I see many individuals drawn into the world of spirituality, praying fervently, investing their faith in gods or deities. While comforting, this belief alone may not bring about the transformation they seek.
“Why would that be?” a curious disciple asks.
Because the belief often puts an end to seeking. Individuals listen to my words about gods and deities and accept them as the ultimate truths. They forget that these are my truths, born out of my personal experiences.
“But isn’t that why we trust you?” the disciple questions, somewhat confused.
Trust and belief, they often get bundled together, and it’s hard for people to tell them apart. Trust has an active engagement, while belief tends to be more rigid. It often stops the questions, the search, the contemplation.
“But isn’t belief in your words a form of trust?” the disciple persists.
True, but trust is faith, while belief assumes something is true. Yes, you can trust my words because of my experiences and wisdom, but that doesn’t mean you must believe every word I said. Trust and belief shouldn’t simply be tossed into the same basket.
“But how do we differentiate?” the disciple asks, earnestly wanting to understand.
Taking a lemon from a nearby tree, I say “the lemon is sour.” You believe me, but have you tasted it for yourself? If not, you accept my truth, but you don’t know your own. The sourness of the lemon remains a belief, a piece of information, not a personal truth.
“So, the same happens with gods and deities?” the disciple questions.
Exactly, When I speak about these higher beings, you believe without question. But in doing so, you are not really believing in God, but merely accepting my version of God. It remains superficial, an idea, a doctrine, but not a transformative truth.
“Then how does transformation occur?” the disciple asks, intrigued.
The real transformation lies in turning these beliefs into personal truths, You have to actively seek and question these doctrines rather than accepting them blindly. You must taste the lemon for yourself and decide its sourness based on personal experience, not my word.
The truths I speak about gods and deities are mine. For them to be yours, you must seek your own truth and turn these beliefs into personal experiences.
Only then, by going beyond belief, beyond acceptance, by seeking, questioning, experiencing, and realizing the truths about life, God, and the Universe, can one truly say their life has been transformed by their spiritual journey.
