We are programmed to believe

[air]

Whatever we believe in today, is a program that has been set into our hardware when we were born. As we grew up, we were programmed to believe in a God, in the heavens above, in the fear of God, in faith. We were taught that the Gods in temples, in churches and mosques are the Gods we must pray to and when looking at the image of God, we believed that was God.

But for spiritual aspirants, those who want to progress on the spiritual path, they have to review the program that has been set in them. They have to re-program their mind by questioning, by probing, by asking with curiosity; try to understand who we are, where we have come from and where we will go. We must ask - what is life and what is death? What is the power within each one of us - the soul, the spirit, the atman; whether there is life after death or not, and whether the law of cause and action – the law of Karma is true. There are many questions that need answers, but these questions will never get answers, unless we are ready to re-program ourselves.

As long as we continue to play the same program, the same music will run in our mind. The same thoughts will go through our head and we will never be able to change. But if we are ready to review our life-program, our religion, our spirituality, our beliefs, then there is a possibility that we may be able to look at something new; start a new spiritual journey, a new belief system, because questioning will give many answers that we never believed were possible. But yes, it all starts when we realize that the program of our life, a program that runs the philosophy of our way of life needs to be questioned, needs to be reviewed, needs to be changed.

AiR

[aceofcups]

Thank you for post Air..

It is one I have contemplated a lot over the years. The term programming is also called conditioned thinking or beliefs. What makes some people able to break the mold of this conditioned thinking and others don’t or it almost seems it is not in their soul choice that it is one of there plans for this lifetime.

At what level of our being are we programmed? Our personality beliefs and traits are conditioned in many by family, life experiences, and conditioned life choices – some by karmic forces or karmic predicaments, some even by our Soul via so called destiny.

Is it the destiny that everybody as a personality seek the highest in any life?  Some believe as in Buddhism-- ultimately it is but the reality is that many are not at that stage of evolution yet.  Or have some or the majority of people chosen to live a personality life less aware and conditioned?  Is doing the best one can to be awake and aware not good enough?

As many posts you posted suggests many don’t even realized how programmed they are.. And even if they glimpse that they are.. What would make one want or try to break those patterns and others not.

Many don't realize they are conditioned at all.  Many are comfortable where they are - even if it doesn’t bring them “ultimate happiness”.  What makes one person seek out deeper understanding and what makes one break conditioned patterns if they find they are bound by them?

[gruntal]

Even as a little kid I did not feel comfortable with a lot of what my fellow human beings said or did. But then their very presence around me was uncomfortable too. How useful can that be? So I was encouraged to mingle and merge. It was a bit if a tight rope act and I am sure I fell a few times.

It was safer on the ground but that never got me anywhere *sigh* either .....

[mojomojo]

It has been said that to be free of desire, is one way to end suffering,
But to tell someone who does desire, not to have any desires, is pointless.
Their desires may be fulfilled, and only through this can they move on, or not, to realise that their desires fulfilled does not bring lasting happiness,
But for some it does, and they are quite content in this place, even though it may peak and trough, until they are presented with a life circumstance, that changes their viewpoint.
I remember arguing with adults as a teenager, that we are born, educated, work, marry have kids and die, and that's it, and we are meant to be happy with that, and everyone looking at me as if I had six heads, exclaiming "what else".
I believe the vast majority have no idea they are programmed, but there is safety in numbers and acceptance a must for most.
We speak of destroying the ego, as if lightly blowing off layers of dust that have accumulated over time, to strip back the ego and tear down the personality can be an extremely frightening experience, it is often referred to as dying while alive, how apt, I believe the ego does not die but does a complete flip and instead of serving the personality, now serves spirit.
As regards those that seek a deeper understanding and those that do not, maybe it all boils down to a numbers game, how many times have you been around?