What is the relationship between beliefs and being in the now?

[joyfirst]

We can feel better by choosing to think different thoughts, which eventually would crystalize into automatic thoughts -new beliefs. But we can also choose to feel good by being simply in the NOW. My question is, what is the relationship between the two, and if being in the now consistently would change beliefs automatically or not? It seems like lots of our beliefs are so automatic, that they are subconscious (just like riding a bike), which makes not so easy to pinpoint them. So is it best to try find out particular beliefs or feel good in the now or do a combination work?

[wstein]

Originally Posted by joyfirst

We can feel better by choosing to think different thoughts, which eventually would crystalize into automatic thoughts -new beliefs. But we can also choose to feel good by being simply in the NOW. My question is, what is the relationship between the two, and if being in the now consistently would change beliefs automatically or not? It seems like lots of our beliefs are so automatic, that they are subconscious (just like riding a bike), which makes not so easy to pinpoint them. So is it best to try find out particular beliefs or feel good in the now or do a combination work?

There is no direct relation between the two. Certain beliefs make it near impossible to 'being simply in the NOW'. In general any shift in outlook is accompanied by shifts in beliefs. Sometimes shifts in outlook enables/causes the shift in beliefs and sometimes the shift in belief enables/causes the shift in outlook (or both).

For most people, finding the actual (core) belief makes it way easier to change it. However, its usually a lot of work to find out. So its not clear if you come out ahead or not.

If you want my opinion, what you should work on is to NOT "crystallize into automatic thoughts". Let go the old beliefs and automatic thoughts (without replacement) which naturally leaves one just being in the now.

[joyfirst]

Originally Posted by wstein

If you want my opinion, what you should work on is to NOT "crystallize into automatic thoughts". Let go the old beliefs and automatic thoughts (without replacement) which naturally leaves one just being in the now.

And how would you go about releasing old beliefs, if you are not replacing them with new ones? Just by choosing to be in the NOW, each time you have a thought of lack, danger, unworthiness, etc?
Also I am curious, why you do not think, that it is a good idea to install in our mind great beliefs like:
I am blessed. Love flows to me and through me.
My heart is open to the divine love and light.
I enjoy my desires and dreams freely. Money comes easily to me. I am always safe. I am in Universe's arms always. I love and accept myself.
This world is an awesome and beautiful place, where I am safe and loved.
I am open to the best physical reality.
Today is an amazing day. I feel aliveness of my body. I enjoy myself now. I enjoy being in the now. I accept and enjoy this moment as it is. I let go of the need to understand everything. I enjoy now. I enjoy this moment. Present moment is my friend. I value and appreciate this moment in my life. I unwrap it as a wonderful gift from Universe to me. I am power in physical expression and so is everyone else.

[Gem]

Originally Posted by joyfirst

We can feel better by choosing to think different thoughts, which eventually would crystalize into automatic thoughts -new beliefs. But we can also choose to feel good by being simply in the NOW. My question is, what is the relationship between the two, and if being in the now consistently would change beliefs automatically or not? It seems like lots of our beliefs are so automatic, that they are subconscious (just like riding a bike), which makes not so easy to pinpoint them. So is it best to try find out particular beliefs or feel good in the now or do a combination work?

I don't think we need to replace old beliefs with new beliefs per-se, but I understand that self depreciating thoughts are depressing and unnecessary, so there is that. If you don't believe them they have no power, but these things can be part of conditioning through upbringing and culture (for example, body image in Western society's 'standards for beauty' is sometimes a problem), so they can be hard to shake off. At the most basic level we question if things are true, and thoughts are not true. We can make up new ones, 'I'm wonderful', which is really a way to counter its opposite so as to break old thought pattern, but one needs evidence in order to believe (if they are a reasonable person and not just clinging in blind faith). Self depreciating thoughts, if we really look into it, have some kind of evidence to them that have convinced us that they are true, so we go a step deeper and look at what is the evidence with the inquiry, why do I think such a thing?

On the other side, one will pay attention to new evidence that contradicts the belief, and there is always contradiction in any belief. Collect positive evidence. For example, a person has the recurring thought 'I'm ugly' - and when thay look at it they find there is evidence for that. People have told them that or there's a body image comparison to the cultural normal 'standards of beauty' etc. But then, someone says 'my my, you look wonderful today', or 'don't you look the picture in that dress' and so on - and if you pay attention to that sort of thing (just for the sake of this example) you begin to notice how it starts to accumulate, and the old thought, 'ugly,' begins to lost its veracity, meaning it's not believable anymore.

[guthrio]

Originally Posted by joyfirst

We can feel better by choosing to think different thoughts, which eventually would crystalize into automatic thoughts -new beliefs. But we can also choose to feel good by being simply in the NOW. My question is, what is the relationship between the two, and if being in the now consistently would change beliefs automatically or not? It seems like lots of our beliefs are so automatic, that they are subconscious (just like riding a bike), which makes not so easy to pinpoint them. So is it best to try find out particular beliefs or feel good in the now or do a combination work?

Joyfirst,

Time is merely a name we have mutually agreed among ourselves to erroneously describe the experience of partitioning Eternity into segments. Designations of past, present, future are what WE utilize to pretend that the ONE is divisible into those segments. It only appears to US that we are somehow in the middle, moving in time from what we call the past toward what we call the future.

