Talk: Choosing Our Big Picture

In this talk the topics of faith in relation to holding a world view is explored. It is proposed that we all have some worldview even if we consider ourselves not a person of faith. If we can become aware of the view we hold and start zooming out to explore bigger views that different people hold, we can make a wise decision of what worldview we decide to take on as our 'running assumption' as to the nature of things.

Transcript

Welcome to this short talk. In this short talk, I want to talk about faith. It's a topic that is challenging for many of us as Westerners to navigate. And I try to approach it in a way, And that's what I've done in my own practice, To learn to approach it in a way to see the pitfalls that are there, Or kind of the minefields that are there for some of us. Partially from our culture, Maybe connected as well to us personally. But the reason I want to talk about it in this way is that I personally think that there is something about navigating it skillfully and finding a healthy, Balanced approach to faith. It seems that in the West, Although it differs also from country to country, But it seems that in some cultures and in some of us personally, We have a difficulty to relate to faith at all. But the challenge is that sometimes it might then lead to not clearly seeing that in the end, Even those who consider to not have faith, Still take things on faith. My understanding is that it's to a degree inevitable. And once we clear that up, It also helps to figure out where is it that we have pain or difficulty around faith, And there might be valid reasons behind that. And so how do we take those lessons and do that in a skillful way, But still really be wise about the way we relate to faith? So what does it mean to have faith in many ways? It comes down to believing something that you might not be able to verify at this moment for yourself. And it might even be something that you might never be able to verify. And so, In the West we have some pain around this and it seems, As far as my limited knowledge of it goes, Although we can also see it in the world today, So I wanted to talk about the history, But even in the world today we can see that when it comes to faith it can be done in an unskillful way. What is not uncommon is that. . . People or around faith there might be systems and groups that use pressure and uncertainty to try to pressure other people in having faith. I mix it up there with uncertainty because my sense of it is that often when people try to pressure you to have faith in something, It comes down more to their own insecurity about this. It's very rare that somebody has really a grounded faith in somebody or something. I guess not even unlikely maybe I cannot want to be certain about this so I check in my own mind my understanding at this time let's say it like that is that when somebody tries to convince you very strongly about something. In most or many cases, It means that they are uncertain in themselves. I think there are exceptions when sometimes we might be sure about something. Let's say there is something, A white towel, And we say it's a white towel, And somebody is very sure that it's not a white towel, It might lead to some consternation in our mind. We might want to convince them that it's clearly white. But then. . . It might still be that we can't really see it's white and we are just Somewhat concerned by them not acknowledging that. But often enough we can feel that's a different energy. I think it can be quite a different energy when people come to us wanting to really make sure that we take their faith. And so I think this is why in the West we have a certain sensitivity around faith, Negative experiences maybe collectively in the past. Somehow some of us have that personality that we incline a bit away from faith, And I do think that is really natural and fine. Not everyone approaches faith in the same way, But I do think, And that's why I want to share about this now, Is that all of us have to. . . Deal with faith to a degree because we all have to, Even if we consider us the most faithless person, Somebody who is really not basing themselves on faith at all, There are always, Or in most cases, Some underlying assumptions that still are in a way objects of faith. So for example, Having grown up, As many Westerners do, In a context of a strong faith in that after death, When the body breaks up, When the body no longer supports life, That that is the end. And this is taken as a scientific fact, As something that does not require any faith, Because that's what you can see, That's it. But I would personally state that, To my understanding, It's still an act of faith, Because still we're not really sure. It seems that in many beliefs, Belief systems, Religions, And also even in non-religious systems. So there are plenty books written about people that have had experiences with maybe near-death experiences or young kids sometimes remembering past lives where there seems to be a lot of evidence that points at that there is a continuation. Doesn't mean that there is, But it seems that there is evidence that there might be. So then, Yeah, It can become clear that even a strong belief that at the point of death, After death, There is nothing, That it is still an act of faith. So it's still a belief system. Does not necessarily mean that that's a wrong belief, But it seems to go quite far, Or it seems to me an important step to realize that that is faith, That is a belief. And then what one might do is to consider, Is that faith, Is that belief grounded? So as I already mentioned, It does seem that there, In different religious systems, Faith systems, There is the belief that there is something after death. And even in the Western world, There are quite some reports, People that have experienced that. Themselves either to a near-death experience or maybe kids that remember past lives. This happens a bit more in Asia, I think. Where it does seem that there is a connection, So that there is potentially some kind of mental continuation from life to life. And then that is just something that we might consider. And the reason why it's helpful to consider is that if we decide to take as an assumption, So having faith in something doesn't mean that now you know for sure. So even though you have faith in one or the other, You might open your mind to different options. So if you hear about rebirth, There's a continuation. Continuation of something mental after the physical body. Clearly the physical body does no longer continue, That we can see. But then there might be something happening, We're not sure. And even opening the mind to that, I consider, It doesn't require that now you're sure. And even if you would go as far as say, It seems to me most reasonable that or most likely that there is a continuation after death, Seeing all