Can someone help me with my spirituality/religion/life philosophy?

Question

I have this need to have a religion or spirituality label to me. I am a very spiritually exploratory guy, I'm only 16, and I have looked at basically every faith I have basically dedicated the last 6 months of my life to trying to find some truth in the world and trying to find some peace of mind. And after all this I feel no closer to any type of truth or peace. It is frustrating. And when people ask me what my religious beliefs are I just give like a response like "it depends" or "hard to explain" and I hate giving those responses. I just want some spiritual clarity. I know you guys will probably say why do you need a label, well I need one because I want something where I can focus my studies on. I want something I can tell people I am. I can list my basic beliefs for you and maybe you can help me. Thank you a lot. And I am not looking for a religion, if you can you could give me a philosophy, i.e. pantheism, etc. Thanks again.

My beliefs:
I believe in some type of higher being
I believe we have a "soul"
I believe that we should strive for peace
I believe we should focus on helping other, instead of focusing on the afterlife
I don't know what the afterlife is like, but I do believe that we are all connected
I believe we should be good people (obviously)
I believe we should try to meditate or pray to try to become one
I believe we should try to make life simple, not like get rid of technology but just keep it simple, enjoy the simple things in life.
I believe we should strive to be the best we can be, but we shouldn't crush others to benefit us.
Overall, we should be good people, focus on the now, and try to live simple.


(ps I like Jesus, Buddha, etc. Is Jesus god, I don't know, I do know he was a extremely good role model and we should strive to be like him)

Answer 1

I'd say you're agnostic, meaning you believe in a higher power, but aren't really sure which (if any) of the existing faiths got it right. That should be a good answer to the questions you're getting. Beyond that, I'm a little confused by what you're asking. You want 'spiritual clarity' but you're 'not looking for religion'. I'm sorry if none of that helps any.



I would like to add one thing for your consideration. You say you don't know if Jesus was God, but do believe He was an 'extremely good role model'. Jesus Himself says He is the Son of God in the Bible, and repeatedly refers to God as 'Father'. If this isn't true, that would make Jesus Christ the greatest con man in world history. So, if Jesus wasn't who He said He was, is He really a good role model?

Answer 2

Well let's start off with your beliefs.



I believe in some type of higher being - Very unlikely

I believe we have a "soul" - Definitely wrong

I believe that we should strive for peace - Good goal, what are you doing to achieve that?

I believe we should focus on helping other, instead of focusing on the afterlife - Yes, because there is no afterlife.

I don't know what the afterlife is like, but I do believe that we are all connected - well those two points are irrelevant.

I believe we should be good people (obviously) - obviously

I believe we should try to meditate or pray to try to become one - meditating doesn't make us one

I believe we should try to make life simple, not like get rid of technology but just keep it simple, enjoy the simple things in life. - Whatever works

I believe we should strive to be the best we can be, but we shouldn't crush others to benefit us. - That's difficult

Overall, we should be good people, focus on the now, and try to live simple. -The future is important too, and simplicity doesn't always work

Answer 3

G

Trty thyis.



Spirituality Without Fear And Judgment

By Generalist –June 7, 2009





Life that does not take spirituality into account, and include it, is cold and empty. Yet, spirituality that pushes answers rather than a self-discovery path leads to repression, cruelty, war. What is needed is a way to include spirituality that is not dogmatic, but enables each person to manifest uniqueness while understanding the collective aspects.



To optimize life, start by observing what you can see and systematizing it. Then remove all the repetition and all the advice and everything you were ever told is true. Keep only what is verifiable. You wind up with: Things change, yet there is continuity. Causes produce effects and life is both tangible and spiritual. The fact is that if you choose to guide your life by those simple observations, you will be ahead of almost everyone. If you want to package those concepts into a concise system, use the following formula in the form it was developed.

-Choose to focus your intention – NAM-.

-Understand the basic relevant realities like the inseparability of tangible and spiritual-intangible. That is MYOHO.

MYOHO is also the union of the physical and universal that everyone is seeking in religion and inventing different names for.

Realize that causes produce effects-RENGE.

-Understand that change never stops- KYO, yet there is an underlying continuity in life. This is motion and continuity like a river. No one is stuck. The sum is Nam Myoho Renge Kyo



Reciting this formula for a full life produces results. Why? It works because the human mind is heavily biased toward language. It’s in Japanese because the topic can’t be expressed as succinctly in another language, and its originator lived in 13th century Japan.

This process clears the mind for greater comprehension and inclusion of all aspects of life. It is not magic. It is cognitive exercise. It doesn’t replace focused effort toward your goals. It makes those efforts more complete and effective.



Put your palms together and recite the formula for a great life (Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.) It works better when you find a support group at SGI. This summation of life's realities is the basic truth which anyone can use to enhance life. The dichotomies and contradictions disappear as fast as you allow them to.



What have I gained since I started to use this formula?

Unknown artistic ability discovered. That ability led to success.

Rebuilding of an unhappy, isolated, paranoid, chain saw personality to being a middle class nice guy with all the friends I want.

Money is much better. Health is much better.

Professional ability is much better.

Met and married the woman of my dreams 14 happy years ago.

Comprehensions added.

The comprehension required to help hundreds of people change their lives to happy success. Success as they individually defined it

Source(s):

1) Nichiren Daishonin, by way of Daisaku Ikeda

2 )http://www.sgi.org –for a variety of reasons, some of the terminology used in some writings of SGI sound religious, but the intention of the founder was that people discover and manifest their inherent enlightenment without requiring any outside agency.

Answer 4

You don't really have to label yourself. And as you said you don't want a religion. So when people ask, just say you believe in a supreme being and the afterlife. Well just follow what you believe in, namely Jesus and Buddha (BTW Jesus is God, its a Holy Trinity). If you keep searching you would most definitely stumble upon something insightful

Answer 5

We should be proud of our past, and live for today, doing what is right in our own eyes, for that is all we know for certain.



I want to be the kind of person that will die being proud of the choices I've made even if I do have regrets, I want to die with the knowledge that I have done good, even if I die tomorrow.



Whoever I worship, whatever they may be, hairy thunderer or cosmic muffin, I take comfort in the idea that there is someone or something out there that is looking out for me.



I believe that dreams should be lived, not worshiped.



the above are the best responses that I could think of, good luck finding life's meaning out there, i hope I do too.

Answer 6

Why the need for a label?



If you see the buddha or Jesus as a good role model then follow their teachings and try to be what they ask you to be.



Jesus said I and the father are one but he never excluded you or me from the equation did he?



Love and blessings don

Answer 7

I believe that your beliefs point to any descent religion promoting goodness and that if you put action to what you said you believe in then any higher being that does exist will accept you in afterlife and guide you in your time on earth.

Answer 8

For all such problems, It is always better to have a permanent mentor of your own choice, who is more wise than you, clever, elderly, mature, knowledgeable and kind. It is easy to take guidance from him off and on. Please listen to his words obediently and scrupulously in letter and spirit.