Is there a Higher Being and does he or she guide us through our lives?

In my experience…. only if you ask. I ask daily and have never been more content.

As a Buddhist, I feel that the spiritual power comes from within myself, and this goes for every other human.

What is a “Higher Being”?

I believe in a ‘higher being’ which is another name for God in my opinion, but I don’t think God takes an active daily role in guiding me through my life. I make my own choices and mistakes and I’m acountable for all my actions, without outside influences.

If I didn’t have free will and I was directed through my daily life by a divine entity, I would never have made any mistakes and I’d be a perfect Angel wouldn’t I? I just can’t subscribe to that line of thinking.

There might be a “higher being” but I expect he/she/it has much better things to do than guide people through their lives.

I believe that our souls are progressing towards a higher power that we still don’t understand fully but are able to connect with at a deeper level. That connection is what helps to guide us, but it is up to us to listen. Sort of like an internal GPS

What is a “soul”?

The soul, as I understand it, is the spiritual energy that associates with our body and stays with us until death. The soul is eternal and is ever progressing towards the perfection and oneness of God.

It is a reflection of the spiritual world that makes it through to the material world in order to learn the lessons it needs in order to clarify it and make it more perfect.

What is “spiritual energy”?

What do you think it means?
My answers are meaningless if you are not looking for them in yourself first.

What a cop out answer! I don’t think it means anything. I think it’s a load of rubbish, to be honest; and you’re supporting that notion in me by refusing to explain it.

If I don’t know what something is, how can I distinguish it from something else or nothing?

I believe there is a higher power that is always willing the best possible outcome for each moment of my life( and yours), but has left it up to me (and you) to make choices.
The only thing this loving power demands is that we act through our lives guided by love and justice.

It’s too bad we all don’t do a bit of research on the questioners. An individual with cancer comes looking for some way to give himself a bit of hope through the grace of God or a higher power, and we have bickering and friggin petty crap instead of offering help.

My apologies to rickpoll, there are caring people here.

Yes, there certainly are. Thanks.

@pekenoe – That’s why I stopped answering Vinifera. It was just a derailment.

I’m not sure. I don’t know if I ever will be. If it helps you to believe though, by all means do so :) Either way, I am sure that there are loving, caring people in the world who can help shape, define and even guide us.

There’s never been any hard evidence to say there is, but we haven,t proved there isn’t either.
I think the Buddhist approach is on the right track.
I find nature a good way to approach life, I mean like a walk in the bush or along the shoreline, or in the hills.
You know the old sun comes up and the same old sun goes down…