Breaking the mental cage?

Question

I have a problem. Over the course of my life, I have tried several religions. From Islam to Atheism, whenever I tried a new belief, all I did was find it limiting. It's hard to explain. With each religion I found a new happiness. With Islam and Christianity, it was a loving closeness to Allah/God. With Paganism, it was a deep connection with nature. With Buddhism, it was a glimpse of true peace. With Atheism, it was the scientific superiority of knowing I was right.

However, with each religion, I felt I couldn't access the other parts of my spiritual health. It was if I was in a cage, trapped, unable to reach my full religious potential. I just want to know, what should I do?

I'd prefer serious philosophical answers rather than "just convert to my religion" answers.

Answer 1

There is no independently existent mental cage. There is no truly established mental cage without a collection of causes and conditions coming together which you labelled, or imputed, to be "mental cage." There is no truly established anything. There is just causes and conditions, over and over. Trying to run down answers or solutions to these questions is like following a rabbit down a hole, or it's at least a slippery slope. Further, research begets more research. If you were digging for oil, would you dig one 500 foot hole, or 500 one foot holes. You can go to a buffet and eat only what appeals to you, but sooner or later, you'll find you can't ride two horses at once, and if you take the smorgasbord approach pretty soon you'll run into conflict with underlying metaphysics. Whether you think you can or cannot, you're right. There is no trap, except the belief that there is a trap. It's your attachment, ignorance and pride. It's "self." It's believing that there is a truly established "I," that exists independently, apart from the designation or name of its collection of parts. At the very least, we are all going to die. Isn't it fun to think about all of these things? It's certain we are impermanent. It's certain we were produced. It's certain our sense consciousnesses up to and including our mental consciousnesses are producing an effect, but they have no physical location. Bob is not Bob's hand, or foot. Bob is not Bob's job or familial designation - brother, husband, son, father... Bob is a collection of all these things and Bob is going to cease to exist one day. Bob can try and create the effects for a satisfying experience of this life by engaging in spiritual practice of some sort, or Bob can try and trace down the origins of his creation and find that his causes go back countless eons. After all, Bob didn't start with his parents having sex, because their parents had sex and so on back to beginningless time - This reasoning that Bob is Bob because he was born in June of 1974 is easily negated. It is like saying that a seed, from your pocket, which has the potential to produce one hundred trees, were the necessary causes and conditions present - the seed being planted, the roots taking in water, the leaves taking in sunlight, more seeds being produced and planted and watered and bathed in sunlight and then planted and sunned and watered and so on - is like having one hundred trees in your pocket, which is absurd. Everything is causes and conditions and they were caused by causes and conditions and we can't say they don't exist because they do and we can't say they do exist in an unchanging, permanent way because they don't. So, the answer is somewhere in the middle. Take it easy on yourself. Be kind to yourself. Then when you don't feel so stressed - think about others and do something for others. This will make you feel a little better. Then, gradually, you can unpack all that you have heard and all that you have seen and reason and analyze it with a calm head. Go for a walk. Clean the bathroom. Call your mom or a friend and say hi. Be generous. Be kind. Persevere. Combine knowledge with experience to develop wisdom. And remember if you wanted a sunflower, you would have to wait for it to bloom with all of the other things doing their thing to produce it - you can't squeeze a sunflower seed and have a flower in the same day. Likewise, you can't plant a sunflower seed and expect a rose bush. And further, if you want a garden, you have to plant seeds for the garden and water the whole garden and let the sunshine hit all of the seedlings. And did I mention, don't be in a hurry. Okay?

Answer 2

It seems you are trying to fulfil your emotional, spiritual, and rational needs all at the same time. This is a difficult thing to do. I have doubts that it will work. Maybe you should decide for yourself if you are more of a rational or more of a spiritual person. There are contradictions between these aspects. Every human being feels these contradictions within oneself and has to deal with it. In most cases one side comes out predominant, but maybe a balance is possible.
I cannot help you further, in my case I have decided for the rational side.

Answer 3

If you choose to follow a belief, don't allow it to become a cage in the first place. Leave yourself free and open to the possibility of learning from other religions and philosophies. Otherwise, it does become very limiting. For instance, I'm religious, but I've learned a lot from my atheist friends, and also from people of radically different beliefs from my own. Just because you follow one path doesn't mean you have to be blind to all other options.

Answer 4

people restrict every religion to there limits. if i were you i would take up one( preferred Christianity, based upon the bible) and feel free, bcoz religion was not meant to put us in a cage but to set the mind free. not to do as you wish(really), bcoz that, most of the time, hurts someone else. the biggest( only) commandment Jesus gave his disciples was:" love each other as i loved you".
you'll feel happier, not at all times, but you will know that your content..
success in your surge for the true religion

Answer 5

U need to be more spiritual rather than religious. Seek the difference and identify the spirituality within. When this is done only deal with the teachings that make most sense to u. Ignore everyone's opinion but those who enlighten u with the things u can relate to & those who u aspire to be like.

Answer 6

this is why i don't believe in organized religion, too confining. You can pray/worship and believe in god and jesus while worshiping and finding peace in nature. I don't belong to a religion. if I had kids I would raise them to be good people which is much more important then worshiping a god.

You don't have to belong to any one faith to be a spirtitual person.

Answer 7

Re-examine your assumptions. You could accept all those things to some degree and for some purpose without feeling trapped. You are assuming that if you accept one belief you cannot accept others.

Answer 8

look for a religion that is fully Bible based....based upon the Word of God.... with no other additions

there is only one God and He is longing to give you truth and peace...... I recommend you pray for Him to show you truth.... and He will

If you need any recommendations or any further help feel free to contact me

God Bless

Answer 9

seek his face not the world. The world brings u the cage. I Don't see the point of how one can worship a God, and they haven't even heard his voice. and If u haven't heard Gods Voice your not seeking his face and asking for it.

Answer 10

become a Lutheran.