Still conflicted

[Greg]

I've posted this a couple of times before but I'm still really conflicted by not knowing what the right spiritual path is for me. Sometimes I feel drawn to Buddhism, but then I feel so far removed from it, afterall it's still a religion, and all religion is fundamentally fear based in my opinion. Sometimes I feel new age but there's so much charlatanism in new age, sometimes I feel taosit, sometimes I feel Hindu, but ultimately I turn away cos ultimately they are all incomplete and say nothing about me and my life. So summing all this up I'd say I was a Buddhist, Zen and theravada/Taoist/Hindu/New age, but with all the different views of all of these philosophies I don't know what to do, where to go, I have no sngha of community I can talk to expect the people on this site.

[Xan]

Greg... Maybe you can't find the right definition for your spiritual path because you don't need one. It seems you have an eclectic path, as I do, taking from whatever teachings or practices are right for you at a particular time.

Spiritual labels can limit us and get us stuck in an fixed identity. For a while I thought of myself as 'waking up'... then even that one faded away into just being present with whatever and whoever is here now as my sangha.


~ ~

[I AM]

I've posted this a couple of times before but I'm still really conflicted by not knowing what the right spiritual path is for me. Sometimes I feel drawn to Buddhism, but then I feel so far removed from it, after all it's still a religion, and all religion is fundamentally fear based in my opinion. Sometimes I feel new age but there's so much charlatanism in new age, sometimes I feel Taoist, sometimes I feel Hindu, but ultimately I turn away cos ultimately they are all incomplete and say nothing about me and my life. So summing all this up I'd say I was a Buddhist, Zen and Theravada/Taoist/Hindu/New age, but with all the different views of all of these philosophies I don't know what to do, where to go, I have no sngha of community I can talk to expect the people on this site.
.

Maby instead of looking for a traditional path try just finding something that interests you like astral projection or divination, maby ritual magik or astrology?

Don't know, just an idea.


.

[Xan]

p.s. How about just finding out who you really are that can't be named. Your inner being.


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[Apakhana Akshobhya]

I don't think it's a healthy practice to identify with anything other than the truth you know yourself. Humanity falls into repeating psychological patterns and forgets real knowledge which they then substitute for beliefs. Humans make 'isms instead of focusing on awakening. There's no enlightenment or awakening through belief.

Consider yourself gnostic, that's all. People are either knowers or believers. So just decide which do you want to be?

;)

[psychoslice]

Why label yourself anything, it doesn't make sense to me.

[Sarian]

Yeah, I agree with psychoslice...ditch the labels. Or even xan, take what suits you and discard the rest. I follow no path of others. It was liberating to be free.

[Silver]

There are plenty of people who feel just like you do, Greg. I think you can learn to live with this, if only you'll just relax a little bit more. It's not a requirement anywhere that you have to make your focus on one type of belief, is there?

[Emmalevine]

Hi Greg,

It's natural to seek a religion to guide you initially but the discomfort you're feeling is most likely a sign that you are ready to look within and follow your own guidance. This doesn't mean abandoning all the teaching you have read about/followed, but trusting your intuition more. I did the same and trust me it is so incredibly worth it. Religions don't contain the whole truth because truth cannot be found externally - only within. That is where you you will find gold.

It takes confidence especially as I think most people seek people and organisations on the outside for their security. It takes a lot of guts to go your own way. But it is so worth it. My advice would be to start meditating, note down your dreams, and listen to your heart. What do YOU want out of life? What matters to YOU? That is all you need to know, not whether you are a Christian, Buddhist, Hindu or whatever else. Those labels will limit you and who needs that?

[Kaausti]

Hi Greg,

For a different purpose, I was led to a book called "Unifying Truths of the World's Religions" by G. David Lundberg. At the time, there was division everywhere and at the root was a specific set of beliefs/practices...religious differences.

Being tired of observing "differences", "unifying truths of...." was a blessing!

It can be used as another resource that may help you draw whatever conclusion feels right for your spritual path. Whichever religion or not that brings you joy is my suggestion.

I, too as others who've responsed here do not identify with any one religion. However, that's not good nor bad, it just is the right path for me.

Blessings upon your journey to discovering your path!

[Perfect Storm]

I think trying out different religions/beliefs is just one step that many of us seem to take at early stages.

Its up to Greg to discover and learn and he should not stop until he is ready becuase some people tell him in a forum he needs to.

He needs to come to his own conclusions or the lesson my be missed.

[Mr Interesting]

Hey Greg, what I've come to understand is that the kinda inherent problem with spirituality is that it involves people. God, the universe, creator whatever goes through people not like a sieve which catches the big bits but through a muddy creek which dirties the water.

God gets peopled up... so we learn to extract the water from the mud.

What's so good about that is that we have to learn to trust ourselves about what's good for us.

So sometimes the 'gospel' itself isn't so important as the fact we have chosen it.

It's like sweets at the pick'n'mix.

Be brave and find the flavours, textures and colours that suit you!

[boxinggregger0]

wrong post ..doh !

[Greg]

Thanks for all your replies, it means a lot.

[Silver]

I just have a couple of books that might be of interest to you suggested reading by athribiristan (sure hope I spelled that right) ~ Relaxing Into Your Being, Tao Meditation*Vol. 1 by Bruce Frantzis and The Great Stillness, Tao Meditation*Vol. 2 by Bruce Frantzis.

[Gem]

I've posted this a couple of times before but I'm still really conflicted by not knowing what the right spiritual path is for me. Sometimes I feel drawn to Buddhism, but then I feel so far removed from it, afterall it's still a religion, and all religion is fundamentally fear based in my opinion. Sometimes I feel new age but there's so much charlatanism in new age, sometimes I feel taosit, sometimes I feel Hindu, but ultimately I turn away cos ultimately they are all incomplete and say nothing about me and my life. So summing all this up I'd say I was a Buddhist, Zen and theravada/Taoist/Hindu/New age, but with all the different views of all of these philosophies I don't know what to do, where to go, I have no sngha of community I can talk to expect the people on this site.

Yeah, sangha isn't easy, I agree.