention of doing so."better yet you have done it without the least thought or hope of reward.you have gained more merrit than you could possably imagine"
"but you are only a spider" the theif said
"and you are only a man" replied the spider."my dear theif,when you have understood that life is life be it on eight legs or two,you will have understood much.your deed in any case has cleansed you.go from here with fresh sirit and good luck to you"
and the thief did so with never a thought of stealing again.
if you think about this(atleast this happend when i did) it will lead you down many other paths of though helping you to better understand the path karma has set for you
good luck on your search for religion or purpose or enlightenment wichever you seek do not stop until you have reached your answer