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Question Everything

Tony_A_SimienTony_A_Simien Veteran
in Meditation

Question everything

There is nothing wrong with questioning or doubt. It is all part of the journey. We must keep that questioning mind until it naturally goes away on its own. We must question all of our previous notions and be cautious of the words and motives of others, my words and motives included, so that we do not become trapped in another persons web of fantasy.

EarthninjaInvincible_summeryagr

Comments

  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator

    The two simplest questions are those which require the deepest consideration and hold the most profound answers.

    "Who are you, and what do you want?"

    Bunkslobster0student0
  • robotrobot Veteran

    Where's the fish?

    Victorious
  • ShoshinShoshin No one in particular Nowhere Special Veteran

    "Question Everything"
    Why ?

    VictoriousCinorjerEarthninjammo
  • Tony_A_SimienTony_A_Simien Veteran
    edited June 2015

    @Shoshin said:
    "Question Everything"
    Why ?

    Because it is our notions, which we attach to appearances, which is the cause of suffering.

    Shoshin
  • ShoshinShoshin No one in particular Nowhere Special Veteran

    Sorry @Tony_A_Simien it was just one of those old Why jokes I couldn't resist...I understand what you mean :)

  • Tony_A_SimienTony_A_Simien Veteran

    @Shoshin

    No problem.

    Actually it was a very good question.

  • VictoriousVictorious Grim Veteran

    @Tony_A_Simien said:
    Question everything

    There is nothing wrong with questioning or doubt. It is all part of the journey. We must keep that questioning mind until it naturally goes away on its own. We must question all of our previous notions and be cautious of the words and motives of others, my words and motives included, so that we do not become trapped in another persons web of fantasy.

    These words leads to confusion not to clarity. There is nothing in these words that helps people on the path.

    What do you want really?

    /Victor

  • Tony_A_SimienTony_A_Simien Veteran

    @Victorious

    Yes for some, this may be so. We all have different notions about our world. I do not doubt your word for one moment. But this is not The case with everyone.

  • VictoriousVictorious Grim Veteran

    @Tony_A_Simien said:
    Victorious

    Yes for some, this may be so. We all have different notions about our world. I do not doubt your word for one moment. But this is not The case with everyone.

    Those who understand your words have no use for them and for the rest they mean little.

    Do you feel lonely? Is that it?

    Have a hug from me! <3 .

    Peace!
    Victor

  • Tony_A_SimienTony_A_Simien Veteran

    @Victorious

    Hakuna matata!

  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited June 2015

    @Victorious said: These words leads to confusion not to clarity. There is nothing in these words that helps people on the path.

    What do you want really?
    /Victor

    I would respectfully suggest you read some previous posts. I think your initial impression is incorrect.
    I have a lot of respect for his views, and you might have too...

    Earthninjavinlynlobster
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator

    @Victorious said: Those who understand your words have no use for them and for the rest they mean little.

    This is extremely presumptuous of you. I think you owe Tony an apology, actually.

    EarthninjavinlynDairyLama
  • EarthninjaEarthninja Wanderer West Australia Veteran

    @Tony_A_Simien said:
    Question everything

    There is nothing wrong with questioning or doubt. It is all part of the journey. We must keep that questioning mind until it naturally goes away on its own. We must question all of our previous notions and be cautious of the words and motives of others, my words and motives included, so that we do not become trapped in another persons web of fantasy.

    I agree, question even our most basic assumptions. Everything we have learnt as culture, belief, words etc is second hand.
    Even Buddhism is second hand dogma unless we investigate. Is this really true?!
    Thank you

    silver0student0
  • DairyLamaDairyLama Veteran Veteran

    Somebody once told me: "You don't have to believe everything you think".

    lobster
  • lobsterlobster Crusty Veteran

    @SpinyNorman said:
    Somebody once told me: "You don't have to believe everything you think".

