Finding the Truth - Advanced Spirituality by unASLEEP

THE FIRST STEP BEGINS WITH A QUESTION. WE CANT BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND OUR PLACE, AND THE TRUE NATURE OF REALITY, WITHOUT FIRST QUESTIONING THE SYSTEMS OF THOUGHT WE HOLD AND CALL TRUTH.

Spiritual Literacy - Forgiveness: Forgiveness is Never Easy

The True Value of Advice

For the longest time I felt that advice, and dispensing it, was something i felt obligated to do. I believed there was no greater showing of compassion in dispensing advice to those that sought it or appeared to need it. Advice is a funny thing. Its a personal reflection of our direct interpretation of life and our experiences. We place great value on what we perceive to know, and what we've learned. We tend to feel that our knowledge acquired is universal, and all encompassing. I used to place a high value on my advice.

I felt a sort of moral duty to help those I saw or felt were lost, confused, or hurting. I believed that my advice was true. I felt that if only an individual could come to see things my way, perhaps they could overcome what ailed them. This line of thinking is commonplace in most people. For it stems from a desire to see others happy, and free from suffering, a noble en devour. Yet what's often overlooked is a deeper aspect to advice, and that's selfishness. All advice unless given with consideration to each persons personal story, is based in selfishness. We believe that "our" advise is helpful. That "our" advice can perhaps help someone. The truth is that the conclusions you have come to realize in life, and the words u dispense as advice based on those conclusions, are yours and yours alone. No one can explicitly understand what it is you have gone through or what you garnered from it. The inherent emptiness in life is the reason for that.

All things, people, and events are naturally devoid of all meaning. We ascribe a particular meaning, emotion, or purpose to everything and everyone in life. And its because of this that we all will see things differently. Sure most people agree that certain things are universal such as death being sad, or murder being bad, but even this deserves a closer look, for not all people believe it, and if one person doesn't believe it then it its not inherent. And without it being inherent, then whatever conclusions we draw about it are ours and ours alone. So then knowing this should we not give advice? Should we not help others in there time of need or confusion? The answer is yes we should, but we must be mindful when we do so.

We must remember that the goal is not to change how a person is thinking or feeling, because all the words in the world can't do that unless taken to heart by the person who is listening . Words, like all things, are inherently empty, and are not symbols themselves, rather are interpretations of symbols. We must remember to respect the fact that we may give all we have and still not be able to help the person. Advice is not meant to sway or comfort, neither can be done by another, its purpose is to guide. True happiness, true peace of mind can only come from oneself. If u rely on others or their words you'll find that happiness fleeting and unsatisfying. If I'm to find true peace of mind and comfort it must come from within otherwise it won't be mine, it will someone else's, and it will be based on there interpretation of experiences and life. Even though we may have had similar reactions or backgrounds, we still cannot say with certainty that we will draw the same feelings or conclusions from life's experiences. What works for me is exclusive.

I like to always try and preface that, when I talk to someone about life or a concern they may have and need advice on. I like to let people know the conclusions I've drawn are not meant to be copied or mimicked, because then they haven't been truly realized and therefore won't change the mind set you may have sought to change or understand. The goal from my advice or anyone's for that matter, is to use it as a guide, as motivation, as inspiration to change and seek out the answers yourself. No therapist, priest, parent, or anyone, can truly help you no matter how wise or well educated they may be. In medicine and science we place a high value on the knowledge we have of the mind and how it works. Doctors and psychologists administer treatment that is based on data gathered and knowledge learned over centuries of tests and trials. Yet what they fail to understand is that it is not the complete answer. The mind is not merely connected to the body, but also to the spirit, the soul. It may not be testable or based in science, but the soul is there in all of us. It is from here were" true" change must arise, and must be considered in any effective psychological treatment.

We all have the capacity to overcome all obstacles in life. We all can be happy and maintain a peaceful mind set at all times, but it can't come solely from advice. You must learn to seek the answers out yourself. We're often afraid to rely on ourselves in challenging or confusing times. We feel perhaps the support of others words can help us, but while this may work temporarily sometimes, we will invariably encounter a situation where no amount of advice or words will bring us any measure of peace or comfort. It is during these times we must look deep within ourselves and confront the fear we have and the belief that we even need help at all.

The true purpose of advise should always be to breed self sufficiency. Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he'll never go hungry. We should take heed of this old quote and focus our advice not on changing how someone is feeling through our advice, but rather inspire them to seek out the answers for themselves. In doing so they will be no longer dependent on others to overcome obstacles, but rather find the true innate power within themselves that we all possess.

