What has the power to truly transform us?

The transformation in my life is Faith and writing. Much like your photojournalism, my writing allows me to see things outside the box. The reality of what is there. The pain of that reality and the people behind it. Your words are always well thought out and I do hope one day I can reach your excellence of poetry in words. I live by a code of honour, by faith, and write to tell the world. Ainge

"So in my view...truth, love, honor, respect for differences within a spirit of compassion and co-operation has the power to truly transform us." Very true and I do this as best as I can. Mylots been a good opening for it too. On the other hand I've seen the opposite from a few characters. Part of me thinks this could be an afterthought... or something only a few will heed but others won't. Perhaps morality, truth and views have too much of a limit or its human flaws that impede the process (could be the Nihilist in me starting to talk and think here). Overall there is more to gain from learning about each other and the difference instead of completely rejecting it (be it through degrading, insults, blame, ignoring).

I was actually thinking about something this morning... which was related to a game I have been playing online for the last two months. The game consist of building your own village... while other try to prevent you doing so by coming and destroying it. You can either be like everybody else and spend your resources into going and attack other villages... or you can be different like me... and build the best defence system you possibly can to prevent them destroying your village. This is what I am doing. I have been attack 5 times so far... and they had very little success... while my defence system become stronger every week. Normally... you would hate the person attacking you... as each time... it is actually costing me 4 days to re-build what I have lost... and you would go out for revenge... by attacking his village. That is what most people would do... including our brave leader "George Bush". Now IMAGINE what would happen if we could eliminate those two little words from our life... "hate" and "revenge". What would you get? Peace? Civilise society? When someone fly two planes in one of your buildings... would you not be better off devising a better defense system for your country... to make sure it does not happen again... rather than going out for revenge... and suffering more casualties in Iraq than you did in the initial attack on the WTC? Rather than doing the attacking... why don't we wait for them to attack us? Sink their ships and shoot down their planes when they reach our coast. They die and we live. A good defense system is the way to end all wars. But this childish idea that you need to get revenge everytime someone does something to you... is the reason why we cannot get along and we will keep on fighting.

I completely see your the authenticity to your beliefs. I think we miss out on a lot by not truly listening to the wisdom of others who speak of what they themselves believe. I don't want to be so tied up in my own set beliefs, that I cannot see the validity of another's. For me personally, the only thing that has transformed me has been God. He doesn't have an easy task. I have to daily decide I'm going to implement my beliefs. It's not enough to me to simply believe something, I want others to actually see it in how I live my life.

Wow Raia what a way to come back. Full force thinker question. Well you know me and those thinker questions get me every time. ...no matter what their denomination or belief system it creates pathways where we can get to the heart of the matter that really counts...the living spirit...not just the doctrine or the letter of the law. So in my view...truth, love, honor, respect for differences within a spirit of compassion and co-operation has the power to truly transform us This was exactly what I would have said. I have practiced it and know that it works to transform a person for the better. The key (and the hard part for some) is to learn how to open your mind when all of our lives, some of us, have been taught closemindedness. We are taught to go with exactly what we have been brought up with. I was never like this I always broke the mold in some capacity. So this view is fitting for me and has always been, at least once I started to think for myself instead of what everyone else thought for me.

I totally agree with you that all it takes is asking the right questions and have always felt like I came into this world to find my spiritual self and mission and felt like as long as I was open to the transformation that I would be guided and even as a young kid I WANTED to read the Bible fervently even though my parents never went to church or mentioned it but their were bibles and books I dug up from our basement secretly. For others reading this I am not saying the Bible is the absolute truth and if I lived in another region it would of been the Bhagavad Gita, or teachings of the Buddha or the Koran--what I am saying is that it opened my mind to the desire of reaching a higher self in me. The last ten years, books that have really helped me are books on positive energy and thinking, Krishnamurti, Conversations with God, Disappearance of the Universe, A Course on Miracles, Deepak Chopra, Eckhart Tolle (which pounded away at me while we listened to 7 disc over and over again on our way to Canada and back, that was a weird feeling and at one point I swear I felt like I wasnt even a body but just mind)--so I think its no coincidence that I feel compelled to read Science of Mind by Ernest Holmes and I never even heard of it before but passed it a few times just seeing the cover--I love the synchronocity.

