Bluelighters what are your religious beliefs (or disbeliefs)

[Ninae]

Murphy, maybe you should look out of your Buddhist-shaped box once in a while? I don't know if it's the best idea to restrict yourself to one outlook if you're serious about spiritual development.

I'm always getting crap for my spiritual beliefs when in fact they are quite conservative. I'm just familiar with theology so a lot of it tends to bore me by now and I don't like spending so much time stating the obvious. I've also found you can find some truth in most things, while as good as nothing has nothing but truth. But that doesn't mean to say the most outlandish ideas is all I believe in or the basis of what I believe. On the contrary, it's just what tends to get the most attention and be remembered the most. I guess people just want to be entertained more than anything when it comes down to it.

 

[murphythecat]

so far, so good . I dunno what I would do without mindfulness anymore.
meditation and mindfulness is the practice. all the rest of it all falls into place once you practice and realize that its actually all there is to do: to let go and tune into the present moment.
its so liberating. its hard, but once you get the hang of it, you know it purifies yourself and its very important. my practice changed me and I couldnt even put in words how better I feel, how much in control and how safe I feel. its visceral and its obvious Im more and more happy.

meditation is the practice. the more im developping mindfulness, the more I feel alive. you see how much we think for no reasons and how much we create suffering with thinking, it becomes evident the thinking process needs to be contained and purified with mindfulness.

Murphy, maybe you should look out of your Buddhist-shaped box once in a while? I don't know if it's the best idea to restrict yourself to one outlook if you're serious about spiritual development.

I'm always getting crap for my spiritual beliefs when in fact they are quite conservative. I'm just familiar with theology so a lot of it tends to bore me by now and I don't like spending so much time stating the obvious. I've also found you can find some truth in most things, while as good as nothing has nothing but truth. But that doesn't mean to say the most outlandish ideas is all I believe in or the basis of what I believe. On the contrary, it's just what tends to get the most attention and be remembered the most. I guess people just want to be entertained more than anything when it comes down to it.

 

[Erikmen]

Raised Christian and was pretty serious about it, was even a youth leader and went on mission trips. Now I'm unsure of anything anymore.

I believe that somehow most of us goes through periods like that and after some major life event, or not are actually unsure of lots of ideas. It happened to me. I'm now quite focused on life as it is.

 

[Ninae]

its so liberating. its hard, but once you get the hang of it, you know it purifies yourself and its very important. my practice changed me and I couldnt even put in words how better I feel, how much in control and how safe I feel. its visceral and its obvious Im more and more happy.

meditation is the practice. the more im developping mindfulness, the more I feel alive. you see how much we think for no reasons and how much we create suffering with thinking, it becomes evident the thinking process needs to be contained and purified with mindfulness.

The closest for me was after this Christmas when I somehow managed to connect with God in a clear and sober state and had the strongest mystical experience of my life.

I just remember being so stressed I was at absolute breaking-point, then in a moment I let go with a thought of trust and devotion to God, and it was like I was swept up on a large wave of powerful spiritual energy. Never experienced anything quite like it before or since. It was like I was enveloped in a protective energy-field where nothing could touch me but at the same time I felt a blissful sense of being one with all (very natural high). I was half out of this world but still remained connected to it and could go back whenever I wanted. I had the thought "I feel radioactive" as I felt so radiant and like I was radiating actual light-rays.

Don't know what actually happened, but it was very real, and like I was at one with God, my higher self, and everything else at the same time. This is now my template for real God-connection or transcendent mystical experience and, whatever it was, it was the peak of what I've seen yet. There was definitely something going on with the crown chakra, or crown-opening, as I could feel it.

 

[Xorkoth]

so far, so good . I dunno what I would do without mindfulness anymore.
meditation and mindfulness is the practice. all the rest of it all falls into place once you practice and realize that its actually all there is to do: to let go and tune into the present moment.
its so liberating. its hard, but once you get the hang of it, you know it purifies yourself and its very important. my practice changed me and I couldnt even put in words how better I feel, how much in control and how safe I feel. its visceral and its obvious Im more and more happy.

meditation is the practice. the more im developping mindfulness, the more I feel alive. you see how much we think for no reasons and how much we create suffering with thinking, it becomes evident the thinking process needs to be contained and purified with mindfulness.

