following a specific mystical path while "clearing" belief system

[surreal_fakir]

This is an extremely personal question which I have struggled with a lot over the years. I'm sure I'm not alone, so I thought I'd formally ask about this.

I have been going through the Kundalini program so this has come up again for me.

I understand and appreciate that we need to look into our beliefs and only hold onto the ones that are helpful for us, but for those of us practicing within a specific mystical path, how do you suggest doing so without "throwing the baby out with the bathwater".

I have been practicing in the Sufi tradition most of my life and find this path extremely beautiful and inspiring to me. I have had spiritual experiences through this tradition and also find the tools it gives me in most ways compatible with the work I've been doing with your energy system, OBE work and now kundalini program.

I have never been overly dogmatic in my approach at all. In fact, like most mystical systems, the one I am involved with calls for first hand experience for verification.

At the same time, there are certain things without any system that have to be assumed or taken (at least until they can be verified). How do you suggest those of us who are following a path like this that provides spiritual practices, music, poetry, art, and general teachings that uplift and guide us, to jettison that which might be dogmatic and even limiting?

I'm sure those following similar paths of Christian mysticism, Kabbalah, Zen and Tibetan Buddhism, Taoism, Sikhism, Yoga, Bhakti, Shamanism etc might have similar experiences. I really appreciate your help with this.

[Robert Bruce]

Good question....

What to do when one cannot tell the baby from the bathwater....

If you have not read it, read my 'Catch basket Concept' article.

I give a psychologically comfortable method for handling this.

Your core beliefs sit in your heart. These are facts and they must be only from personal experience.

In your right hand you have the 'probably true list'. These are things that are probably true, and helpful, but you can't put them into your 'core' until you have personal experience with them.

In your left hand you have the 'possibilities list'. These are things that you think are possible, but don't have enough personal experience and logic and supporting evidence to shift to the probable list or your core beliefs.

The above is a version of 'scientific method' which is the best model we have for sorting babies from water.

Applying this requires reason and logic and sensitivity.

for example, you may love doing something that you have no personal experience or logic to support as a 'core belief' but that does not mean you have to stop doing it. You only need to 'shelve' it appropriately in your belief system structure.

robert