“What you believe creates your reality”. This is one of the tenants that I try to live by. You can change reality by changing your beliefs. And I don’t mean this in a trivial sense (“smile and world smiles with you”) but in the most fundamental and real sense. The problem is that most people (and me specifically) find it is virtually impossible to change what they believe is real. There few people who have accomplished this – they are our spiritual leaders, good and bad. They are the people who have outwardly changed our
It is just a monumental task to change your beliefs, even in the smallest way. That is why the Buddhist principle of re-incarnation is so appealing to me – it means I may get more than one lifetime to change my beliefs (which takes off some of the pressure :-). This is another reason why I think our media blackout is a positive way to change the world – it can help in bringing my focus back to the only thing I can really change – myself.
This is why I often view the world as a mirror – a vehicle to better understand yourself and your intentions. If you see something in the world that upsets you – whether it is George W. Bush, Bill Clinton or some guy at the Supermarket – you have to make a simple choice: Do I spend my time trying to change the thing I am upset about, or do I change my beliefs about it? I believe the latter choice is much more powerful (and difficult). I think the first step is to understand why you are upset, to understand what is underlying that feeling of anger, sadness, jealousy, etc… that upsets you. Most often these emotions come up because of something we see reflecting ourselves. When someone lies to you, do you get upset because of what they did, or because of how it reminds you of untruths you have told? Taking responsibility for our own actions is the first step in changing your beliefs.
The fact is that it is very difficult to change your beliefs. It is downright impossible to change anyone else’s. So why spend your time trying the impossible when you have your work cut out for you with just changing your beliefs? I am not saying that you have to sit around meditating all day to do good in the world (although that might be a good place to start), but until you understand your emotions and the intentions behind them, you CANNOT do good in the world. If your intentions are to dominate others, then it does not matter how righteous your cause (Save the Whales! Free Tibet! Impeach Clinton! Impeach Bush!) the results will be domination of others. It is impossible to judge the intentions of others (we can only guess, and once again it is a distraction from what matters).
I understand the media blackout; I practice it much of the time, but am drawn occasionally back to sit down with the Sunday NYTimes (oh, it’s so much thinner on the West Coast) and my soy chai and immerse myself in the world’s affairs.
However, I really write to comment on changing one’s beliefs about that which is opposed or contrary to or different from that which we think we believe. Changing to adapt–is that conformity? Is that sacrificing self? Is it dishonest?
I understand the need to hold opposite beliefs. I understand the value of wearing the other’s shoe. Strength of person, though, comes from being _willing_ to change but doesn’t mean that one should.
And the world needs a collection of strong persons who are willing to accomodate. That’s the key.
I am reminded of the saying “Walk a mile in my shoes and you’ll be a mile away and have my shoes”.
another way to look at this could be to change what you want or what you need. if you change what you need than your belief sturcture would have to shift to incorperate this new need. if you change what you want there again is the oppertunity for the belief structure to shift. beliefs do stem from our perceptions of the world around us. it seems that we also change what we believe to get what we want or need, or to simply see what we want or need even if it does not exist.