Looking back, the Buddha’s practices definitely work. When I first started on the Theravada path, it didn’t feel like much was changing. Twelve years later, I’m a different person; I’m calmer and more sensitive to people’s needs. However, the anxiety is still there. My profession affords me a front-row seat to a lot of suffering, which has impacted my mental health. I started dabbling in other paths like Advaita Vedanta, Tibetan Buddhism, and even Catholicism because I didn’t feel the Theravada path (or the Western approach to it) inspired enough action. I had this obsession with ideological purity, perhaps motivated by my Protestant upbringing where it’s believed that a single book could have all the answers. It took 26 years to realize the obvious, that the answers to life could be found from more than one source. Regardless, I still like to start my day with Snp 1.8.
I wish to thank the community here for your help and support along my chaotic journey.
With Metta 
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Hello Tony. I haven’t previously met you here. But I am glad that things are turning out well for you.
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Thank you, Malunkyaputta. How would you say your journey on the Buddhist path has been?
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I wouldn’t want to say anything to discourage you, @tonysharp. Let’s just say that I still have a lot of open questions. As much as I hate to quote a certain somebody: “We’ll see what happens.” 
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Believe me, I’ve gone everywhere and back at this point. I’m impervious to discouragement. 
I’m pretty solidly agnostic at this stage. In AN 4:77, the Buddha wisely points out the pitfalls of excessive speculation. I’ve been heeding that advice. We can spend a lifetime being pulled back and forth by convincing arguments from all sides.
I’ve decided to focus on what has proven to work for me: mindfulness and the four brahmaviharas. My advice to you would be to find what works, settle on a simple practice regimen, and set everything else—all of the clutter, arguments, and counterarguments—aside.
I wish you well, @Malunkyaputta
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Do you know what it is that you’re agnostic about?
Everything! 
Though, I do believe that science and Dharma, jointly, are closer to the truth than most other pursuits.
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