Organised religion didn't do it for me. Yoga, Meditation, and the ability to Look Within, answered my questions on Spirituality. My Life was Transformed, over a period of many Years. I've come to realise that Everyone is on the Path to God, and Everyone is exactly where they should be on that very Important Path. We choose our lives in each Incarnation, and we Create each Experience as we live it. Life is a wonderful Game and we Play as if our very lives were at Stake! We are One with God, and God is Absolute Love. Absolute love demands Absolutely Nothing!

Hi Raji, Good to see you here again, I've missed your discussion for the last few weeks. Your opinions are always interesting. I also feel that we have to keep an open mind, our inner spirit will always guide us. I think this is what Jesus meant when he said the kingdom of God is within you. There is much that is good in the belief systems of the world, and we cannot throw it all away. If we seek for common ground, we will find it, for the teachings of Jesus, Buddha, and others are the same, just presented in different ways. If we are willing to admit that none of us has all the truth, we can move towards a better understanding of each other and mutual respect. Perhaps, even if we are not ready ready to acknowledge that as yet, we may be willing to at least try to understand a little about each others beliefs. Blessings.

well I can add only to what you have said because I agree with your views.Personally I have been most influenced by experiences. I have noted that human beings are endowed with sixth sense instictively to KNOW. Once I went to hear a great seer talk.I had some reservations as he was famous and had many followers.But when I saw him I knew by instinct that I am before a great being.To tell the truth , he talked only scarcely. But one could note that he was very calm even in the face of the noise and furore people were making. what I mean is that change can come in me from experience and also the presence of a truly great teacher . How well you wrote about the subject!

I personally think that the bible has the power to transform us. For those whp actually dig deep into it and get it's full meaning, I think it could definitely have the power to transform anyone. I have seen it change lives and so, I'm a firm believer in this...

I am interested in all the worlds religions, past and present. I see them as different interpretations of the human spirit, or whatever it is that binds us together and makes us part of the natural world. This has been personified into a godhead figure, some call it God. It has become the basis of all religious doctrine, including the notion of Christian love. I cannot give it a name or a form but I find I do share the same beliefs. I think I am becoming more religious in a way, not by worshipping a deity or following religious dogma, but from my own sense of awe and wonder. I think it is the idea of being part of the cosmos which transforms me.

I could think of many things people could put as an answer to this question but for me, the answer would have to be....WE DO... yes, truth can transform, but only if you accept it love can transform but only if you give it honor can transform but only if you have it and respect can transform but only if you show it and God can transform but only if you allow it.

it is not a what its a who and the person is god! and god is the person who put the love in our hearts and all those feelings that is wrong or rite is the good lord god telling you something so god is the one person who has the power to truly transform us

You listed all the good things that an truly transform us but you left out all the bad. Fear, anger, hate, war and the like have the same ability to transform folks and unfortunantly right now it seems those things are in the lead. Apathy is a dangerous thing and you have listed the cure respect compassion and love. I hope it wins!

I think it is important to have an open heart and an inate respect for spirituality to be transformed. I personally believe that the divine is evident in all things and if you look at things with truly open eyes then the divine is all around. I have read many different teachings from many different denominations of popular religion as well as mystics and elders from many different cultures and ages in the search for the path that I would follow. In the end I was spiritually transformed by accepting Jesus into my heart and life and pledging to follow the teachings of the Bible. But this has led to the realisation that you also need to be ready and willing to be transformed for you can listen to spiritual teaching and wisdom without really hearing it at all therefore missing the opportunity for transformation.