Are "belief" systems based on false ego's conditioning to separation thinking?

The conditioned mindset is the entire structure of the ego-self and its walls consist of the programming it has received from hundreds of different contradictory external sources since birth. Its continuous involuntary movement of attachments, associations, memories, thoughts, dreams, emotions, desires and biological urges defines ‘I’ consciousness and all of its boundaries.

Through ones’ unity skills and pure observation of the mind’s involuntary movement, without interference or judgment, these walls can be penetrated, because through unity skills and pure observation the involuntary movement of the mind goes into abeyance and a state happens where it experiences vastness, unconditioned intelligence and infinite possibilities.

If one continues to witness this vast unconditioned state without interference or judgement and without being distracted by the bliss and illumination of it, pure omnipresent emptiness arises, in which there is no self, no mind, no movement at all, not even of awareness or intelligence.

In this state the self is dissolved into the absolute oneness of the void, where the ‘I’ consciousness does not exist. If it did, the state would not be empty and omnipresent.

The meditative mind that reaches emptiness can think clearly single point, enter illumination, vastness and unconditioned intelligence and dissolve completely into omnipresent emptiness. Surely only this multidimensionalness of consciousness and the ability to enter and exit all of its dimensions at will is the opening to all possibilities and the state that interpenetrates and transcends them all.

Nirvana

I have many beliefs at the moment, but I wouldn't call them a structure. If it were, it would be a very well ventilated one, because I am fully aware that what I know about the Universe and how it works wouldn't build a decent anthill. When I hear, read or intuit something that resonates with the consciousness within, I believe it. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that I accept it. Many times I have come across another angle or interpretation that helps me refine or expand a belief. But as long as I have listened to what I sometimes call "my truth-detector within" I have not had cause to question or doubt the core belief.

Anyway, to answer your question, I don't think false ego becomes a problem until you try to fortify the walls against any view that contradicts your own and/or you feel the need to convert others to bolster the validity of your own beliefs.

Hi Sirius, thanks for an excellent question. I am really glad that Nirvana has answered this, because I know she is coming from a dimension that is her own direct experience and not answering from something she has read, or picked up from someone else. Thank you Nirvana.

I was also deeply struck by this quote, although I have never before read it, it is something that I have seen to be true all across the board, from whatever walk of life or path that is chosen, whether it be a political one and the opposing party comes up with a really great idea, it is immediately dismissed by all others instead of being encompassed for the benefit of all. Spiritually speaking there are good points available to all who are prepared to look, hidden inside all religions, but these are also dismissed by the majority if it does not already go inline with their own mind pattern. I have even noticed it on a person-to-person level where ‘frinstance I may not like you, but you have a really great idea or philosophy and when I hear it, I immediately reject it because of my dislike of you and in doing that I miss out so so much that would have greatly benefitted my soul.

Wherever the mind is closed there is a level of stagnation. To me it is of the utmost importance to examine everything within the mind. All of our beliefs need to be ripped apart to see if there is any fragment of truth hidden within and none of this is at all possible without being open to the opposing view, or the new and controversial idea.

But I feel also that the reason people generally do not explore these aspects is plain and simply because it hurts us to do so. If I have believed in something all of my life, and then you come along and challenge that belief then the whole of my structure may come tumbling down like a pack of cards and that is going to be a very painful and frustrating experience. Most people are not concerned with the destruction of the ego, which is what this process entails, but prefer to keep it safe, within the realms of the known.

I am sure therefore that it is possible to cultivate an attitude of openness, to encourage the mind to remain receptive and versatile to all that life has to offer and in doing that great personal growth surely has to be the result.

Saying “nature always heals itself” if a belief. Perhaps you could hear that from “Gaia type greens”, the “idiot types” that live in a dream, believe in fairies and gnomes and would sign any petition that says ban this or ban that without even knowing what they are doing. However, If you look at the “big picture” the Universe itself is still evolving, this would include our solar system and the planet on which we live. Nature does have a way to “balance itself out”, nature is constantly changing and trying to reach equilibrium, it is always subject to reacting and sometimes in a pretty powerful manner. The notion that ‘things will return to normal’ is vague, because there is such a thing as “returning to normal”, since “normal” is hard to define in reference to our planet, there will always be changes and reactions to changes whether the cause of these changes are of natural or anthropogenic origins. Besides AGW is only the tip of the iceberg, and unfortunately overpopulation is a cause of changes that impact on the planet's ressources. It is not fun to consider but it is part of the reality of the times in which we live. Your question only addresses a Gaia belief system/religion. However I maintain that there is a certain "dogma" within climate science community, where anyone that dares to question AGW is considered 'heretic'.

Yes, but remember that 'separation thinking' is an early brain function for survival ONLY. It is purely defensive.

You are correct and Andrews puts it very succinctly, but if the goal of 'emptying' of conditioned beliefs is understood as only a matter of giving up childish defenses - in order to remember your authentic nature - you'll be in a better position to make use of that "infinite field of potentiality" that is the reality you already inhabit. Some call it the Source.

Unity or 'returning to your essential Self, is ultimately a practical matter of allowing reality to conform to your REAL needs rather than your conditioned ego beliefs interfering with this natural causality.

