Fundamental Spirituality

There are many different religions, many different philosophies, and spiritual systems. For the spiritual voyager it can be quite confusing. Ultimately each individual must find what speaks to her personally and follow that. I don’t think there is any system of belief that can be called the “Truth” with a capital “T.”

There are, however, some fundamental beliefs that have been around for thousands of years and can be found in most major religions and many spiritual systems.

The quotes below speak to these fundamental beliefs.

“One’s own thought is one’s world. What a person thinks is what he becomes.” (The Maitri Upanishad, a Hindu text nearly 3,000 years old)

“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7)

 “We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think.” (The Dhammapada about 500 B.C., from the Buddha)

“All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think, we become.” (Buddha)

“Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.” (Matthew 15:11)

“We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far.” (Swami Vivekananda)

“Our life is what our thoughts make it.” (Marcus Aurelius)

“Thoughts are things.” (Edgar Cayce and Ernest Holmes)

“You get what you concentrate upon.” (Seth)

Throughout recorded history, in religion, philosophy, and spiritual teachings, the idea of the power of our thoughts in creating our life experiences has been emphasized. Some individuals will accept this idea without hesitation. Others will think that it doesn’t make any sense.

While it may be easy for some to accept this fundamental teaching, I believe that it is a very difficult path to take. It requires that we take full responsibility for our lives. In practice, that can be very difficult.

In future blogs I will go into more depth concerning the implications of the power of thought. For now, I would like you to think about two different ways of experiencing this concept. One is to look at life as if it were a dream. The other is to see life as a magical experience. If our thoughts truly become our reality, that is nothing more than magic.

Until next time, Blessings!