Belief - A Redundant Idea
As
we think, so we become.
Beliefs are the thoughts and convictions that we generally hold to be true, they
are ideas without substance having no actual proof or evidence. Beliefs may
contribute to or hinder our development and understanding of the world, and who
we are.
People used to believe the earth was flat, but today we know it's round from
testimony and scientific consensus, or you maybe you have flown and seen the
curvature of the Earth. The erroneous belief has been replaced by acquired or
direct knowledge, therefore we no longer have to believe because we know. But so
many were so attached to that particular belief, it took hundreds of years to
let go of that belief and even today some some still cling to it.
The greatest sacrifice humanity has made is that of giving up
intelligence for belief
Religion
Beliefs about, God and the supernatural forces of the universe contain a great
deal of inference or wishful thinking dressed as testimony, but there is no
actual scientifically verifiable truth. Most of us wonder at the enormity of the
universe and how it may have been created, often believing that it was created
by some God or god like being. Everyone has their own concept of God which is
healthy to the point where many require everyone else to believe in their
concept to validate their belief and this is a factor that breaks societies.
Osho on belief
The greatest problem for humanity is that no one knows
But the greatest hangup is that people feel the need to know and
We invent bullshit beliefs about the unknown and unknowable.
The cost is counted in our suffering
Many believe in the Christian Bible and the Koran, and there is a mass consensus
to them being true, however close examination of the bible and its roots seems
to cause more doubts than beliefs. Many believe in other Gods, Deities,
religions and rationales from which they build their lives and the most
prevalent beliefs is that "might is right" or that "the greatest power should
prevail" and are responsible for our current global predicament.
"I maintain that Truth is a pathless land, and you cannot approach it by any
path whatsoever, by any religion, by any sect. That is my point of view, and I
adhere to that absolutely and unconditionally. Truth, being limitless,
unconditioned, unapproachable by any path whatsoever, cannot be organized; nor
should any organization be formed to lead or to coerce people along any
particular path. If you first understand that, then you will see how impossible
it is to organize a belief. A belief is purely an individual matter, and you
cannot and must not organize it. If you do, it becomes dead, crystallized; it
becomes a creed, a sect, a religion, to be imposed on others." ~ Jiddu
Krishnamurti
Now consider, have you met God? If so, then well done, you have direct knowledge
and hopefully a positive relationship that makes both you and God happier. God
either exists or does not as there is no scientific proof of God. But God
represents some nice, desirable ideals, like freedom from suffering and it's
said the Ten Commandments came from God or some Godly inspiration. Note these
existed as commandments long before Christianity emerged. However
philosophically, they represent a formula for world peace, and really if we were
all more tolerant and respectful, the world would be a much nicer place.
"Fools pretend to be followers of this or that spiritual giant, and although
they may be without power, endeavour to teach humanity to believe blindly.
Believe what? To believe blindly is to degenerate the human soul. Be an atheist,
if you want, but do not believe in anything unquestioningly. Why degrade the
soul to the level of animals? You not only hurt yourselves thereby, but you
injure society, and make danger for those, that come after you. Stand up and
reason out, having no blind faith.
Religion is a question of being and becoming, not of believing. This is
religion, and when you have attained to that, you have religion. Before that you
are no better than the animals." ~ Swami Vivekananda
In Business
The share broker went out with the belief that he was going to make a killing
(good profits). The investor set out with the belief he could make some money by
investing. The two meet, the broker shapes the investors beliefs and they do
business. The broker has made a killing, he runs off with the investors money
and later lands in jail for fraud, the investor looses - such is the danger of
belief.
Educated people are well aware of the process by which beliefs form, yet they
often cling to their beliefs, and sometimes act on those beliefs against their
own self-interest. In Anna Rowley's Leadership Theory, she states "You want your
beliefs to change. It's proof that you are keeping your eyes open, living fully,
and welcoming everything that the world and people around you can teach you."
This means that peoples' beliefs should evolve as they gain new experiences.
Time to Abolish Belief:
I know I am alive, I don't have to believe that, in fact believing this is a
waste of time and energy. I know God, therefore I don't have to believe in God.
We only have beliefs because we are unstable in our own self knowledge. All
those people who go out with the intention of converting you to their faith
(beliefs) only do so because they are unstable in their own self knowledge and
it is only by having everyone else believing as they do that they will feel
secure. Therefore I see attachment to any belief as a mental illness - you
either know or your do not know.
Do you believe in aliens or life on other planets? The odds are in the light of
scientific knowledge that life on other planets is possible, I am open to the
possibility or probability that there is, but believing is nonsense.
Buddha taught "take my ideas and try them out, and if they work for you, use
them" he never said believe in me, create a religion in my name or follow me.
Jesus said much the same thing and belief was never a factor in the teachings of
the great masters.
"Belief is bullshitting yourself about something you do not know" ~ Sadhguru
Lets replace I believe with 'I think'.
Its time to dispense with belief, replace it with direct knowledge or a degree
of possibility or probability as belief at the end of the day is simply a
thought which is often given so much power it destroys.
Please note that in order to not believe and accept an idea as potential, one
must also suspend disbelief as the two same forces can be equal and cancel each
other out.
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Beliefs
Index
East vs West
The Story of Omar
Patriarchy
Capitalism
Capitalism Part Two.
Colonialism
Morality
Mothers Tears
Religion
Origins of religion
Origins of religion_1
Abrahamic Religions
Christianity
Did Jesus Exist?
Jagadguru and The Missionary
Old Testament
Amen
Lucifer
Hinduism
Islam
Oh Islam
Islamophobia
Women in Islam
Polygamy in Islam
Islam and Science
Abandoning Islam
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