How to hold on when religious belief lets go
Today we got an email from someone who reminds me of me, usually the lot younger.
He speaks of losing confidence which the eremite classification we was the partial of of for over thirty years, Radha Soami Satsang Beas, is what he once considered it to be. But this loss of the idea hasn't nonetheless been offset by the benefit of...what?
I've come to the finish which the RSSB transformation in ubiquitous doesn't have what it takes to be called the 'Science' (as they call it.) It does not mount up to rigorous questioning, as well as is not wiling to share experiences, nor listen to others who competence have left wrong somewhere during their experiment.
It seems people have been usually confident with which association with RSSB, as well as they belive which this association gives them the certification of being an honest as well as morally upright individual, all of which we feel is sum bullshit.
I don't know why, may be its my upbringing, we feel scared which I'm losing something here... may be my beliefs...and moving towards the agnostic category...which eventually leads to being an atheist.
Now I'm usually the student, as well as we do not have endless reading in these areas, so we do not have anything else to tumble back to detached from science as well as technology. Sometimes we feel we should usually take the thrust in to this philosophy, may be it will work. Maybe I'm one of the little bit of those upon the finish of the bell curve.
Please help me out. we need something to reason upon to.
Absolutely. Agreed. We all need something to reason upon to.
What which something is will be opposite for everybody. All we can do is share the little thoughts about how I've rubbed the primarily disorienting feeling of vouchsafing go of the long-cherished idea complement which used to base me in the little clearly solid meaning-of-life ground.
These ideas rambled around my essence whilst we was roving my Burgman 650! maxi-sc ooter to the blogging-friendly coffee house in downtown Salem, where we am now. So I'll go with the two-wheeled flow as well as have use of which as the jumping-off indicate for my reply to the email message.
Aloneness. There's the disproportion in in between being alone as well as feeling lonely. we never feel lonely upon my scooter, even nonetheless we regularly float by myself. That's what reason up is, really: the one-person ride. We share the vital with others, but they aren't vital the life, nor have been we vital theirs.
On the scooter or motorcycle it's evident which there aren't many others similar to we upon the road. Most people float around in cars, included in the mailing in what biker types call "cages." This is same to religiosity, since the vast majority of humans adhere to the little arrange of orderly eremite belief.
So it's important to feel gentle being yourself, of not adapting with the crowd, of we do what seems right to we even if it means being partial of the distinct churchless minority. Motorcycle as well as scooter riders in the U.S. often exchange the "biker wave" when flitting to show solidarity.
In effect that's what we're we do right away upon this blog -- pity thoughts about how to pierce by reason up outward of the eremite cage. We're alone, nonetheless not lonely.
Connection. we don't feel lonely upon my scooter since I'm so closely continuous to reality. When I'm not hemmed in by the sides, floor, as well as roof tiles of the car, the universe is much some-more with me. we feel the tangible heat of the air, not what the heater or air conditioner has made it to be. we feel the bumps in the road, as well as put my feet upon the belligerent when we come to the stop.
Similarly, dispatch the peremptory idea complement allows the universe to be gifted much some-more directly. We aren't ceaselessly filtering events by the unpractical! structu re. "This is God's will." "That contingency have been my karma." "How sinful!" "Ah, the miracle!" Things as well as events have been what they have been (albeit as interpreted by the mind/brain, which is unavoidable), not as what the sure theology proclaims them to be.
I find which what we lose by not feeling continuous to an secret hypothetical eternal reason up is vastly some-more made up by the increased connection we right away feel to the healthy universe as well as alternative people. Not feeling special any more, no longer partial of the group with the supposedly adored attribute to God, we can go anywhere as well as do anything simply as the tellurian being vital the elementary tellurian life.
Risk. When we drive my car, we feel safer than when we float my scooter. Because we am. Air bags, chair belt, 4 wheel stability, the garland of metal in in between me as well as the collision. Out in the open upon dual wheels, I'm all the time aware which what stands in in between me as well as the serious accident, or even death, is... nothing.
And that, of course, is exactly the case when I'm pushing my car. Or sitting in the coffeehouse. Or lying in bed. Or we do anything. No one gets out of reason up alive. Death happens -- that's the 100% guarantee. So we suffer the reminder of mortality which reaches me every time we put upon my helmet, turn the key, as well as begin my scooter up.