I agree with this, to a point. I don't believe the goal should be to have no thought, or that all thoughts not focused on the present are harmful. But absolutely, mindfulness is a valuable thing to practice. Without it, it's easy to become quite consumed with your thoughts to a detrimental level. I think we should strive for being able to just have the thoughts we intend on having, or those beautiful random thoughts that pop up unbidden, but to do away with the circular thoughts, stress thoughts, or other negative thoughts (value comparisons of people, revenge, obsession, etc).

 

[murphythecat]

I agree!
having thoughts are fine, but not when you are suppose to meditate as they take you away from the meditation subject.
without even our accord or consent, the mind thinks about the past, future, no sense ideas, ect.
thoughts of gratitude, love, compassion are not problematic though in day activities, but in meditation they pull you away from the meditation subject and are always detrimental. we always think about the outer world or the things we think of ourselves: theres much more to life then our self and our perception of the world is just opinion.
Once ive begin to be able to concentrate without any thoughts, even for 10 seconds where observer and observed becomes one and the self shrink, I begin to realize that most thoughts creates a subtle type of stress and takes me away from the experience of being. its very helpful for me as I used to be very intellect minded and thought all day long.

I agree with this, to a point. I don't believe the goal should be to have no thought, or that all thoughts not focused on the present are harmful. But absolutely, mindfulness is a valuable thing to practice. Without it, it's easy to become quite consumed with your thoughts to a detrimental level. I think we should strive for being able to just have the thoughts we intend on having, or those beautiful random thoughts that pop up unbidden, but to do away with the circular thoughts, stress thoughts, or other negative thoughts (value comparisons of people, revenge, obsession, etc).

about circular thoughts, this is very true. we have thoughts pattern. we think in patterns. mindfulness of thoughts is so helpful to break those pattern and go back to what matters in life
i dont want to hijack the thread! pm me if you want!

 

[ForEverAfter]

I believe kind of the same way. I had an experience once where I experienced awakening as "god" except beyond the connected oneness, that all dropped away as an illusion and I was left with a yawning void, a single point of consciousness alone in nothingness, consumed by crushing loneliness. I seemed to realize at that point that the purpose of creation as it is is so that god (the universal consciousness) can experience an infinity of circumstances subjectively, with the illusion of separate beings.

I've been to that place, a couple of times.
Agreed, 100%.

The infinite circumstances, incidentally, is why "God" loves sinners just as much as those who do not sin (whoever they are). We are all unique and beautiful. Our differences unite us, in "God"...

 

[ovenbakedskittles]

I dont know what to believe... nowadays i find it much easier to believe in God and Jesus which i am happy about but at the same time i always feel like in the back of my mind i dont really believe in that stuff... at the end of the day i always end up praying...

I dont really stick to one belief... i acknowledge all of the possibilites that i hear about or read...

the other day i thought... "maybe we re not suppose to know what happens after death or the nature of the universe or stuff like that... because if we knew that much then it would be difficult for us to live a normal life in the reality that we are presented... maybe it was meant to be this way... for us not to know" (i wish i could explain this better... im not good with words and i lose my train of thought sometimes)

what really intrigues me though is how ther is a balance to everything and everything has a opposite... like... why is that??? look at night and day, black and white, intelligence and ignorance, good and bad...maybe these dualities are evidence that ther is some type of universal force... i dunno... its crazy though

i believe that the explanation of these things is something so complex that our minds have not evolved to that point in which we can understand it... its proly something we never thought of before... something that we wont expect to happen...

i hope its a happy place where im with everybody i love in this life... i dont wanna move on to another life where i will have another family and friends... that theory makes me sad ...

 

[What 23]

Vudas
Imektu
Alksalapma
Shintu
Emalapamu
Eshemekaah
Erelstnachvehma
Sinkepa

Yema
Weed
More weed

 

[ForEverAfter]

^Is that gibberish?
I Googled two of the terms, and there were no results.
Care to elaborate? (I'm genuinely curious.)