    Thank God, Buddha, Speghetti Monster and the usual suspects ... B)

  • VictoriousVictorious Grim Veteran

    @Tony_A_Simien said:
    Victorious

    Hakuna matata!

    Yeah baby!

    Pleased to meet you! :) .

    @federica said:
    I would respectfully suggest you read some previous posts. I think your initial impression is incorrect.
    I have a lot of respect for his views, and you might have too...

    I think maybe we define respect in different ways?
    Tony absolutely gets Anatta.
    Just sayin hes too cryptic about it.

    Actually I wish I could meet him.

    This is extremely presumptuous of you. I think you owe Tony an apology, actually.

    You know what? HE does not actually seem to mind.

    Which makes me think all the more that he gets it.

    Peace.
    /Victor

    lobster
  • CinorjerCinorjer Veteran
    edited June 2015

    This reminds me of my old Unitarian Universalist days, down in Tampa Florida. There was a sign inside the church that said "To Question is the Answer". A very koanish sort of thing but most of the UU churches had adopted it from somewhere.

    The Minister, Rev Young, once asked us to write down our response to this. I wrote "It's incomplete. The Answers are also the Questions"

    Question, but then take a look at the question instead of waiting for some authority to answer. If it has no answer, then you're asking the wrong question. Every question contains a set of assumptions, and if you get those wrong, the question never has an answer. Once you ask the right question, it answers itself. Am I making sense? Maybe not. I couldn't really explain it at the time either.

  • genkakugenkaku Northampton, Mass. U.S.A. Veteran

    If it has no answer, then you're asking the wrong question.

    @Cinorjer -- A "wrong" question ... now there's a mind-bender.

    0student0
  • CinorjerCinorjer Veteran
    edited June 2015

    @genkaku said:
    Cinorjer -- A "wrong" question ... now there's a mind-bender.

    I suppose an example off the top of my head, and maybe a poor one, is "How can I get what I want in life?" It assumes that is possible, that if you just get this list of things you won't want anything else, and that there is some magic formula that will cause the world to give you what you want. Yet there are lots of books and people who make a good living pretending to answer that question. So if you examine the question, you start to understand why it doesn't have an answer. It's the wrong question. Instead, "Why do I always want more than I have?" might teach you something.

    Tony_A_SimienWalker
  • pegembarapegembara Veteran

    @federica said:
    The two simplest questions are those which require the deepest consideration and hold the most profound answers.

    "Who are you, and what do you want?"

    Dunno.

    CinorjerVictoriousEarthninja
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited June 2015

    @Victorious said:I think maybe we define respect in different ways?
    Tony absolutely gets Anatta.
    Just sayin hes too cryptic about it.

    I think we understood the gist, just fine....

    You know what? HE does not actually seem to mind.
    Which makes me think all the more that he gets it.

    Well, I MIND.
    And as Moderator, it's my 'job' to mind.
    I'm not really concerned in this case whether he gets it or not.
    I get it.
    And just as a subtle reminder, in this case, I am more who you should be thinking about, ok?

  • VictoriousVictorious Grim Veteran

    Sorry @federica. It is really difficult to know when you are a moderator expressing moderation and when not? Shall I always take your input as moderation? In which case we can not have a discussion really?

    If not. Any clues I should watch out for? I am serious. I say this because normally on forums when I am out of line I get a moderators warning that explicitly says it is such.

    Which makes it easier to have a discussion with a moderator when the person is not acting as such.

    In either case if YOU mind then I apologize to you I guess?

    /Cheers

  • VictoriousVictorious Grim Veteran

    I think I get it.

    But no the forums I think about does not actually moderate in public but only through PM. So there are no drums.

    Anyway Cheers.

  • EarthninjaEarthninja Wanderer West Australia Veteran

    A wolf in sheeps clothing :awesome:

  • DairyLamaDairyLama Veteran Veteran

    No, more like a sheep-dog. ;)

    Earthninja
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator

    @Victorious said:
    I think I get it.