Life is Suffering...and Thats the Only Way it Can Be

“None can come to the sublime heights of the divinity , said the Eternal Wisdom, or taste its ineffable sweetness, if first they have not experienced the bitterness and lowliness of my humanity. The higher they climb without passing by my humanity, the lower afterward shall be their fall. My humanity is the road which all must tread who would come to that which you seek: my sufferings are the door by which all must come in." ~ Heinrich Suso (C 1300 - 1366) German mystic



Systems of Thought and their Flaws.

I don't believe in systems. Systems, to which science, philosophy , and religion belong to are limiting in their scope. The limitation arises not from the material or content that they espouse, but rather the binding parameters they represent. I have come to realize that the greatest evil is not religion nor a particular ideology, but rather the ego. Contradiction only occurs when one becomes bogged down in the concept of systems. To rise above the idea of systems is negating contradiction outright. Contradiction occurs when we seek a unifying truth.

A truth that answers all, and that encompasses all. But how can this be when there exist in life so many starkly different ways of thinking and believing? How do we reconcile the Christian and the Muslim, the Conservative and the Liberal, the science and the religion? The answer lies not in reconciling the two, or in divisive mentalities, but rather in seeing the equanimity and essential underlying truth in all.

People may read my blog or hear me speak, and say i am littered with faulty logic or contradictions, but the truth is that its irrelevant. This is because the concept of system is the essential problem. The idea that there is inherent difference in systems of thought and belief is the problem. If we stand above, and look beyond the system, we can see truth runs through ALL systems, and truth can even be garnered from supposed negative systems. Even in those systems that preach violence towards others and foster divisiveness amongst people, we can see truth.

The truth lies in knowing that life doesn't always use gentle and kind means to guide us along the path of self realization, sometimes life chooses to use great hatred and evil to show us the truth. We must always see beyond "us" and the idea of "you" and "me." Its when we begin to create dualities, good and bad, black and white, Christian and Muslim, man and woman, that we begin to feel that there exists some sort of difference amongst things in life. The truth is that under all the difference lies, in the core of all things in existence, the same underlying system, God.

Science, Religion, and their role in Truth

Truth is not relative or subjective, rather truth is constant and unchanging. People are not wrong for believing in what they believe. The reality is that our beliefs about life and truth are shaped by the experiences we've undergone and the interpretation of those experiences. People are not wrong for holding their beliefs. Their beliefs are a result of where they're at in the cosmic path of enlightenment. The path is one we are all engaged on. Some are further along it than others. Religion and science are not inherently correct and yet they are not inherently wrong.

The problem lies in our interpretation of them. Behind all the data, scriptures, rules, laws, and traditions, lie truth. Behind all religions and science one can find the truth that God intended man to find. The problem is that we have covered the truth behind the concepts themselves, and allowed the vehicle (science/religion) to overshadow the message. The Truth is hidden to most. Only those that are willing to put aside all beliefs and look beyond the veil of ignorance will find the truth hidden. One can apply this to all things in life, for truth lies behind all events and objects, for God is behind all, and God is truth.

The reason why so few people see this truth is because we have bought into the realities and truths for sale by the material world. These are false truths, and behind them lie the real truth, but we fail to see that. We become engrossed in our view of ourselves and the differences in life. Differences between people, man and women, black and white, Asian and American. Differences between everything. We like to categorized things to fit into neat and convenient groups: scientific, social, psychological, religious, and biological groups. These divisions bring about the problems that we encounter. From jealousy, to pride, to feelings of sadness and emptiness. The reality is that there exists no difference between anything. Whether it be between people (we are all equal representations of God) or between religions (behind all religions if looked at correctly one can see the same truth).

For me, i have been able to use the vehicles of Buddhism and Hinduism as paths to finding Truth. I'm not saying Buddhism or Hinduism is the right path, they merely are the vehicles that are allowing me to discover Truth. I am now beginning to even see the truth that lies behind Christianity. When one can begin to see the Truth and the face of God behind all, then one is beginning to see the the true equanimity that exists in life among all things. This is REAL truth. The truth is there is no TRUE distinction behind religion or science, merely misinterpretation of the true intent these instruments of God are meant for. They are not meant for division or to tout as the sole truth, but rather are vehicles for individuals, depending on where they may be in their cosmic path to enlightenment, to get closer to discovering truth.

