The following is based on the words of the man, the historical Buddha; nothing typically thought of as religion is involved. I believe you may find it helpful.

"[ When one ] has clearly seen with correct wisdom as it really is, this dependent origination and these dependently arisen phenomenon, it is impossible that he will run back to the past thinking: 'Did I exist in the past? What was I in the past? How was I in the past?' OR that he will run forward into the future, thinking: 'Will I exist in the future? Will I not exist in the future? What will I be in the future? How will I be in the future? Having been what, what will I become in the future?' OR that he will now be inwardly confused about the present thus: 'Do I exist? Do I not exist? What am I? How am I? This being -- where has it come from, and where will it go?' ..."

"... the Dhamma [(the Way)] has ... been well-expounded ..., elucidated, disclosed, revealed, stripped of patchwork, this is enough for ... [one ] who has gone forth out of faith to arouse his energy thus: 'Willingly, let only my skin, sinews, and bones remain, and let the flesh and blood dry up in my body, but I will not relax my energy so long as I have not attained what can be attained by manly strength, by manly energy, by manly exertion'..."

"... Considering your own good, ..., it is enough to strive for the goal with diligence; considering the good of others, it is enough to strive for the goal with diligence; considering the good of both, it is enough to strive for the goal with diligence."

"Do not think about past, future, or present existence. To be fortunate upon death: You have, in life, through intentional actions earned merit (& generated & changed/created kamma). And, thus to be so fortunate, in life: you have engaged in what you have to do ..." “ [He who] understands as they really are the gratification, the danger, and the escape in the case of the 5 faculties [(the 'senses')], then he is called a stream-enterer, no longer bound to the nether world.”

"... [He is] “liberated by non-clinging”, “one whose taints are destroyed”, “one who has done what had to be done ... reached his goal.” “... utterly destroyed the fetters of existence, [become] one completely liberated "

"Through dispassion [his mind] is liberated. When it is liberated there comes the knowledge: 'It's liberated.' He understands: 'Destroying birth, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more for this state of being.'"

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" (1)–(2) the purpose and benefit of wholesome virtuous behavior is non-regret; (3) the purpose and benefit of non-regret is joy; (4) the purpose and benefit of joy is rapture; (5) the purpose and benefit of rapture is tranquility; (6) the purpose and benefit of tranquility is pleasure; (7) the purpose and benefit of pleasure is concentration; (8) the purpose and benefit of concentration is the knowledge and vision of things as they really are; (9) the purpose and benefit of the knowledge and vision of things as they really are is disenchantment and dispassion; and (10) the purpose and benefit of disenchantment and dispassion is the knowledge and vision of liberation. Thus,..., wholesome virtuous behavior progressively leads to the foremost.”

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“Ignorance is the forerunner in the entry upon unwholesome states, with shamelessness and fearlessness of wrongdoing following along.”

“For an unwise person immersed in ignorance, wrong view springs up. For one of wrong view, wrong intention springs up. For one of wrong intention, wrong speech speech springs up.”

“... wrong speech, wrong action ... wrong action, wrong livelihood ... wrong livelihood, wrong effort ,... wrong effort, wrong mindfulness, ... wrong mindfulness, wrong concentration.”

“... There is feeling with wrong view as a condition, also feeling with right view as condition ... feeling with wrong concentration as condition and feeling with right concentration as condition. There is feeling with desire as condition, also feeling with thought as condition, also feeling with perception as condition.

... when desire has subsided, and perception has subsided, there is also feeling with that as condition. There is effort for the as-yet-unattained; when that stage has been reached, there is also feeling with that as condition.”

“... true knowledge is the forerunner in the entry upon wholesome states, with a sense of shame and fear of wrongdoing following along ... true knowledge, right view; right view, right intention; ..., right speech; ..., right action; ..., right livelihood; ... , right effort; ..., right mindfulness; ..., right concentration.”

" [(One in training on the Path)] generates desire for the non-arising of unarisen evil, unwholesome states; he makes an effort, arouses energy, applies his mind, and strives. He generates desire for the abandoning of evil, arisen unwholesome states. ... He generates desire for the arising of wholesome states. He generates desire for the maintenance of arisen wholesome states, for their non-decay, increase, expansion,and fulfillment by development; he makes an effort, aroused energy, applies his mind and strives.”

“ ... whatever wholesome states there are, they are rooted in diligence, converge upon diligence, and diligence is declared to be chief among them..”

“Whatever strenuous deeds are done, [they] are all done based upon the earth, established upon the earth, so too, based upon virtue, established upon virtue.”

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For a comprehensive (and realistic/naturalistic and rational) summary of all the words of the historical Buddha (the Pali Canon), see: https://mynichecomp.com .