the evidence or indirect evidence that might be there. That now you are fully sure about it either but you just decide you have to decide to a degree on what is the most likely assumption that I should kind of bet my bet myself on So I think this is an important distinction and again it's understandable that it gets confused because so many faith-based people might be the most confident people that we've met but Often I think it might not be the right balance to faith. It might be that we clearly see that we are making an assumption. And my point of view is that we always make an assumption, Even though we might consider we don't take anything of faith, Even to have the strong belief that, Or have the strong sense that after death, That's it. The death of the body is still an object of faith. It is, In a way, Very scientific to consider that there might be another option, And then even to say, Okay, Actually, From what I see, It might make more sense that there is some continuation, Even though I'm not sure. That seems a reasonable assumption that, For now, I would take. And another aspect to that is that also to consider that which of the two has more impact, So would it change my life if there is something after death, And how does that compare to if there is not anything after death? And we can go into that more deeply, But it seems that most people have concluded that if there is nothing after death, Then that has less implications than when there is something after death, Since it is simply a bigger perspective. So if there's a continuation, Then one needs to take a bigger picture into account, And it seems to lead to maybe a reevaluation of the things you do today. In the same way, If one is really sure that one lives still one day compared to if one might still So this 50 years one might make different decisions on how one would use the body or eat or drink or the things one would do today. So having taken that into account, And let's say one is open to that there might be something after death, Then one needs to also consider, Okay, What do different religions say? What do people seem to have experienced? Again, One does not only need to look at religion. These days there is also more like scientific and often anecdotal people having subjective experiences, Which by today's science is often felt as incompatible and not scientific. But yeah, There are different opinions about that, Of course. But yeah, If we take it that it's sometimes easier when there's somebody that we know well, We trust them, And they have this subjective experience. But it does seem that there are quite some subjective experiences of the same patterns, People having some experiences after the body has fallen away. And we can see that, Again, As well in religion. And then we need to be careful if there's a sensitivity to religion, Not to take everything too serious, Literal and as well to understand that many people who follow religion, They follow it maybe in a way that is not fully balanced. So they simply take something of faith, Become fanatical. Most people are probably quite modest. But we can still consider, Okay, What do we see in the world? What is reported that can happen after death? And then one can see that it is not uncommon for religions or for people to experience or share experiences of heaven. Or maybe other kind of realms, Other ways of living that are not human. One of them considered also animals. And but often many religions they focus on that one can go to heaven. And there as well, One might consider, Okay, So let's say if there is heaven. What would that be like and there are many reports of people experiencing heaven or remembering heaven or. . . Ideas about heaven these days that seem to. . . Talk about an experience that is more pleasant. Kind of more refined, More pure, And yeah, We can see that as well on planet Earth, That some people live a more refined and balanced life, They have better circumstances than others, So even in the world today we can see that, And then we, Yeah, It is reasonable that there might be other ways of existing that might be similar to that, Or might kind of follow that trajectory. But also here we need to see like, Okay, What is most reasonable to take on faith, Right? So we can, Still we might not know, It's not that we now we know or not know, But it's more like we take an assumption that is it more reasonable that there might be heaven or absolutely not. And then it seems that some religions, They stop there. So they take heaven to be something that is, That's the end station. So that's where you are. And then that's ultimately pleasant and doesn't end. And then there are religions that take it further, So they state that. . . After heaven, Also that is more refined and more pleasant, But it's similar to what happens on earth is that also beings from there pass away and they might go somewhere else again, Maybe become an animal, Become a new human being. So even though it's much more pleasant, It's still. . . You're also not lasting, Not permanent. And so also here we might consider, Is that reasonable? Is that something that we can have faith in if we investigate and think about it? And if not, Why not? That's also interesting. Also for someone who might not have a trouble with it, It's sometimes hard to fully understand why a person does not have faith in that or finds it is very difficult or very has a lot of resistance towards that idea that maybe there is a continuation and what makes the resistance towards that. Again, All of it, All of that we're trying to do is to try to come to what are the assumptions that we are taking and what are the assumptions that operate with now, It doesn't mean that we have to fully commit ourselves to a certain belief system for the rest of our life. But we have to, And that's my point of view, Is that we have to take a stance and say, Okay, This is what I follow now and what I live in accordance with and I might evaluate later, Re-evaluate. So it's interesting, Because if we come to a sense of rebirth, Then there are still kind of different steps, So. . . There are religions that then take it that if you take that far enough the sense is that ultimately we are all one, We are all connected. So if we are endlessly reborn then we've been in so many different places and so many different forms and there's almost an ultimate sense with that that ultimately that is the thing that is what we are and what we strive for being. And then that is something we consider is that my ultimate aim in life that ultimately we are all one and we are all connected. And then other religions or other people they stay to have the experience or have the understanding that actually that same conclusion seeing that one is moving through different ways of being different lives different in different states being an animal being a human being being in in