I believe in life.

This quoted text from Robert Gerzon's email newsletter is as close to my own beliefs and spirituality as I have ever seen written down anywhere. It's not perfect for me, but it's the best I've seen so far.

This Month's Message: "I Believe in Life" by Robert Gerzon

In these anxious and uncertain times we all need something to believe in -- something to inspire us to keep going and keep growing.

But what can we truly believe in?

This question first arose for me personally many years ago. I had been raised in the Christian religion. But when I was a teenager and learned to think for myself I began to have serious doubts about core tenets of Church dogma. Although I greatly admired Jesus and his teachings (and still do) I found I could no longer believe in the Church as a guide to true spirituality.

I became a seeker of truth. At first I put my faith in human rationality and science to provide answers. I realized that the most powerful religion in the world today is the modern belief system we call science. Science told me about the kind of universe I live in: it is cold, impersonal, and governed by uncaring mechanical laws. Science told me about the true nature of human beings: I am a biological organism run by biochemical processes and primitive drives for survival. Science also has a message for me about the meaning and purpose of my life: there isn't any. As a tool for understanding my physical universe I found science fascinating. As a guide to living my life, it left me empty and depressed.

Later I studied the other world religions and even returned to Christianity for a second look. Everything had something useful to offer. Yet, none of these by themselves or even all of them taken together provided me with what I needed to feel comfortable in my own skin here on this planet.

I asked myself: What are you really looking for? I came up with this short list:

· I need something I can really believe in. That sounds obvious but it was one of my biggest difficulties. I found things that were very comforting that I wanted to believe in -- like a God that's personally looking out for me, a guru who will lead me to the blessed state of enlightenment, a self-help system that will change my life. But I just couldn't believe any of these things because they didn't make any sense when I looked at the actual world around me.

· I need something simple and inspiring that gives meaning and purpose to my life. When I'm troubled, depressed or anxious I find that complex intellectual or spiritual theories no matter how profound just don't help me.

· I need something practical that helps me live my daily life. I need a compass to guide me and tools and techniques I can use to solve problems and meet goals.

· I need something that unites our human family instead of dividing it. I want to believe in something that every one of the six billion members of our human family can believe in -- something that helps us resolve our human conflicts and solve the enormous problems we are facing at this time in our evolution.

· I need something that helps me feel good about myself and the world I live in. When a reporter asked Albert Einstein what was the most important question in the world, he replied simply: "Is the universe a friendly place?" I too need to believe in the basic goodness and loving nature of all of life including humans beings and the vast universe of which we are a part.

I have found that "something I need" and I want to share it with you. Yet it is so precious and so personal that you will still need to find it for yourself within yourself.

I found it during a "dark night of the soul."

I had woken up from a terrifying nightmare of horror, torture and death. I tried to ground myself in reality, but my "real life" was falling apart and offered nothing solid to stand on.

I grasped desperately for something to hold on to. I tried conjuring up religious beliefs and positive images but they all became distorted and dark. In desperation I opened some trusted spiritual texts but the words on the pages just lay there dead and dry.

I was exhausted yet afraid to sleep, terrified of returning to the nightmare I had just escaped. I felt like I was on the edge of a bottomless abyss, my mind on the verge of spiraling into madness.

What can I believe in? What is true? What is real? What is good?

As I lay there, I became aware that the only thing I could be sure of was that I was breathing, that I was alive.

I let being alive be enough.

My breath was shallow and constricted. My body was tense like a scared animal. But I was alive.

"I am alive. I am safe. I can breathe. It is safe to breathe. It is safe to be alive."

Slowly my body relaxed. Slowly my breath became deeper and fuller. I began to breathe in the Life that surrounded me. With each breath, I felt Life filling me with new life. Out of the darkness, a radiance emerged. I was breathing in Light. I felt my heart open. I was breathing in Love.

"I believe in Life."

Safe in the arms of Life, I was able to sleep. When I awoke the next morning I repeated, "I believe in Life."

And I have ever since.

· I can believe in Life. It is real right here right now. I have no doubts. I am living it.

· Life is simple and inspiring and gives meaning and purpose to my life. I look at Life, at this infinite and amazing universe, at nature in all its glory, at the adventure of evolution and I am humbled and inspired to be a part of this living mystery.

· Life is practical and helps me live my daily life. A simple question helps me make life-affirming choices and decisions: Does this serve Life or sabotage it?
Does my thinking (my Inner Talk) serve Life or sabotage it?
Does the food I am about to eat serve Life or sabotage it?
Does this action I am about to take serve Life or sabotage it?
I can ask myself this basic question about everything including the words I speak and the work I do.
I refuse to suppress my own aliveness or the aliveness in others. Because I believe in Life I follow the guidance of the Life within.

· Life unites our human family instead of dividing it. We can all believe in Life. A belief in Life is the healthy origin of all religions. Life is bigger than any belief system. Life is bigger than any one of us, any group of us, or any one species. Affirming Life means creating a world in which every living being on this planet can reach their full potential. Toxic belief systems are threatening our very survival today. Greed, inequality and selfishness undermine Life. Generosity, justice and empathy increase Life.
We are free to symbolize Life in any way that helps us celebrate it: as a radiant Tree of Life, as a beautiful God and Goddess. And we can remember that these are but symbols of the infinite and eternal Life that exists beyond all our words and images.

· Life helps me feel good about myself and the world I live in. When I experience Life purely and directly through meditation I know it is good. It is beyond good. It is beyond duality. Life is day and night, light and dark, life and death. Yes, Life includes the natural cycle of life and death. All living organisms die, but Life -- the spirit of Life with each of us -- is ever-renewing and eternal. The only kind of death that is unnatural and anti-Life is spiritual death, the suppression of the human spirit.

There is nothing to fear. The universe is not just friendly, it is infinitely wise and loving.

Just look in the mirror. If you choose to believe in Life at that very moment you'll see Life smiling back at you with love.

http://www.gerzon.com