Feel im loosing 'faith'

[JCG]

Alot has changed for me this year, I have become a far more confident and outgoing person in comparison to who I used to be. I have also rekindled my spiritual side.

Recently however, I feel myself feeling quite lost. I can't put my finger on why. I find myself asking wether or not there is more to life than what we see before us. I do not know how to bring myself back to what I once believed. What evidence is there that there is more than this, a higher self if you like.

Not really sure where im going with this, but any wise words would be appreciated.

[Ta-tsu-wa]

JCG, do you mind if I ask a personal question? When you use the phrase "losing my faith", in my mind it immediately brings up the idea of losing faith in a religious system, specifically, in an organized religious system. I'm not certain if that's a part of what you mean or if I'm reading my own biases into your statement. Would it be possible to clarify that point just a bit?

[GilesC]

Originally Posted by JCG

Alot has changed for me this year, I have become a far more confident and outgoing person in comparison to who I used to be. I have also rekindled my spiritual side.

Cool!

Recently however, I feel myself feeling quite lost. I can't put my finger on why. I find myself asking wether or not there is more to life than what we see before us. I do not know how to bring myself back to what I once believed. What evidence is there that there is more than this, a higher self if you like.

As ta-tsu-wa says, this does depend on what you mean by 'faith'. Your understanding of it will no doubt be different to ours, and ours different to each other.

As far as I understand what you're saying, you are saying that you feel you are losing faith in life, in terms of society that is going on around you. Point 1. The more spiritual you become within yourself, the more aware you become of society around you and how they are not being as spiritual as you. This comparison can give you a sense that society is somehow becoming "worse", when in fact it is you that is become more in touch with yourself and feeling better about yourself. This can give you a feeling of being lost as you are, in a sense, distancing yourself from others. But this is not a bad thing; there is no reason why you should hold yourself back from spiritual progression just to remain with everyone else (who often believe they are "stuck in a rut" )

Point 2. In truth, the more spiritual you become the less attachment you have to things, and the more you realise (consciously or unconsciously) that life is in fact very simple. This is why meditation is so powerful and why people are often scared of it, as meditation is a state of pure simplicity, but we struggle to get there because we fear the "letting go" that is needed to get closer and closer to that state.

By seeking for "more" in life, we will not find it, unless we choose to become attached to things, whether they are material, spiritual or emotional things. There is no real need for "more" in life, it is just the fear within our mind that makes us believe there should be and tries to hold us in a state of wanting more rather than letting go and becoming free.

The wise teachers say "what more do we need than a roof over our heads to protect our body from the elements of nature, food to sustain the body and love for everything".

Hugs

Giles

[JCG]

Hi guys

No I am not religious, although I can appreciate some of the teachings mainstream religeon has given us. I must say though, taoism is a particular interest of mine.

Faith probably wasnt the best word to use.

Giles thankyou for your words, you've helped me look a little differently at my current situation.

I just can't seem to put a finger on what has brought about these feelings.

[Ta-tsu-wa]

Originally Posted by JCG

I do not know how to bring myself back to what I once believed.

What is it you once believed that you feel compelled to get back to?

[evolvingsoul]

Growth happens with change.
Changes take place with fear and feelings of loss and sometimes pain.
That's due to our attachments to the familiar and comfortable ways in the "old" self.
In sustaining one's faith one must remember perseverance, patience and practice.
There are no shortcuts to spiritual maturity.
Enjoy the journey friends.

[JCG]

To be honest..im really not sure what im trying to get back, and I believe that may be the problem. I must say today im feeling alot better. Started reading an favourite old book of mine and that has helped. I find reading has always been improved my mood and outlook. Can anyone reccomend a good book?
Peace.

[Ta-tsu-wa]

It may not feel like it right now, but you're at a very special point in your life. Initially you asked whether or not there is more to life than what we see before us. The truth is, no, there isn't. Take all of what you see in life, all of what you know, and realize there's just more of it to come. More material things to accumulate, more honors and awards to win, more promotions at work, more raises, more homes to pay for, more cars to drive, more friends to find and more friends to lose. The costumes change slightly but the actors remain essentially the same. As a passage from the Bible asserts, "There is nothing new under the sun."

Does that thought dishearten you? It shouldn't. It ought to give you a great deal of hope because it lets you know exactly where you are. When you go to a shopping mall, right near the outer doors there is usually a big sign filled with little, colored and number boxes representing all the various shops in the mall, And somewhere on that map there's a colored dot with the words, "You are here" next to it. Without that colored dot all the numbered boxes would be of no use to you. In order to make use of any sort of map you first have to know where you stand in relation to the map's contents. You have to know exactly how you are oriented to all the things around you or despite having the best map possible you will remain confused and without direction.

