In the maze of existence, my beliefs are a tapestry woven with threads of skepticism, curiosity, and a relentless quest for understanding. Join me in this personal journey where I share what I currently believe about morality, the supernatural, a supreme deity, Buddhist philosophy, sin, death and more.
A Supreme Deity
The existence of a supreme deity remains an enigma to me, and I embrace the uncertainty. While philosophical suicide warns against surrendering reason for unwavering belief, I contemplate the idea that our existence may be intertwined with a greater consciousness — the universe.
While I’m no expert and I believe there is truths across all faiths, creeds and philosophies, currently, I am unable to bridge the gap between logic, the material world and the essence of a supreme being controlling it all.
Morality
I’ve come to see morality as a human construct, not an intrinsic universal truth. Despite the absence of absolute right or wrong, I find myself refraining from acts deemed heinous by society. As comedian Ricky Gervais’s character Tony in “After Life” humorously puts it, when asked why he does not go around raping and killing if he does not believe in God: “I do go around raping and murdering as much as I want, which is not at all.” This paradox prompts me in my journey for truth to explore the origin of morality and the enigma of ethical behaviour in a seemingly amoral universe.
The Supernatural
Currently, I view the supernatural as a product of the mind. The mind’s power is yet to be realised but I believe our minds hold the key to manifesting supernatural experiences. If you want it to be real, it can become real. Our minds are also open to suggestion meaning that years of being taught that something exists can make it real and result in the aforementioned “experiences”.
Could the supernatural exist? Sure! But, much like my belief in a supreme deity, it would require me to abandon logic to believe in such a thing at this stage.
Buddhist Thinking
My interest in Buddhist philosophy isn’t rooted in dogma but in its non-theistic and practical nature. With its impact on medicine, psychology, and dedicated practitioners, Buddhism offers a unique perspective and some very practical approaches to navigating life.
Enlightenment? Yes. I believe in enlightenment, although I believe no human to ever live this life have truly come to understand the full truth about life and their purpose on this planet we call home but, through persistent seeking one can endeavour to come closer to such a truth, if such a truth exists.
Do I believe in reincarnation? Who knows…
Sin: Beyond Good and Evil
Without a universally accepted definition of good and evil, the concept of sin loses its foundation.
To be a sin, the thought or action would need to be innately evil and without objective morality set by a supreme deity, there is no sin. Everything just is. So why don’t I commit heinous acts? Like I said before, I don’t because I don’t want to.
But what about murder, rape and all those bad things people do? Well, for me, I compare this to the animal world. In the animal world, some animals kill to survive and then there are some like cats, dolphins, and elephants that kill for fun. In the same way, some humans kill for survival or consequentially as part of a survival mechanism and some for fun.
Rape…well, same thing. Some animals exhibit this behaviour but we do not see it as innately evil, we just see it as part of their nature. This goes for the many other “sins” as well.
Death
Death, often shrouded in fear, appears to me as a transition into a greater consciousness—the universe itself. I have two concepts about death that I swing between from time-to-time. Either, we came from the universe and will rejoin the universe or we will just ultimately cease to exist.
While I enjoy the thought of some grander purpose, whether that be a greater cosmic consciousness - and further would love to embrace an eternal existence with a supreme deity, ultimately, I lean more towards the absurdist philosophy of Albert Camus.
Absurdism is a philosophical perspective which holds that the efforts of humanity to find meaning or rational explanation in the universe ultimately fail (and, hence, are absurd) because no such meaning exists, at least to human beings.
Ultimately, my beliefs are constantly changing…
This isn’t a manifesto; it’s a personal exploration, a journey through uncertainties and contemplations. As my beliefs shift and evolve, I invite you to traverse these corridors with me, embracing the fluidity of thought in our collective pursuit of understanding the boundless mysteries that shape our reality.
Catch my next blog post on Medium or on my website where I will further explore my studies, thoughts and contemplations.