We think that because we've agreed that there is a Thursday on our calendars that there really IS a span of time called Thursday. Similarly we think that because the hands of our clocks are oriented with the longer one pointing in one direction while the shorter hand points in another, we actually believe that designates a real "hour" in a real day ("it's 10 PM on 17th December 2015). In the "territory" in which we TRULY live, RIGHT NOW WHILE YOU ARE READING THIS, there is NO SUCH THING as an hour, or a second, or a minute, or a day, or night, or Monday, or 2010, 2029, or beginnings or ends. Eternity is the true Reality in which we live, move, and have our Being. There is no "future" OR "history" in which ETERNITY, Itself CAN change. Eternity CONTAINS all futures and all histories, not the reverse. Eternity CANNOT BE DIVIDED into parts.....because the Reality itself is ONE, INDIVISABLE WHOLE. The entirety of Reality is ONE, with NO separations, gaps, or "holes" in the Whole of Creation.

Consider that the ONLY reason we CAN act as if there are passing days and nights is BECAUSE the rotation of the Earth on its axis makes the sun APPEAR to be rising in the east and setting in the west. Outside of this rotation, there IS NO occurrence called night OR day. Ironically, if the Earth were rotating in the OTHER direction, we would STILL act as if days and nights occur in succession.

Do you REALLY, ACTUALLY believe you are 30 years old (or ANY number you prefer) because the Earth rotates on its axis while revolving around the Sun....just because you've celebrated a certain number of birthdays recorded on an artifact filled with made-up designations called dates ???

If you were a citizen of Mars, which rotates on its axis faster than Earth's rotation, but takes LONGER to rotate around the Sun, would you consider yourself OLDER than your Earth neighbor ?

If you think very carefully about what you've asked, everything you've mentioned has occurred, is occurring, or will occur in the only place possible....in the present.

The answer is that time has NOTHING TO DO with Who you really are. Why ? Because ALL of Creation is ONE and there are no beginnings or endings to......NOW.

Do you see?

Hope this helps....

[wstein]

Originally Posted by joyfirst

And how would you go about releasing old beliefs, if you are not replacing them with new ones? Just by choosing to be in the NOW, each time you have a thought of lack, danger, unworthiness, etc?

Assuming you believed in Santa Claus a tone time and don't now, did you have to go find a replacement character to believe in to replace Santa Claus? No, you just stopped believing.

Being in the now has little effect on your beliefs. It affects where you are focused (or more ideally just being). Your beliefs affect how you see and respond to what you think about and perceive.

Originally Posted by joyfirst

Also I am curious, why you do not think, that it is a good idea to install in our mind great beliefs like:
I am blessed. Love flows to me and through me.
My heart is open to the divine love and light.
I enjoy my desires and dreams freely. Money comes easily to me. I am always safe. I am in Universe's arms always. I love and accept myself.
This world is an awesome and beautiful place, where I am safe and loved.
I am open to the best physical reality.
Today is an amazing day. I feel aliveness of my body. I enjoy myself now. I enjoy being in the now. I accept and enjoy this moment as it is. I let go of the need to understand everything. I enjoy now. I enjoy this moment. Present moment is my friend. I value and appreciate this moment in my life. I unwrap it as a wonderful gift from Universe to me. I am power in physical expression and so is everyone else.

Because I choose to be present and live life as it comes rather than follow a pre-programmed script. If I want a different view on things, I change who I am.

[Aham Brahmasmi]

Originally Posted by wstein

Assuming you believed in Santa Claus a tone time and don't now, did you have to go find a replacement character to believe in to replace Santa Claus? No, you just stopped believing.

Being in the now has little effect on your beliefs. It affects where you are focused (or more ideally just being). Your beliefs affect how you see and respond to what you think about and perceive.
Because I choose to be present and live life as it comes rather than follow a pre-programmed script. If I want a different view on things, I change who I am.

I quite agree with Westin. If you put your index finger in front of your eyes about two feet away and focus on the finger.. the background fades. If however, you focus on the background, the finger fades. So, I guess its also about what and where you want to focus and then let it all blur and have no need for any replacement thoughts.

[Serrao]

Originally Posted by joyfirst

We can feel better by choosing to think different thoughts, which eventually would crystalize into automatic thoughts -new beliefs. But we can also choose to feel good by being simply in the NOW. My question is, what is the relationship between the two, and if being in the now consistently would change beliefs automatically or not? It seems like lots of our beliefs are so automatic, that they are subconscious (just like riding a bike), which makes not so easy to pinpoint them. So is it best to try find out particular beliefs or feel good in the now or do a combination work?

A humanbeing has the possibility to reside in the now and also outside of the now.

The now is what one perceives with the senses and the "inner eye", without extra-thoughts.
When there are thoughts, there is no more pure "now".

I don't think it is possible for a humanbeing to exterminate thinking.
So, I'd go for your suggestion: a combination of the two.

Think thoughts that bring joy and enjoy the present moment also.

[pluralone]

I aim for balance. Sometimes I really suck at it, but that's my bottom line. Whatever flaws I have, I try to perceive myself through the lens of unconditional love (and extend the same to others) (as best I can, which sometimes isn't all that great).

For a time I focused more toward being 'in the now' and living from a perspective of acceptance, but this wasn't balanced for me; I fell into a rather entropic state. Same with unconditional love: I became imbalanced in that I found less reason/motivation for making changes.

So, like I said, I aim for balance now. With any directional movement, balance involves leaning this way and that, so what's balanced for me at this moment will require adjustment later.

Hm. Not sure this was entirely relevant to this thread. If not, apologies. It's just what came to mind. =-)

[jonesboy]

Being in the present moment is what it is all about.

When one is truly in the now one is outside of thoughts. There are various levels of depth of this.

Many are familiar with mindfulness. Mindfulness is being present and letting "things " pass on by.

For instance not getting lost in thoughts of the past or of day dreams of the future.

The more one can be present and non grasping one is filled with bliss.

On a side note it is possible to have no thoughts whatsoever. If you are residing outside of thoughts you are still experiencing seperation and have not reached Rigpa.