Achieving "openness" to all possibilities is useless if you have no idea of what you love - what you came here to accomplish.

Beliefs in general are not the problem...

Beliefs are ideas that we intellectually hold, and emotionally feel to be true...

We create our reality according to the nature of our beliefs...we are supposed to recognize the connection between all of our experiences and our beliefs...our experiences are telling us exactly what we believe...we are supposed to get rid of the beliefs that are responsible for experiences we don't want, and adopt the beliefs that create and reinforce the experiences we do want...we are supposed to learn to separate ourselves from our beliefs....

We are not our beliefs, but we use them as an artist uses paints...our beliefs are supposed to serve us and not the other way around...

All of this applies to beliefs about enlightenment, too...

Specific belief systems are based on false conditioning, but many belief systems are based on fact...

Your author is almost right, but errs in important ways...

Nothing can build a fence around our consciousness, but we can hold beliefs that blind us to the abilities and mobility of our own consciousness and, in effect, walls are constructed, but only within our imagination...yet this is extremely important, because this is where we assemble our "picture of the world" and our experiences will reflect this inner picture...

All of our beliefs assembled together act as a lens...a paradigm...if you hold the core beliefs that you are only an ego and a gender and a physical body in time and space, then your worldview will be constructed of those core beliefs and other subsidiary beliefs that are built up around them...they will act as psychological filters and direct our perceptions along those specific lines...

If we hold rigidly to that viewpoint we won't be able to imagine and therefore perceive anything outside of that box...

This is what Andrews was trying to say...

My next statement may be considered blasphemy by some, but, All That Is believes in you...

-----"So "believing," in and of itself (as in belief systems, which become systemic or pervasive), creates the barriers/fences to experiencing Source..."

Only if you insist on believing in the barriers...

Believe otherwise, and you remove the barriers...

-----"Conditioned ego rides a child's pony round and round the relative field, while the freed ego (the true and original essence) rides a wildhorse (untamed nature) running free in the Absolute Field of the Un"known" force of Source, joyously alive to and fully experiencing the Now."

Thank you for that..... :)

Ego's love our belief systems. Haven't you noticed that many a ego is perfectly content to let us have our religions, (there are Enlightened exceptions!) because we feel Spiritual & it is safe & non threatened. I agree with Sunman, nothing can really build a wall around our consciousness or awareness, but I believe Andrews is using this as a metaphor. Ego feeds off our awareness in order to give it a psudeo life, it is why so many have such difficulty waking up or coming to awareness, we have our "fire" all tied up in ego, mostly by our identification with it. Then we are conditioned with false ideas in religion. As stated before, ego has no problem allowing us to have our false Spiritual beliefs, we feel content because we think we are Spiritual & ego is status quo. It is when we begin to unlearn our programming & conditioning that ego will begin to fight, a wild animal fights hardest when cornered! But, there are exceptions. There are Mystics in structured systems who take their systems to the next level, it has always been a valid way, the problem today is most of the time people are "taught" their religion, get programmed that it is dangerous to question the party line, so out of fear they stay in the box.

I agree with Andrews with one small exception. In the conscious beginning of the journey we need a map. It is a large leap from program illusion to total emptiness. The map is just a device to show us what general direction to head in. Along the way we build what I call a logics construct of concepts & tools & info passed to us by those that went before. But it is intellect & not the territory. Eventually we find that we must use it as a springboard into that great unknown, diving off & leaving it behind. This step is hard for us to get to, again, the ego wants to go with us in the form of all this "knowledge". Many get lost here for a very long. The logics construct, or accumulated knowledge is not the territory either.

Blessings!

Yes, belief systems do limit unity and generate separation, even though many of them claim community is the foundation of their system. However, I see a difference between believing in something and knowing the truth about something. While some might say their belief system is truth, the question I have is are they saying it is truth because that is what they were taught, or did they truly seek truth? When individuals believe what they are taught without truly seeking, then they are indeed fenced in by that system. However, those who move beyond their "system" and choose to undo the definition of what they have been taught by seeking truth outside of their little fenced-in yard, these are the ones who move beyond ego and become the empty vessels waiting to be filled with Universal Oneness, with Truth.

I agree with you. If we release the boundaries set by our specific belief system then we find that just about anything is possible ... if we just believe it to be so.

When we experience body centred set of finite adjuncts

we create a seeming separation between oneself and

everything that we imagine to be the other.Once there

is the feeling of separation beliefs become a psychological

necessity because of incorrect perception which limit

our consciousness and we cannot go further than our

belief structure.Solution to this problem is to free the

consciousness from it's adjuncts by disidentifying with them.

Then you are open to all possibilities.

I think that it is very hard for people to accept anything outside of their own belief system only when they believe that this believe transcends into reality. I can believe I won the lottery, this is more of a hope then a belief, but does that belief map onto reality? If it doesn't then it is going to be easy to change my mind because there is no evidence to back it up. If it does map onto reality in my mind, it will be hard because that is reality. And I would have proof for what I believe. So it is just a simple question of does this belief map onto reality.