Do you hold any beliefs about life, of which you feel are so unbreakable & unavoidable, that you consider them

Question

...to be "facts of life" that will never change?

If so, what are these "facts of life" -and- why won't or can't they change? OR, is Every belief in this life changeable; if so, why do you -believe- this?

I've heard individuals use the term "concrete fact" only yo retort that not even concrete is permanent. That after time, and a lot of wear-down, even concrete will begin to break! Might this be the case for all "facts of life" (and or beliefs)?

Thoughts...?

<<<<<<<<<<< cosmic love & hugs >>>>>>>>>>>

Answer 1

In my personal experience....I tend to live in a higher awareness....meaning that I look for insights, beauty and understanding in situations etc.

The places that I lack this bigger vision are in the areas of deep pain and distrust. the hurts that affected me as a child.

I realize once in a while the extent these experiences grip me. At those times I need to be most gentle, more forgiving than I feel necessary and more open minded.


It seems to me that my unspoken concrete truth might be that our environment shapes us as children and if we want to overcome any 'childhood' obstacles then it is a battle on all playing fields to do so....

it is possible so the ying yang of it is:

Hope/battle

Answer 2

That's too tough. Do you have an easier question?
I tend to think that everything is made of absolutes, but one or some absolutes are relative to situations which are changing by the microsecond. The world is also made up of apparent contradictions and that causes all the dissension.
My absolute rule is judge not. Taking one definition of judge, that's a scientific rule. You have to collect data impartially. You can't measure anything accurately with a finger on the scale and you can't see reality. If you fall short of an absolute application it will not work and so people don't believe in absolutes. I judge that to be correct.
You can argue about words forever if you say a carrot is not absolutely a carrot, but you will be more reasonable, all things being equal, if you say a carrot is absolutely a carrot in part of this millisecond. So don't judge me for eating carrots. The trouble with philosophy is it's not sure a carrot is a carrot. I don't think it's too rigid to think a carrot is a carrot and further more it's my carrot. Now judgments on the other hand are only opinions. I've spell checked it so I know it's true. That's all folks!

Answer 3

As always thought provoking questions.....

hmmm.... don't we have beliefs because we can't comprehend or perceive things? We are mostly blind so we have to hang on to our beliefs. The reality is that it is not what we perceive it to be, it is more, far more. The story of the blind men and the elephant. Three blind people who never been in the presence of an elephant was asked to touch the elephant and describe it to a sighted person. One touched the ear and said that it was flat like paper. The other touched the trunk and said it was long like some rope. The other touched the hind leg and said it was like a tree. They started arguing until the sighted person showed them the different aspects of the elephant.
I am not too sure if this was the exact story (and whether they knew paper, tree or rope). However, the moral of the story is that they were all right since what they perceived was correct and all wrong since they thought the other was wrong. I think that's what beliefs are what we perceive. However we should always keep an open mind. Hope this helps.

Thank you for your question

Answer 4

1. Life will always be characterised by suffering of one kind or another.Even upon reaching full enlightenment, a brick falling on a toe will hurt. The difference is that such hurt will be understood to be impermanent and empty of importance to such a one.

2. Such suffering will mostly be caused by Selfishness in the form of clinging to or "picking up" self serving desires and feelings. As well as this, such suffering will be caused by the perception that something is either permanent or fixed and that such permanence is real and the idea of its permanence is justified and therefore such feelings, notions or ideas and therefore the suffering itself will seem important. So important that it will seem important to hold onto such suffering.

3. Every experience, every sight, every sound, every feeling, every touch, every taste, every smell, every thought, every idea in fact everything in Life even Life itself has a nature of Impermanence.

4. The very idea as well as the perception that we, as an individual Self is permanent is false.

5. The only idea which is completely valid is.."I have a body, I have a consciousness, I have feelings, I have mental formations, I have perceptions" They are prone to affliction and therefore prone to change and therefore prone to suffering, they are therefore not Self. It is not valid to say that these be called Self because it is not possible to say "Let my body be thus or not thus, let my feelings be thus or not thus, let my consciousness be thus or not thus, let my mental formations be thus or not thus, let my perceptions be thus or not thus.."
Because these things are impermanent, they are unsatisfactory, having a changing nature and not Self, therefore they are not me, I am not them and they are not mine.