Our lives are very much like that map. Endless possibilities exist all around us; a near infinite number of directions we could go in. At least that's the way it seems when you have no colored dot to let you know, "You are here." Without that orientation the options multiply with no apparent limit. For most people, that's how life appears. They are blissfully unaware of its true nature.

Or perhaps it isn't so blissful after all. Those who live with this view go from peak to valley, peak to valley. With each new thing they acquire, each new accomplishment, each new honor, each new experience, they achieve a fleeting sense of contentment. Soon it fades and is replaced by a kind of gnawing hunger that grows steadily until it compels them to seek something new to satisfy it. This is a cycle of events that will play itself out again and again for as long as they live. Nothing satisfies this hunger for more than a moment or two. Often, as time passes, the intensity of the hunger increases. There are some people who eventually despair, recognizing on some level they seek to win a game that can have no winner and no end. They leave this life miserable and bitter. Sometimes they leave this life by taking their own lives because the thought of enduring such a pointless existence any longer becomes more than they can bear.

But for a few lucky ones, a colored dot makes an appearance. With a firm point of reference they look around and see that what others strive for is all pretty much the same set of things. They want material security, and when they have that they want material comfort, and when they get that they want material luxury. They want friends and relationships. They want a family. They want to belong to various and sundry groups so that they feel like they belong somewhere. The person blessed with the colored dot looks at all these things and realizes that there may be superficial differences, but in principle its all the same things.

From somewhere within a curious question surfaces, quietly at first and often ignored until it buries itself once more to escape further consideration. But when one is ready that question arises and gives the person no peace until they sit themselves down with it and commit to finding an answer. And the question is, "Is there nothing more to life than this?" Sound familiar?

This game we play called Life isn't a bad thing. It's a wonderful, precious thing, but it has to be approached properly to be appreciated for what it is. We could say generally there are two parts to existence. There is the part that consists of energy and form, and there is the part which is pure awareness out of which energy and form are drawn. Those who have no colored dot to give them a point of reference are people who see only energy and form. To them that's all there is or can ever be. So long as they approach Life from that point of view they will be forever seeking and never finding. This is the essential core view of the hunger that cannot be satisfied.

You've asked the question, "Is there nothing more?" That's a certain sign one of those little colored dots has made an appearance in front of you. It's an invitation, JCG, to see what cannot be seen; to touch what cannot be touched; to experience the form of that which is beyond all forms. The first step in the process is realizing that the answer to the riddle isn't to be found anywhere in the realm of energy and form. You won't think your way to a correct solution. You won't read about it in any book. No trail of logic will lead you to it. And no one else will ever wrap it up in a box with a bow on it and hand it over to you. If anyone ever claims they can, run the other direction because they're either lying to you or deluded themselves, and you don't want to have anything to do with them.

What you're looking for isn't information "about" something. It's a direct experience with that which is Transcendent. These are very personal experiences and highly unique. If I could describe my experience to you it would be of little use as yours won't be like mine or anyone else's. What I can tell you with certainty is that your search lies outside of energy and form.

To that end meditation is an amazing tool. It may be the one you need to use to bring a successful conclusion to your own search. It may not be a straight line to your answer, but stick with it and you will find your answer. Once you touch the Transcendent you bring it back with you into Life; into that realm of energy and form. Then the things that belong to that realm take on a sweetness and satisfying nature they didn't hold for you before. There isn't hunger any longer, but an appreciation for everything that is, just as it is. Everything is as it should be. You are as you should be. That's not to say you won't see things that you want to improve upon. You will, and you should. At the same time you'll see them from a higher perspective. You'll see how things fit together harmoniously from the higher view, even if they appear to be in conflict on a lower, local view. A harmony and symmetry make themselves apparent on a macro level you may never have suspected of existing before.

As I said earlier, you're at a very special point in your life. Take advantage of the little colored dot that's made its appearance. That inner sense of dissatisfaction is your personal invitation to enter a grander existence than most people around you can imagine. What better time could there be to take that huge step forward than the present?

[chris-da-fur]

amazing post ta-tsu-wa, was a pleasure to read!

[Mr Monkey]

I totally agreee Chris, something so insightful explained so clearly, thanks Ta-tsu-wa