As I believe, I see.
Before deciding which lens to see our world through, let’s first chat about belief. Is belief synonymous with truth? Many of us sure think it is! Believe what I believe and you can be my political bestie, be successful in business and even get to heaven! What is the difference between believing and knowing? What do you believe? What do you know? There is a Taoist saying “The Tao cannot be named”. This saying is a great place to start and end.
I can only speak to what I believe and what I know. Well, I know very little actually, but I believe a whole bunch! I believe I will post this article IF I don’t get side-tracked or get writer’s block. I believe I want to write unless I want to do something else. I know I love my children unconditionally. Why did I get triggered when they disobeyed me this morning? Wait! I believe I love them unconditionally. I believe in ONE God but I am not quite sure what ONE actually means. This brings us to the relative nature of belief vs the absolute nature of truth.
The relative nature of Belief
Our beliefs; whether conscious or subconscious, determine how we feel about ourselves and by projection, the world around us. They grant us the wish of an inner and outer world that is relatively safe and secure, one that we belong in. Alternatively, our beliefs can make us feel deserving of our paranoia, build mistrust and massive walls around our hearts. They may give us hope for peace of mind or a sense of certainty that our mind is always right. If you see yourself as insignificant, unseen, unworthy of love and afraid, your beliefs will back you up and your mind will search through the ends of the dark web for like minded individuals to reflect back your beliefs as truth. Beliefs are concepts, images and symbols- an outward picture of an inward condition. As your self identity shifts, so do your beliefs and what they manifest. Beliefs are born and die in time and space.
The absolute nature of Truth
When Jesus was asked by Pontius Pilate “quid est veritas-what is truth?”, Jesus clammed up. Nada tostada. No words. He remained silent.
Truth is beyond concepts, images or words. It is beyond time and space. It cannot be named but it can be known. It lies in the thought by thought stripping away of the notion that any of your beliefs are absolutely true. Not letting them have mastery over you but using your beliefs to evolve and awaken to love. Your perceptions will shift when you reduce the value and faith placed on any and all of your beliefs. This letting go process is what A Course in Miracles calls Forgiveness. What is left after you let it all go is Truth.
“I have nothing that does not come from God. The difference between us now is that I have nothing else.”- ACIM
The challenge however is the power of the mind and its hallucinatory tendencies. The more dramatic an experience it creates, the more likely that experience is to be seen as truth. An angel or ascended master appearing in the middle of the night. An epiphanic moment when a passage jumps out of a page. A twin flame who looks right into the eyes of your soul and declares their undying love for you. How could it NOT be true?
If you ask the Byron Katie question from her book on self inquiry called Loving What Is: “Do you absolutely know it is true?” your answer will reveal a belief behind your many judgments. Let these beliefs inform you of yourself and trust that the truth is always true. I invite you to choose beliefs that empower you. Ones that are expansive of self, accepting of others, compassionate and consciousness raising. Who knows. You may start to perceive the world a bit differently.
“Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change (truth). To change the things I can (beliefs) and the wisdom to know the difference (knowledge).”
DENNIS RODRIGUEZ, author of The Super Human Effect; My Quest for the Moment When Everything Changes