6. It is possible to overcome suffering to the extent that it is no longer owned. Thusly free from suffering, we can become disenchanted with these 5 things, through this disenchantment becomes dispassionate, and by the absence of passion becomes free, and when free, awareness of that freedom, aware that Rebirth has been exhausted and aware that there is nothing more to do....

I do not believe these things, rather I live my Life by their wisdom and truth knowing that I am happier than if I did not. In my experience these truths have never changed yet I do change.

Let us all overcome suffering to be happier Beings..

A Buddhist...

Answer 5

Hi Eagle Woman - I have seen your postings often on here and I can see by all of the "hugs" you get that you are dearly loved by a lot of people on R&S. I do not know whether you are a believer or not, and you know what? It doesn't really matter. Just from reading your Profile, I can already tell that you are someone I would really like to have as a friend. I agree with your philosophy. Personally, I am a Christian, but to my way of thinking, that only means I need to reach out in love to those who don't believe as I do, not attack and be viscious and hateful, which unfortunately I see a lot of coming from other so-called "Christians". I do agree with "Bonsai Bobby" though (and his post made me laugh because I can so relate!) - I also have had decades of feeling like not only throwing in the towel, but sometimes hanging myself with that towel! :) (I am kidding with that comment.) When I started participating on YA about a year-and-a-half ago, life was not so good for me, even with my faith. I have to tell you that even though I, like you, see a lot of what you are talking about here on R&S (and yes, it is most definitely very very sad), I also see postings like some here that are so positive and uplifting (from both believers and non - which I love). It is those positive, encouraging postings that I focus on now, and it has actually helped me also. The others I avoid. I have just started actively participating here (after spending my time on other forums, while reading a lot here - I say that I've been "quietly stalking"!), but I only answer when there is an honest and open dialogue, and you can usually tell immediately just by the tone of the question what the tone will be with the answers. I love your question, not only because it was very open and honest, but it was also very respectful for people of all beliefs. That is how I wish this forum would be more. In any event, I hope that some of my words - and the words of your other answerers - will help you in some way. You are truly one of the people who NEEDS to be on here.

Answer 6

Beliefs can always be changed. The phrase, "concrete fact" is a demand made by one whose beliefs are rigid. Rigidity is what we want to avoid. We are created free, not hard and fast.

You ask, "Why do you believe this?" I do not "believe" it...it simply is, whether I believe it or not. The love with which and in which we are, will/cannot change. From that dances our joyous, spontaneous, freedom to create. It is all about love.

Answer 7

Where children and animals...the innocent...are concerned, I can be pretty, shall we say, *stern*, if they are being hurt. That's a big no, no, with me. I've been known to walk right up to an abuser and say 'stuff'. My husband acts like he is not with me. Ha ha.

On a spiritual level, I have found some pretty fabulous answers...did years of "weeding" through junk to find these answers. They are my *jewels*.

As I've said before, much of my unnecessary suffering has gone away as a result of my findings.

It is conclusive to me that when we do not 'attend' to thought/stories, repeating old karmic thinking patterns, we have much more freedom. So, to me, this is a fact that will live with me until I die.

I probably have more "set in stone" things, but these two come to mind.

Answer 8

That God exists and He created the universe is an unavoidable belief. To believe otherwise is to believe in self-creating sub-atomic particles.

Answer 9

I'm a bit of a Popper man myself.
What human beings do is, we learn. In the future I will know more than I do now. And I cannot predict the thoughts and actions of somebody who knows more than me.
So no, ain't nothing set in stone.
I have hopes, thoughts, but not long-term certainties.

Answer 10

I know I can get really on my high horse about something and then say something completely at odds with it.
I'm not sure if I'm really being inconsistent, but I can just swap over into a different perspective.
I tend to be a bit different with different people too?
Probably need shock therapy or something, ha!
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