Even though I speak English, and the readers of my blog speak English (even if it isn’t a first language), there are some difficulties with communicating thoroughly. Some people might think I am crazy about semantics, or maybe I just like to nit-pick. But that is not the case.
Let’s take a seemingly simple question like: “Do you believe in God?“, and I’ll imagine it is posed to me.
As I sit here, an answer does not come. The only thing in my mind is, I don’t really understand the question. What is meant by believe and God? I am not saying I do not know the literal meanings of the words; I can look them up in a dictionary, after all. But it doesn’t really help me.
First of all, if I say yes or no, what is it that is telling me the answer is yes or no? Is it through an idea that I read about, or and idea that was handed down through generations? Do I say yes because that is what is expected of me? Do I say yes because everyone else says it? Do I say no because I want to rebel? Do I say no because I have an idea that tells me the answer is no?
Questions like this (Do you believe in God?) create conflict. If a religious person asks me this question and I say yes, what happens in the mind of the person that asks? If I say no, what happens? If I say yes, I am a brother. If I say no, I am an athiest. But why should I be anything to them, other than what I am? If someone thinks I am an athiest, isn’t it true that the idea of what an athiest is infects all of their interactions with me? Is there a tendency to hold me at arms length, or perhaps an urge to help me see what is “true”?
If I say I believe the same faith as the questioner, then what happens? If I disagree, what happens? Think it over and go into it. You are devoutly religious (in this example) and you ask me if I believe in god. I say no, I vehemently deny it saying it is false. How does it affect you? Or you ask, and I say I do completely believe, and in fact, I am the exact same faith as you. Now what happens?
Do you see any inherent danger in the question? I am not saying it is true/false/right/wrong, or whatever. But what is it that is there? Is answering yes or no really a difference? If I say yes, it is my belief. If I say no, it is also my belief. So what is the difference?
When one questions oneself, there can be no conclusions. It sounds difficult to grasp. But isn’t it true that if you question yourself with a conclusion in mind, you are just looking for answers to justify your conclusions? And if that is the case, aren’t the questions coming from the answers you already have?
If someone asks me, “Does God Exist?“, do they really want to know, or are they looking for me to justify the answers they already have? Also, if someone really wanted to know the answer to that question, would they ask someone else to give them the answer? If I want someone else to give it to me, am I really serious about it? Or maybe I am just playing around with it?
These are just questions I had in mind this morning.
I am a bit behind on some other work, so I will post the conclusion to the Question and Question Part Three tomorrow.
3 Comments
Indeed. The more I question, the less I realize I know. Many of the spiritual teachers seem to attribute their ascended state to one thing or another, but can we really know the cause, or are they simply trying to make sense of an inexplicable experience.
Perhaps the best thing to do in a situation like you describe above is to the simplest thing possible. Ask the questioner why they wish to know the answer
“I don’t know” seems very appropriate as well.
I can think of at least three reasons a person might ask those questions. To know as a fact what Takuin believes so it can be noted down. To clarify one’s one thought processes by reflecting them through another. To support some existing answer they have decided on.
The other thing that you may be able to do is feel or know the intention of the person. Perhaps this is what you are experiencing. I may know that a person who does not call me regularly is calling me because he wants to collect some money I borrowed from him by his choice of words, the tone of his voice, etc.
There is something so wonderful about saying “I don’t know,” almost to the point of liberation. If you say “I don’t know,” and really mean it, and that is that, it is lovely.
It is nice for others to show interest in me, but I hope I can dissuede them from writing down what I say in order to follow it later. It might be of use to write down various questions and go into them, thoroughly seeing whatever might happen to be there within. But if someone really likes me, or for whatever reason, completely identifies with me, there is a danger there. Are they really listening and posing questions to themselves, or do they just take what I say as the truth, accepting it and not questioning it at all?
I love meeting new people, and there is a lovely energy that flows when meeting face to face; something that cannot be experienced through e-mail or blogs. Having said that, I hope no one listens to me and believes I am right and something else is wrong. If someone wants to talk about this stuff, I am happy to do so. If someone wants to talk about Jimi Hendrix, I am happy to do so.
It is interesting to meet people face to face for the first time (related to Takuin.com). They only know me from what they have read, and when I show up, meeting them physically, invariably I am not what they expect me to be.
Life is full of surprises.
Yes there is something wonderful about spending time with people. I really enjoy the feeling of love towards another, and that seems to transfer and bring them into the moment as well. I would be quite happy for the rest of my life if I could simply bring that feeling to others with every waking moment.
I think this is what is commonly called presence. I was curious if people observed a feeling of presence or love when they are around you.
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