| |
| |
|
Just Between Us - FREE Spiritual Information for anyone interested. |
|
|
|
Getting Back to the Basics of Truth
Anyone who has invested time, energy and effort into finding their own truth knows that ignorance is NOT bliss. Understanding the religious environment that we grew up in should be the natural first step towards defining our own belief system. All too often, we grow up getting bits and pieces of religion, but never take the time to look at the bigger picture. It's the bigger picture that enables us, as thinking, feeling human beings, to evaluate both the truth and the doctrine of established religion, and decide for ourselves what "fits" us in this lifetime and what doesn't, keeping in mind that 'the doctrine' of any given religion may not feel right to us, but the basic truth upon which the religion was built seems very familiar and very 'right.' Most religions have been around for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Common sense tells us that lots of people have made lots of changes in the teachings of any particular religion, for lots of reasons. Our job, as spiritual seekers, is to get back to the basics - the basic teachings of the 'master teacher' upon whom the religion was founded. Our 'problem' with established religion is often that we can't find a religion that fits our modern-day lifestyle. We protest against some of the religious doctrine and practices, believing that they just aren't appropriate for living life in today's world. Without looking any further, we say, "That's not right for me," and move on in the hopes of finding a different religion that we can be more comfortable with. In studying the history of the churches, we come to a clearer understanding of why they did things the way they did, when they did them, and - hopefully - the importance of separating truth from doctrine in our quest for spiritual truth becomes more and more obvious. It doesn't matter which religion we're looking at; in every case, there are the teachings of the Master Teacher, and the doctrine (which was established by followers, not by the Master himself) that guides us in learning how to express the Master's truth in our day-to-day lives. That is NOT a bad thing; then and now, learning to express our spiritual truth on a day-by-day basis is what 'finding and following our own path in life' is all about. We turn to present-day spiritual teachers to guide us in expressing our spirituality, all the while resenting the spiritual teachers of yore who did the same for their life students. I have no doubt that generations from now, free-thinkers will criticize the teachers (and teachings) of our time as "old-fashioned' and 'inappropriate to their lifestyle.' That's the way it has always been, and that's the way it will always be: established religion gives each soul something to think about - a starting point in deciding what their personal truth will (or will not) be in that lifetime. We run into problems when we want to express our beliefs differently than any particular sect of any particular religion tells us to. If we stop thinking of 'established religion' as a firm set of rules and regulations that we are expected to follow if we want to be a 'spiritual person,' and look at it instead as a historical recap of the ways generations of people have chosen to express the spiritual teachings of a specific Master Teacher, we can free ourselves of the emotional rebellion we sometimes experience at being told what we should think and what we should feel. Once we stop feeing defensive, we can begin to explore the 'truth' as the Master Teacher taught it, without getting lost in the doctrine established by those who came after him. Once we separate the truth from the doctrine, we begin to realize that there really isn't much difference in 'truth' at all; the common thread that runs through every major religion in the world is what we, today, call "Universal Law." Every great spiritual Master (including the ones upon whose teachings the various religions were founded) taught the same basic principles. Our goal in spiritual seeking should be two-fold: to get back to the basic teachings, and then to decide whether those teachings, as presented by any religion, ring true for us, as individuals, in this lifetime. Too often, we lose our focus and put our emphasis on doctrine (which comes and goes with each change in the socio-economic environment) instead of on the basic truth which the doctrine is striving to express. Lois Grant-Holland is a Life Path Focus Counselor offering Life Path Focus Sessions, Karmic Astrology Charts, Channeled Guidance, Intuitive Readings and Classes and Workshops to spiritual seekers on all positive paths, and is the site facilitator at The A.N.S.W.E.R. - (The Seeker's Resource Guide to Alternative, New Thought, Spiritual Growth, Wellness and Enlightenment Resources.) You can visit her website at http://www.loisgrantholland.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Spirituality - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Mind, Body, Spirit Healing vs Traditional Psychotherapy/Psychoanalysis The word "psychology" is the combination of two terms - study (ology) and soul (psyche), or mind. The derivation of the word from Latin gives it this clear and obvious meaning:The study of the soul or mind. Coming to Jesus 2 Corinthians 6:17-6:17For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whomsoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. I believe that we all can live forever if we believe in Gods word and apply it to our daily existence. The Death of God, the Mission of Modern Psychology, and Me The question, "Is God Dead?", first entered my consciousness when I was ten or eleven years old. I saw it on the cover of a Life magazine, and it's lingered in my mind ever since. Past Life: Wanting to Know Who I was in My Past Life? Before we tread into the domain of Past Life.. If You Want Healing Step Out of the Boat Did you happen to see the made-for-tv movie, "Jesus," that first aired in 2000? I especially was moved by the scene of Peter stepping out of the boat to walk on the water to Jesus.It was during a storm in the dark of night. How Psychic Are You? To find out how psychic you are, try answering the following questions.? Have you been attracted to the occult ever since you were a child?? Do you often complete other people's sentences for them?? Do you always buy the perfect birthday gift or Christmas present even though they haven't told you what they wanted?? Have you ever thought about something that you wanted and then miraculously had it pop into your life the next day? This could be something very simple such as the desire for a certain kind of Chinese food or a pair of shoes. One More Mile I want to share with you something that happened to me just a few weeks ago. There is a place that I go to write, read and to simply relax. Spiritual Healing - The Hidden Truth and Misconception Throughout history, what is portrayed in all religions as being the manifestation of prayer or miracles is in fact manifestation of our connection with the essence of our Soul and the manifestation of the power of spiritual healing. We have heard throughout the centuries about such miracles that have happened to people, and how they changed their lives. Failure Is Never As Painful As Regret! "I would rather regret some of my failures in lifethan to live my life failing to forget myregrets." GRIn other words, failing at something and gettingback up is much less painful than to look back andregret not doing something (or doing something)and not being able to go back and change theoutcome. Fulfillment A feeling of fulfillment is something we all seek. Here I would like to address this in a way that many of you already know at some level but which I feel is necessary to highlight. Where is Your Focus? I have a long-term goal--a life-long goal really--to develop the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16). An Illuminatus Speaks An Illuminatus Speaks:You will have to decide if this Illuminatus speaks with forked tongue or not. There is no black and white to the matter as I see it. My Search for the Truth I am a Falun Dafa practitioner. Maybe you've heard about the persecution of Falun Dafa (or Falun Gong) practitioners in China. Creating a Support System That Will Change Your Life Chaos: "complete confusion" and "the formless void before the creation of the universe."This definition describes how I felt about my life several months ago. Two Simple Ways To Get Anything You Want "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. Thou Shalt Not Be Shallow I have sent out hundreds of press releases for my new book entitled Hook Line and Sinker or What Has Your Church Been Teaching You, published by Publish America of Baltimore MD.It has been a great learning experience for me. Are You Building Your Own Cistern? You're looking at one star in the middle of a dark sky.. Petitioning for Your Needs Human beings are blessed with a unique gift: the gift of prayer or petition to the Infinite for our needs. A religious person would call it prayer; others may call it petition or meditation. Email From God - Or, How Such Big Ideas Get Into Such Little Hands It happens to us all from time to time, especially to creative types - that diminishing little voice from deep inside that is convinced that the things we do are no big deal, simply because we did them and we have trouble seeing ourselves as authors of anything truly important. "Basically," the voice whispers in sad despair, "if I did it, then it must be stupid, easy, worthless. Our King Complex When King David was old and well advanced in years? Adonijah? put himself forward and said, "I will be king." I Kings 1.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
