My (Current) Beliefs

I personally feel that sharing your beliefs serves no purpose, that everyone needs to form their own beliefs without being persuaded by those of another. Even Buddha is quoted as saying, "Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense." I am not sharing my beliefs here in an attempt to convert anyone. I just want to illustrate where my current perspective is coming from, as well as set a benchmark to see where my beliefs evolve as I follow this path.

I believe that the purpose of life, all life, is spiritual advancement. That is, each life we live is designed to challenge us in specific ways in order for us to fully unite with our spirit. I believe in reincarnation. I believe that it takes us many lifetimes to reach our spiritual potential, commonly called "enlightenment." However, I also believe that enlightenment is far simpler than we make it out to be. Our souls are already perfect, and eternally present. We just get so caught up in the drama created by our minds that we forget we are already "enlightened beings." The work we have to do isn't the problem solving our minds love, it's transcending that very need to solve and create problems.

I also believe that you have to let go of your beliefs to truly unite with the soul. Beliefs are also a creation of the mind. The mind is part of this world we "live" in; beliefs can either make us a slave to our mind, or liberate us from it. Having steadfast beliefs founded only in what we're told regardless of how they may contradict what we intuitively know, is slavery. Being flexible in our beliefs and allowing them to grow and change if we find them to be lacking or faulty, is freedom.

Finally, I believe there are many, many, many, many, many different paths towards spiritual advancement. Personally, I practice yoga. Not in the, "I go to yoga class once a week," way, in the "I try to live each moment within the philosophical guidelines of yoga." I practice Ashtanga Yoga. It consists of eight limbs (which you can read about here if you're interested) designed to scientifically unite you with your soul, and your individual soul to the Universal Soul. This method works well for me, but it may not work for everyone. Do what works for you.