Beliefs and Self-Identity

People have a tendency to be very attached to their beliefs, which has been the cause of much conflict and suffering. It is seems absurd writing about my belief that beliefs are meaningless, but I'll go for it anyways. Why must it be so difficult to understand that we need not always prove that we are right, and come to understand that everybody is acting based on what they believe to be right, which is no more or less valid than our own belief?

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS RIGHT AND WRONG. WE MAKE IT UP AS WE GO ALONG

At first the idea seems arrogant, even selfish. Who are we to decide the rules of life? Who are we to know what is best for ourselves? But the reality of things is...there really IS no set definition of what is right or wrong. It is something we learn from families, our culture and our laws. We are in many cases following blindly instead of thinking for ourselves and realizing that some of the things we take for granted are completely absurd. Things that were illegal years ago are now accepted, like women voting. Other things that used to be acceptable are now looked upon with disgust, like slavery. Who is to say we have hit the end of the road and the laws we follow today will be with us until the end of time?

It is all completely a matter of perspective. People's experiences create certain beliefs and a set of values that they will live by. These beliefs then filter our perception of the world in a way that can support our beliefs. So lets say my belief is that the world is a dangerous place. My mind will tend to notice events to confirm this belief and so reinforce it. This cycle can continue leaving you very narrow-sighted. Believing the world is a peaceful place will create a completely different experience of it. Which belief should be deciding what is right and wrong?

Beliefs and Self-Identity

Our ideas of right and wrong are based on our beliefs, which as I said often have less depth than we may think. This is my belief as well, which came to me from books I've read, people I've spoken to, personal experiences, etc. How can this have anything to do with who I am, if it is simply a product of my experiences? Another person may have stumbled upon different books and different people and come up with completely different beliefs. So basically we're bouncing around like ping pong balls picking up information here and there to internalize it and say "this is who I am". This is not who we are.

Who are we then?

We are spiritual beings. There is no "I am this" or "I am that". There is only "I am". Nothing external can define us. We feel the need to define ourselves by our ideas and beliefs, but this is all part of physical realm which is not our true reality. Underlying everything we see and think exists a realm of spirit where we are untouched by the daily turmoil of everyday life. This is who we are. This part of ourselves can't be harmed in any way.

I believe life is about getting closer and closer to this aspect of ourselves. Too bad I don't believe in beliefs....