I encourage everyone who reads this to examine the difference between a belief and an experience. A belief is held based on what we think is true about life, and very often, what we think about life is conditioned by others and our society, an experience however, can only happen in the moment and as I’m sure you’ve experienced, a powerful experience can often shatter your beliefs, so, if beliefs are impermanent and malleable as they surely are, then why defend them? Attachment to beliefs and ideologies have led to global war, famine, political, social and economic upheavals, destruction of our habitat and general dysfunction on all levels of society and because conflicting beliefs often divide us from each other, isn’t it a good idea then to examine your beliefs?
I’d say let go of anything you’re attached to that leads to inner or outer conflict, or at the very least let it teach you the futility of attachment to your beliefs.
Scott Lockhart
Austin, Texas
2015