Disheartened by Gay Byrne's 'The Meaning of Life'

anxious1

Hi All,

I watched the new series last night of Gay Byrne's, The Meaning of Life with Sir Michael Parkinson and yet again another person who doesn't believe in anything spiritual!!!! Even his last series of the programme, the same was of people like Terry Wogan etc people you would have thought would believe in spirituality.....

I know I have found in recent times I am questioning a lot more spirituality and if they exists. I have lost two people very close to me in recent year and I suppose it's making me question so much and feel totally disheartened with everything. I have moved on with my life as best I can by throwing myself in to a busy life at work and keeping occupied in general..........

Oryx

Everyone makes up their own mind based on their own experience. Whatever Gaybo has been through in his life has given him his own personal beliefs. The key to a spiritual journey is not to try and follow what someone else has done, or to be disheartened because people have a different view.

Our society is secular and based on consumerism, so its not surprising at all that our inner lives are being sidelined. But if its something you want to put time into, the fact that Gay Byrne or anyone else thinks differently, really doesnt matter.

Ambersky

Hi anxious one.
I think a lot of people are questioning their religion and even the existence of a spiritual dimension lately.
Many people feel let down by the various religious scandals or just find the standard answers provided by religions or spirituality dont seem to fit todays more questioning mind.
All of this can impact quite hard when issues like pain and grief leave us wondering about the meaning of life and searching for peace and authenticity.

There are a couple of things I would like to say to you, one is to encourage you to realise that as with everything, this too will pass and the other is that you are ok, right now, just as you are in your grief, confusion and disbelief.
Allow yourself to take whatever time you need, be patient with yourself.
You are ok, this will pass.

It is lovely to have certainty and real belief or faith to hang onto and I know I sometimes miss it, but maybe all this is just part of the process of your development.
On the lack of belief in spirituality of others, some of the most spiritual people I know are atheists.
It depends on what you call spiritual.

Have a little listen to this its on the Charter For Compassion by Karen Armstrong. I think you will find it life affirming and maybe it will help you think some more about what it means to be spiritual in a different way than maybe you have been use to .
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/karen_armstrong_makes_her_ted_prize_wish_the_charter_for_compassion.html

Scanlas The 2nd

Ambersky wrote: »

Hi anxious one.
On the lack of belief in spirituality of others, some of the most spiritual people I know are atheists.
to be spiritual in a different way than maybe you have been use to .
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/karen_armstrong_makes_her_ted_prize_wish_the_charter_for_compassion.html

I'm spiritual and an atheist. I think the Dalai Lama is an atheist and is pretty much as spiritual as you can be. He said in an article that he is " strictly speaking a non believer".

Scanlas The 2nd

anxious1 wrote: »

Hi All,

I watched the new series last night of Gay Byrne's, The Meaning of Life with Sir Michael Parkinson and yet again another person who doesn't believe in anything spiritual!!!! Even his last series of the programme, the same was of people like Terry Wogan etc people you would have thought would believe in spirituality.....

I know I have found in recent times I am questioning a lot more spirituality and if they exists. I have lost two people very close to me in recent year and I suppose it's making me question so much and feel totally disheartened with everything. I have moved on with my life as best I can by throwing myself in to a busy life at work and keeping occupied in general..........

You aren't going to see these appeal again. There is no afterlife. But through meditation and presence you can find peace in accepting these realities. Resistance to them is what causes suffering.

Classact

Does this mean "scanlas" that you are Non-Religious, Non-Spiritual - Do you have any beliefs??

Scanlas The 2nd

Classact wrote: »

Does this mean "scanlas" that you are Non-Religious, Non-Spiritual - Do you have any beliefs??

I'm non religous and spiritual. Thoughts and the ego are what cause the majority of unneccesary suffering in the world. For me, spirituality is recognising the empty space or lack of thinking inside of everyone. When you are present and not thinking you experience something that is the same in all life. I believe this is what God, light and love is when referred to in many of the earliest religions. People then came along and hijacked religion for their own political agendas and made up a load of nonsense for their interests.