heaven and in hell and that is also a continual process that if one really grounds goes deep into that one can see that It points at a sense of the ultimate impersonality of that experience. It's something that we didn't really start, We don't know really where that comes from, Why it is like that. Even though it seems that there is some structure in that if we do certain things, Maybe we go here, Maybe we go there, We can also relate to that some people that they've done very unskillful things, They hurt a lot of people that we can relate to that. That will be reasonable that maybe they go to a painful state of being at least for a time that's equivalent to the pain they have caused, A certain balancing system. Not as a punishment or not because they are bad people, But just as the natural balance in things. So if we do good things, We get good results. If we do bad things, Things that cause pain to others, Then we get another kind of result. And so if we see that it's kind of a impersonal system, Something that is moving in its own way, And then, Yeah, How can we take that to be ultimately us? And that's a bit of a jump there from all the things that we've discussed so far, Is more about the way things are, The content of things, Like is there rebirth, Is there this, Is there that, How many worlds are there, What kind of ways of experience are there, But then another step can be that we take a bit of a step back and, Okay, If we look at that whole thing, Let's say we are willing to take that on faith. We say, Okay, That seems reasonable that it could be like that at least. I don't know if it is. But if that really is so, What are the implications? And that's what I meant when I said that when we take a bigger and bigger perspective, The implications might differ. If we have the sense that that might be true, Still we might not know. But we take that to be potentially true, Then we can see, OK, If that might be true, Then that's something I need to take serious. Because if it turns out to be an impersonal process, Something that I don't ultimately control, But I feel like that and I live like that, Maybe that's not in line with the way things really are. If we live in a way that we will never die, Then when it's time to pass away, Pass on, Then. . . Yet that might be difficult to see. And actually, When we start to see that things are impersonal, Some, They take it even further, Where the idea then becomes that there's something that we can do with that conclusion, And we can bring it back all the way from the big picture to the small picture, And see that as our ultimate meaning, That the main thing that we need to take on faith, Or consider to take on faith, That it's not just that everything is impersonal, But also that there is something to be realized, That we, Fully realize and experience our experience from the point of view that everything is impersonal and for example we can take the body where we can see that the body The body is here, Like we ourselves did not make this body. If the body gets sick, We cannot really heal it. We can of course take medicine and do what we can and then those things indirectly can hopefully heal the body. But ultimately we can, For example, Not stop the body from dying. Like we don't have that kind of, We don't have admin rights. We don't have that kind of. Overarching power. So if we make these reflections and we try to look at our experience and look at all the different aspects of our experience, Our body, The way we feel, The emotions, The thoughts, Just the sense of consciousness, Just being present itself. Whatever aspect we can find, Like we never really created it. And it's also not in our power to just stop it. People consider, Yeah, There's no way to really have those kind of rights or those kind of strengths, Those kind of powers, I mean, To really change things in that way. And so then that can be also a thing that we take on faith, Is that ultimately if everything is impersonal, Then if I reflect on that and keep connecting to that, And kind of keep recognizing it more than anything else, It's not about brainwashing yourself, It's just about looking at things the way they really are, Like the feelings that come and go, The body that keeps changing and gets sick and heals again and without necessarily us being involved or being the one who instigates it or. . . Or stops it. The same for our thoughts, Our thoughts keep coming and going, Our feelings, Our emotions. And also just a sense of consciousness that feels very continuous, But actually our sense of consciousness is often shifting from the things we think about or feel. It feels very continuous, But also that keeps moving around. And we can have faith in that or we can consider to take that as an assumption that okay, That's the ultimate big picture that within this big picture of rebirth and impersonality. The idea or the suggestion that actually some have said that they have actually realized that impersonality from actual experience so they have come to embody that and live in line with that and then that has ultimately led people to not suffer anymore so doesn't mean that they don't feel pain anymore but they don't suffer so there's only the the pain that might be there that is unavoidable but pain in the body. That we feel when we get sick or when the body is aging and dying. But there's nothing on top of that. There's a real deep understanding and a deep lived experience of this process being impersonal, This not being ours. And again, For most of us, That is also something that we can take on faith, But when we practice with it, We can start to realize bits and pieces. And then, Again, We can keep, Of course, If we want, We can keep these aspects of faith as assumptions and reconsider them from time to time. And that way, We also don't need to be too worried about them in that sense. We just need to see that, Okay, I take what I can as the wisest assumption that I can make at this time. And yeah, That's my encouragement, That sometimes we think we don't have to take these assumptions, We don't have to take a stand, Basically. That we can live without faith, But that we always have faith in something, We always have underlying assumptions. Unfortunately or there's also the freedom and that we have to take a responsibility to to consider those and Yeah, It can become a bit of a heavy topic but I think it can also be quite light in the sense that to make a to make a choice in that and and take an aim in that then we can start to live in accordance with that and there's a lot a lot of freedom to be had in that so I leave that for your reflection and I encourage you this is something to reflect off on time to time and So feel free, If that helps, To come back to this little talk. And yeah, May it support you and I wish you all the best and hereby we come to the end of this sharing. All the best.