Transitioning from Belief to Knowing
Questioning & Critical Thinking:
- Examine the origins of your beliefs: Where do they come from (family, culture, religion, etc.)?
- Question their validity: Why do you believe this? Is there evidence?
- Refine or reaffirm beliefs through scrutiny: Don’t discard them, but aim to better understand and critically assess them.
Seeking Direct Experience:
- Experience concepts firsthand: Go beyond reading or hearing about something.
- Validate beliefs through practice: For example, try meditation to know its effects rather than just believing in its benefits based on others' testimonies.
- Direct experience transforms belief into knowing: Observe how concepts work in your own life.
Continuous Learning:
- Invest in ongoing education: Read, research, and study in-depth on subjects that interest you.
- Delve into primary sources and converse with experts: Explore different perspectives and immerse yourself in relevant environments.
- Expand understanding: Keep refining your knowledge to shift from belief to knowing.
Intuitive Development:
- Trust and nurture your intuition: Intuition often provides insights beyond logic.
- Cultivate intuition through meditation, mindfulness, and reflection: Quiet external distractions and connect with your inner wisdom.
- Use intuition to deepen knowing: As you develop it, you’ll gain personal insights that align with direct experience.
IN PRACTICE
Questioning & Critical Thinking:
- You’ve heard or read that meditation has numerous benefits like reducing stress and enhancing mental clarity.
- Instead of just accepting this information, you start asking, “How exactly does meditation work? Why do people claim it’s beneficial?”
Seeking Direct Experience:
- To move beyond belief, you decide to try meditation for yourself.
- You commit to a daily practice for several weeks to experience its effects firsthand.
- Over time, you notice that your stress levels decrease and your focus improves. You now know meditation works for you based on your direct experience, not just what others have said.
Continuous Learning:
- You go deeper into the subject, reading books, watching videos, and even attending workshops or talking with experienced practitioners to learn more.
- This expands your understanding of different meditation techniques and how they can be applied to various aspects of life.
Intuitive Development:
- As you continue meditating, you start trusting your intuition more—feeling guided to meditate at specific times or focus on certain techniques without needing external validation.
- This intuitive practice leads to personal insights, deepening your sense of knowing and connection with the practice.