Believing is Seeing

This Week’s Quotation:

Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. Doubt everything. Find your own light. Do not look for a sanctuary in anyone except yourself. Seek refuge in the attitude of detachment and you will amass a wealth of spiritual awareness.

~ Buddha

Believing is Seeing

What would it be like to be free of everything we once believed about reality and ourselves? Consider what might happen if we disclaimed everything and became a clean slate. I feel Buddha describes what will happen when we are purified of outdated beliefs, we amass a wealth of spiritual awareness.

We’ve all heard it said: “seeing is believing.” Yet, I feel it’s the reverse that is operative now: “believing is seeing.” Reality is created based on our beliefs. That’s not woo-woo; it’s a scientific fact. Currently, there's a lot of fear in our world because fear often rears up when our beliefs get threatened.

It’s like having Pandora’s box opened inside us. What’s true? What’s not true? Who can I trust? What makes me sick? How do I get healthy? Where am I holding something or someone else responsible for how I feel or for the circumstances I find myself in? What have I given authority over me? Sheesh, we have so very many beliefs to put under the microscope. And we all need to do just that. Why?

Because any belief that anchors us in unholistic patterns puts up a firewall to our connection to the mothership—the Holy Force, the Great Spirit, God. Humanity stands at this great turning point of remembering that all of life breathes together. We are all stewards of this planet and each other. We rise and fall together.

As Jesus taught, what is in the one is in the whole. As we individually clear ourselves of unwholesome beliefs, it changes us and our experienced reality. This phenomenon is described as the hundredth monkey effect: where new ideas and behaviors spread rapidly, reflecting the Truth that all is one.

About Open Windows

We, the authors of this blog, dedicate it to the transparent exploration of the world’s sacred scripture and enlightened spiritual thought. We believe that the original inspiration of all faiths comes from a common source, named and revered in a myriad of ways. With that understanding, the innumerable symbols, beliefs, and practices of faith cease to divide. They become open windows to a common reality that inspires and unifies us. We find deeper insight and nourishment in our own faith and from the expression of faith from others.

We hope these weekly quotations and meditations speak to your heart and soul.