Faith and instinct

Do you believe in a doctrine, carefully constructed  over the centuries by theologians to avoid inconsistencies and contradictions - or is your spirituality guided by instinct?

Let me ask you a question.

Your soul will live forever when you die - true or false?

How will you answer that question - with an instinctive "yes" or "no"? Or are you prompted to reach first for a construct of words from which you can formulate an intellectually coherent answer?

Since early childhood, my answer would always have been in the positive. Not because of anything that Jesus is claimed to have said - but because of what I have always instinctively felt to be true.

Apply thinking to it - an doubt sets in (the devil in in doubt). But strip away the negativity that has come from Newtonian reductionism; forget it. We live in a new era when Newton no longer has all the answers, when science - in its endless quest to explain the universe around us - continues to stumble upon new mysteries faster than it can answer old ones. Nor can the doctrines of established religions fully keep up with the unfolding of our cosmos.

If asked whether you think/feel/believe that your consciousness will live on after the physical demise of your body you need to stop before answering - don't. First answer - quickly. Yes? No?

My answer instinctively is 'yes, but.'

The 'but' being that pronoun 'your'. I believe that consciousness exists outside of the body - but its no longer 'yours' - it belongs to the ages, it belongs to the universe, a return to the Everlasting Entirety - minus your ego. That ego, that baggage that comes from your biology and environment. Mr Shouty won't get to heaven. But the calm, kind, mindful self, bereft of hate, will.

To return to that instinctive, untutored self, free of the pollution of hatred takes an effort; prayer-through-meditation (or meditation in a state of listening) is very helpful. I admit to not doing enough meditating/praying, although I do more than I did, say, ten years ago. Setting aside time (while brushing teeth, falling asleep are the easiest), focusing on breathing and emptying the mind of clutter.

The result is being able to be more open to your most quintessential instincts; the ones that have been in you, with you, since childhood - not of physics, chemistry and biology since every molecule in your childhood body has been replaced several times over - but of pure consciousness.

It is impossible to find someone who's lived their entire life untutored in any religion or without having received basic instruction in science. But do you believe? Yes, but not because of catechism, Sunday school, RE lessons, sermons. Nor from science text books. It has to come from your instinct.

Do I know this? No. I intuit it.

This time last year:
Tunnel (further searches for the Nazi gold train)

This time two years ago:
Planes and trains on pedestals around Poland

This time six years ago:
Twilight, ul. Karczunkowska

This time nine years ago:
First hints of autumn in the air

This time ten years ago:
Slovakia - we were not impressed

This time 11 years ago:
Jeziorki - late August cultivation