In financial investing, customarily risk as well as lapse have been considered to be complementary. Meaning, the some-more risk you're peaceful to take on, the greater the lapse we can potentially receive. People typically don't get rich by putting all of their money in the savings comment as well as examination the (currently) pitiful interest accrue.
Ditto with enjoying the rich life, full of meaning. Religions offer reserve in the form of the pledge -- yes, the fraudulent guarantee, but most people in the univer! se tumbl e for it. They explain which if someone accepts sure ideology as well as carries out sure actions, he or she will suffer eternal bliss in the company of God or the little alternative form of divinity.
That guarantee creates this reason up seem similar to the flitting shadow, compared to the Sun of Ultimate Reality. Only problem is, there's no pointer of which Sun. It's reason up has to be taken upon faith.
However, loyal believers inapplicable designation an idea of being for the unequivocally real thing. They're so fervent to obtain the risk-free lapse upon their meaning-of-life investment, they forget which the guaranteed deal is roughly regularly going to be either: (1) not what it seems to be, or (2) paltry in comparison to what can be gained by taking upon some-more risk.
I get hugely some-more pleasure out of roving my scooter than in pushing my car. Risk as well as prerogative typically go palm in hand. Surfing the twenty feet call is going to have some-more fun-value than coasting in the one-foot breaker. Also, some-more risk.
It takes courage to leave religion. In the commencement it will feel unsure to conduct out upon the highway of reason up but all the reserve equipment promised by theological dogma. "You're saved from hellfire (or bad karma) if we usually do such as well as such, as well as reason in this as well as that." Questioning the sales pitch leaves we to your own devices.
Having fun. Exploring new roads. Seeing unexplored territory. Being peaceful to take upon the little existential risk in exchange for vital reason up the lot some-more fully.
Uncertainty. I'll finish upon the related note, since doubt is the close relative of risk. Life is risky, as well as reason up is uncertain. So is any afterlife, if such exists. We usually don't know. We don't know what will occur in the next moment, much less what will occur up until the finish of the reason up and, potentially, beyond.
People wh! o have b een gentle with doubt have been in accord with the basic grounds of the systematic method: zero is 100% certain. Even the best-proven speculation or law of nature regularly can be disproved. Knowledge ceaselessly marches on. It doesn't come to the stop during the brick wall of certainty. Only religions claim, "Thus saith the Lord. End of story."
I wrote about this not long ago in "Keep open the moment in your idea system."
So vital in touch with being requires which we sojourn open to the possibility which whatever we fervently reason to be true, isn't. Otherwise truth could pound us in the face as well as we'd fake which we didn't feel the thing.
If you're positively sure which God exists, erase the positively in your mind. Ditto if you're positively sure which God doesn't exist. Double ditto for any alternative idea which we don't see yourself ever vouchsafing go of, or modifying.
Loosen your hold. Lighten your dogmatism. Lessen your certainty.
Riding the motorcycle or scooter requires an unfocused arrange of focus. Meaning, we don't know where or when something unexpected (and unwanted) could come from. Ahead of you. Behind you. From the side street. Bushes along the road. Even from the sky (I've had the little flattering large birds swoop down as we was roving along, which really constructed the startle response).
When we was pushing the Toyota Prius the few years ago, the deer ran out of the margin along Liberty Road, not far from the home, as well as banged conduct upon in to the right side of the car. There's still the small dent in the doorway panel. Now, when we float my scooter along Liberty we lend towards to concentration upon the right side of the highway when we get to which field.
But it's similarly expected which the deer could jump out from the margin upon the left side. My before knowledge has conditioned me to reason in the falsity, which what happened once is expected to! occur a gain. Knowing this, we have the conscious effort to sojourn open to what is essentially there, not what we reason competence be there.
This is the most appropriate way to pierce along the highway, whether upon dual or 4 wheels. And it additionally is the most appropriate way to pierce by life: remaining uncertain about what will pop up next, whilst being confident which whatever it is, we can deal with it appropriately.
We're alone, nonetheless additionally connected. Life is unsure as well as uncertain, nonetheless this is what creates reason up so fulfilling, interesting, as well as meaningful.