 

[What 23]

Was mainly just exploring, trying to feel out words. Gibberish yes. I thought of deleting, but left it. Religion and beliefs... Have been driving me a bit nutty especially lately. Or they're related/involved.

My initial idea of what to say was "I don't know"- to try to make it an ism or other name. But I couldn't think of anything funny enough.

 

[swilow]

Erelstnachvehma: the sound made by 2 coathangers clicking.

 

[Erikmen]

I agree with this, to a point. I don't believe the goal should be to have no thought, or that all thoughts not focused on the present are harmful. But absolutely, mindfulness is a valuable thing to practice. Without it, it's easy to become quite consumed with your thoughts to a detrimental level. I think we should strive for being able to just have the thoughts we intend on having, or those beautiful random thoughts that pop up unbidden, but to do away with the circular thoughts, stress thoughts, or other negative thoughts (value comparisons of people, revenge, obsession, etc).

Yes, true. But I find it quite difficult not to be consumed by lots of thoughts specially if your work is stressed, pressing issues. Urgent matters, workloads and crazy deadlines.
I think the idea of meditation is good but difficult to put in practice when you are so tired..

 

[Erikmen]

Erelstnachvehma: the sound made by 2 coathangers clicking.

Interesting. Didn't know..

 

[Xorkoth]

i hope its a happy place where im with everybody i love in this life... i dont wanna move on to another life where i will have another family and friends... that theory makes me sad ...

Well if you did move to another life, you wouldn't miss it. The idea of living another life independent of this one is a beautiful thought for me.

Personally I don't believe that we continue to exist as the personality we are in this life after we die... I believe we are all the same force of consciousness ("god" though that term is so loaded I don't really like using it), and that we exist perpetually as everything. This life and personality you are experiencing right now is unique and will never happen again.

 

[ovenbakedskittles]

Well if you did move to another life, you wouldn't miss it. The idea of living another life independent of this one is a beautiful thought for me.

Personally I don't believe that we continue to exist as the personality we are in this life after we die... I believe we are all the same force of consciousness ("god" though that term is so loaded I don't really like using it), and that we exist perpetually as everything. This life and personality you are experiencing right now is unique and will never happen again.

no offense but i would rather go into nothingness knowing that i will never see my loved ones again

i can see how that theory is possible but if we are still conscious after death i would think we would have a choice if we want to enter another life or not

 

[Xorkoth]

I just believe that our "self", our subjective self, the guy "ovenbakedskittles", the guy "Xorkoth", is part of our brain structure, and consciousness itself is something inhabiting that personality, but it isn't actually that personality at the core. When you die your brain dies and that stuff is lost.

 

[murphythecat]

yeah, all memories are unavailable just like we cant remember the other lives we've lived before this one.

I just believe that our "self", our subjective self, the guy "ovenbakedskittles", the guy "Xorkoth", is part of our brain structure, and consciousness itself is something inhabiting that personality, but it isn't actually that personality at the core. When you die your brain dies and that stuff is lost.

 

[ForEverAfter]

i would think we would have a choice if we want to enter another life or not

The alternative is doing nothing forever - being immortal, without company - which is impossible.
It is quite overwhelming being and seeing everything and knowing that you will exist like that forever.
There is no choice, really... "God" is lonely. "He" can create everything forever or create nothing forever.
While the illusion of choice may be perceived, creation is an inevitability.

 

[murphythecat]

The alternative is doing nothing forever - being immortal, without company - which is impossible.
It is quite overwhelming being and seeing everything and knowing that you will exist like that forever.
There is no choice, really... "God" is lonely. "He" can create everything forever or create nothing forever.
While the illusion of choice may be perceived, creation is an inevitability.

I agree
its not for nothing the buddha himself called nibbana: the deathless. theres something I dont quite grasp about it, but it seems evident that we have no choice but to learn to deal with consciousness.

however, theres nothing lonely about it nor overwhelming. it is overwhelming only because we think too much and arent aware and mindful enough hence why we need to calm the mind with practice.