Beliefs

What You Are
or
What You Think You Are?

By Carl Bozeman

Our beliefs are often thought to be our core essence and the basis for how we conduct our lives. But all too often, they are blocks to greater awareness and enlightenment.

What are your beliefs?

Most of us, when asked such a question, will outline a list of values that we feel defines our core values, morals and inner essence - things such as believing in God, Jesus, Buddha, Catholicism; or in more broad terms - I am a Christian, Jew, Muslim, atheist, or what have you.

We may subscribe to ideals such as living the Ten Commandments, the Vedas, the Golden Rule and others that have been handed down through the ages. We may describe our inner characteristics, such as kindness, honesty, friendly, happy, straightforward, open, gregarious, shy, subdued and on and on it goes. Some may even include a list of political affiliations or causes they take up.

We all have a description of ourselves that we regularly discuss with ourselves and others when that opportunity arises.

What are beliefs really?

There are really two types.

First are those we have been taught almost from the day of birth. These are those things that we use to create and enhance our egoic identity. They are essentially what we portray to the world of other egos. In other words, they are our own unique illusion of reality and they help form the identity we use and project into that illusion.

The second type is often unknown because it only comes into play when what we say we believe in, the illusion of life, resists some other knowing we have, but cannot give a definition to. We sometimes call it going against the grain. In any case, we feel a resistance even though, in the case of the first set of convictions, we claim to buy into whatever it might be. A good example might be someone saying he or she is of a certain religious sect and believes it with heart, soul and mind, but deep down in a place they can't quite put a finger on, they really don't. Some other voice is calling that is contrary to what they want to project to the world. We see this in every aspect of life and it literally tears at the very core of individuals.

All of us should consider that what we say we believe in is really what blocks us from a wider view of reality and awareness.

Beliefs are blocks when they prevent us from looking at the infinite possibilities we all can partake in. As soon as we identify with any one thing, we close a door to our own soul's ability to accept everything.

Our beliefs are not good indicators of what we truly are. They are better indicators of what we are not. Until we can learn to let go of those things we rigidly identify with as that which we believe makes us what we are, we cannot expand in such a way that allows our awareness to come to know the greater part of us that is divine... that is God.

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