One cannot find truth by mere knowledge, whether it be scientific, philosophical, or religious. These are merely guides to help individuals depending on their current state of mind and place in life, to find truth. God is so great that he knew not all people would follow one path. Not all people will believe one way of thinking. So he created many ways for an individual to be led to Truth. Unfortunately once most people gain full understandings of these instruments such as science or religion or philosophy, they believe that the truth was merely in mastering these disciplines. They couldn't be more wrong. The plan was never to master them and see them as truth or as the only vehicle for understanding the universe, but rather to utilize them as tools to help realize truth behind ALL of them, and see the wonder that is God and His plan.

Change

Change. It is the one true constant of this life. The material world we call home is bound by the law of impermanence. All things in this life must eventually, in due time, come to an end. Individual human lives end in physical death, plants and animals die, and even the mightiest structures we have created will one day be gone. Impermanence (change), represents the greatest misunderstanding in life, and this misunderstanding therefore leads to the constant suffering we feel in this life. When we are attached to people, possessions, lifestyles, and our own personalities, suffering is inevitable. Suffering takes on many forms. It is often described in Buddhism as unsettldness or a sense of unbalance. Suffering can be a range of emotions, and states of mind from anger, to frustration, to sadness or loss, to jealousy, and pride.

In life when things go wrong or we're wronged, we tend to seek the source of who or what has wronged us. When we do find out who or what we feel was responsible, we often times become angry, frustrated, and sad. Some seek revenge, others wish for misery and pain for those responsible. We expend so much effort into this process on a regular basis, and yet we never will find the true person or persons responsible. The true culprit of our misery and suffering is us. We as individuals are responsible for the anger and sadness we feel. We as individuals are responsible for the deep suffering and unease we feel when wronged.

A fundamental truth in life is emptiness. Emptiness is the concept that nothing in this material world we occupy, has or ever had inherent qualities. To demonstrate inherent emptiness, lets take a chair. If i were to show u a chair and ask you what you were looking at most would respond a chair. Yet what makes this object a chair? Is there such a thing as inherent chairness? To better answer this question lets look at what makes a chair a chair. A chair as defined by the dictionary, as a piece of furniture consisting of a seat, legs, back, and often arms, designed to accommodate one person. Fair enough, i believe most people would readily agree with this definition.

Yet lets look at the question even deeper. If i were to take the chair and dismantle it and place all the pieces on the floor, and then ask what is on the floor, most people would answer pieces of a chair. But what makes a plastic wheel, or a soft cushion inherently "chairy?" If i had never dismantled the chair, and instead pulled out a plastic wheel and asked you what it is, most would answer a plastic wheel. Yet a moment ago that wheel was part of a chair. Some would shoot back at such a point and say, "it is a plastic wheel, but it could be used in a chair, or a cart, or a number of things." And that's the point, the wheel, or cushion or metal bars, by themselves do not have inherent chair qualities, but combined in the right order, could be made into something that can be interpreted as a chair. What if i took the chair and set a plate of food on it and used it as a table? A table is defined as a piece of furniture consisting of a smooth flat slab fixed on legs, some chairs do match that description, as some chairs do not have a back, so then could a chair be a table and a table be a chair? The answer is yes and yes. If a chair was inherently a chair, then only two possible reasons for it coming into being exist. Either the chair appeared one day completely intact from thin air, and is unable to be either dismantled or destroyed since that would violate its inherent chairness, or the chair does not even exist. Neither of these explanations suffices. The chair is a chair, because we have ascribed certain identifying characteristics unto it. If i were to take the chair to a person who had never seen a chair, they may choose to give the chair a different function based upon their interpretation. A chair lacks inherent qualities, if you break down the chair to its most basic materials (plastic, metal, cloth) all you have is a pile of raw materials. Not a chair. The point of this is to demonstrate the emptiness that exists in life. All events, people, and objects lack any inherent reality. They are mearly interpretations of our learned experience. Our reaction to these things, is based on our interpretations of the world we experience. Therefore what may be seen as a hardship to one individual, may be seen as an opportunity to another. As i have written previously, not even death is inherently a sad or negative event. Having this knowledge we should learn to see people and events for what they really are, empty. Empty of good or bad, right or wrong, empty of any value whatsoever.

The Buddha taught that no event or person will shake the mind of a person who has come to truly embrace and understand emptiness. You cannot anger, or frustrate, or hurt a man who sees no inherent reality. He who achieves this enlightenment passes judgment on no one, and sees no need to categorize or separate experiences and people. This is the state of mind we all must work towards, and it is part of the Truth that is our purpose. A purpose that we cannot deny or refute forever. ALL, whether in this life or however countless lives it may take, will come to know Truth.