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What does a seeker after truth really seek?
For me it was always a case of “I will know it when I hear it or when I read it” rather than “I know what I am looking for”. It is like an internal bell that tinkles. It didn’t really start ringing bells for me until I had my breakdown in 2012, and I started listening to Osho regularly again, and after that got involved in Buddhism. During my introductory course in Buddhism I saw this a lot, that people who had had an illness or accident or had lost a job or career would come do the course, in search of… something.
A lot of psychologists term this the search for meaning, but I don’t think it really is that. For me it starts with an understanding of the self, and that begins with the body-mind and an understanding of childhood. How we enter into the world, what we are from the very beginning, determines how we see ourselves in adulthood. Mental growth is a process of accreting things onto ourselves, and only later, in the process of understanding ourselves as mature beings, do we start to shed those layers.
Truth plays a special role in this. By seeking and learning to recognise truth we see the things that were hidden from our view. Clarity begins to dawn on us. And in the first instance we seek these truths outside ourselves — we seek to consult the wisdom of the world, as we have gotten used to doing in learning and education.
For me the clearest source of truth has been not religion or philosophy, but the words of the recent awakened ones, gurus and people who share their truth with us. Just in the last century, I would name Jiddu Krishnamurti, Osho, Ramana Maharshi, Papaji, Nisargadatta Maharaj, Eckhart Tolle and U.G. Krishnamurti. I name U.G. last because he is an end-point of the search. On their words you can hone your sense for the true… eventually our truth starts to erupt from within.
At that point you have found the things in yourself which correspond to the truths imparted by the wise, and you have found the things which are uniquely yours. All of which contributes to your truth. Which is my 0.02.
Maybe you have sought different truths?
Jeroen
Re: Just for fun: the random, useless announcements thread!
Well @Shoshin1 I’m flattered you dreamed of me, even if I did turn to jelly and wobbled all over the place! Maybe it was a sign of some sort…
I was thinking of this bit of Shakespeare’s play As You Like It yesterday,
“All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely Players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts”
It seems to me one of those quotes which make you change your viewpoint relative to the world, similar to this bit of the Diamond Sutra:
"So you should view this fleeting world --
A star at dawn, a bubble in a stream,
A flash of lightening in a summer cloud,
A flickering lamp, a phantom, and a dream."
Jeroen
Re: Unsocial Media
@Jeroen said:
I am glad you’ve decided that Buddhist forums are among the wise uses of social media.
Jonathan Haidt who's doing the rounds at the moment with his book makes a distinction between social media and the internet generally. I'm not totally sure what he thinks about forums and discussion groups but I think his main focus are the algorithmically boosted areas that are warping people's minds.
person
Re: Unsocial Media
I am glad you’ve decided that Buddhist forums are among the wise uses of social media.
Jeroen
Re: Unsocial Media
I have killled 99% of my social media. It's toxic and offers echo chambers for whatever topic of hatred is the rage at the time.
I killed Mastodon, FB, Instagram and Tumblr. I only just logged back in here today. I'm limiting my time here too because... well I just am. During my time off the net I have prayed, meditated and gone back to scratch with my Buddhist study. I've delved back into the 4NT and Eightfold Noble Path. When I feel the time is right, I will re-do my Green Tara and Avolekiteshvara Empowerments.
My time offline has shown me, in stark reality, that EVERYONE has their own biaises and when we strongly feel something, more often than not we will mow down anyone who disagrees with protests, "sources" and anything else we can to prove them wrong. Being active online is frigging exhausting.
One thing my self imposed "exile" showed me is that it's easier to implement Right Speech and Right Action when not engaged in online drama. Just my 0.02
Re: The Other Elephant In The Room
Well it was totally predictable what would happen if Hamas attacked Israel from Gaza.
Jeroen
Re: The Other Elephant In The Room
I think this is the strategy and trap Hamas set and Israel has fallen right into it. Build an infrastructure with humans as shields so the only way Israel can respond militarily to a horrendous attack is to commit atrocities like it is currently doing. And I think it will work, at the end of this even if Israel continues and truly eliminates Hamas, especially with the prevention of humanitarian aid, they will lose the support of their allies and be isolated from the rest of the world. Leaving them vulnerable and alone.
person
Re: The Other Elephant In The Room
When one group fails to recognize another group as worthy of consideration as human beings, as per Russia attacking Ukraine, Israel attacking Gaza (Palestine) or others, then the tragedy of war and cruel atrocities are justified against the supposed lesser beings.
the same, on a smaller scale in often a less obvious manner occurs at the individual level when subtle and not so subtle discrimination occurs against a minority or an individual who's physical characteristics, beliefs, speech, and such is different from what the antagonist(s) deem correct or normal. This is the tragedy of the Fundamental Darkness manifest in individual ignorance, jealousy, mistrust, fear and hatred of others.This expands to groups, cultures, nations.
We are engaged in a great battle to overcome this fundamental darkness, to enable and generate compassion, trust, to the reality that all are equally worthy of respect, of our compassion. We each start at ground zero, working inward and working outward to create this awakening - A daunting but oh so necessary endeavor.
Prayers for Peace
Prayers for Compassion and Mercy
Prayers that our actions enable thus to be manifest
Peace to all
Lionduck