    But no the forums I think about does not actually moderate in public but only through PM. So there are no drums.

    Anyway Cheers.

    I Moderate moderately, in public... but if it gets more serious, I will take it off board...
    I think the minor disadvantage of Moderating purely and only by PM, is that it leaves matters occasionally disjointed and even questionable... Sometimes, it's a fair call for a Mod to demonstrate that they're doing their job....

    silverTony_A_Simien
  • vinlynvinlyn Colorado...for now Veteran

    Don't take this as a criticism!

    In one forum I'm on the moderator does 2 types of posts. If it's a moderation post, the post is in red letters. If it's just a post contributing to the discussion, it's in regular black letters.

  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator

    I used to do that until @Linc got rid of my colouring box...... :( Which is why I mainly resort to Bold or sometimes Italics

    But it's just not the same without my jumbo crayons any more... * sniff *....

    lobsterTony_A_SimienEarthninja
  • lobsterlobster Crusty Veteran 
    Wot no crayons?

    highlight text and click on the arrow key on the left of the smiley face, select Code for yellow effect

  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator

    no, it's the text I want to colour, not the background...

    Earthninja
  • WalkerWalker Veteran Veteran

    In green, right? ;)

  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator

    Nononononononononononono!!!!

    Walker
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator

    Well, ok, yes.

  • yagryagr Veteran

    A passage from a story I am working endlessly on:

    Daniel almost fell off his cushion laughing. ““Is that incense?”, “What's difficult?”, “How on earth did you know...?” and “What do you mean three...?”  Would you like to go for five questions in a row?  I must have looked crushed because Daniel got a sympathetic look on his face.  Unfortunately, that only made me feel worse.  “Run and go grab a pen and paper off sensei’s desk,” he said.  A second or two passed before I registered that he wanted me to go right now.  I jumped up a little too fast trying to make up the second and ended up tripping over the cushion and almost falling.  I refused to look back at him  I made it back without further incident and held out the pen and paper to Daniel. “The pen and paper are for you,” he said.  “Now sit down; I’m going to dictate a list.  Write each down on a separate line.”  Daniel began dictating almost immediately and I had to scramble to not miss anything.  “Blue, consciousness, 42, dolphin, primitive...”  He continued rattling of this list as fast as I could write until I had written on every line on both sides of the paper.  I couldn't even stop listening long enough to tell him that we had run out of lines and so I started a second column.  About the time I got to the bottom of the first side again he stopped.  “There you go,” said Daniel cheerfully. “There I go, what? I asked, completely confused. “Now you have all the answers,”  he quipped. “But Daniel,” I protested, “this is gibberish!  What are the questions?” “What questions;” he asked furrowing his brow and raising his eyebrow, “there are an infinite number of questions?” “The questions to these answers you just gave me!”  I was really beginning to think I was in the twilight zone or something. “Ah those,” he said,  “Why do you want those?” “The answers are no good without the questions!”  Yup, definitely on a tour of the twilight zone and Daniel was the captain of this tour. “Quite right,” he said, a satisfied look on his face, “forget the answers for a bit and seek the right questions first.”

    Tony_A_SimienfedericaVictoriousCinorjer
  • Tony_A_SimienTony_A_Simien Veteran

    @yagr

    Brilliant! Thanks for sharing.

  • VictoriousVictorious Grim Veteran

    @yagr said:
    A passage from a story I am working endlessly on:

    Seems like the natural answer to many things

    Fellow: What is jhana?
    Me: What do you mean by jhana?
    Fellow: ??? What? How does it matter what I think?
    Me: I think you are wrong. It matters the world what you think jhana is. When you know what you mean by jhana you will know all the answers to the your question.

    Cruel? Well maybe but in the end it will steady his mind into the cultivation.
    If you cant trust yourself then who can you trust?

    Cheers @yagr
    When can we read the entire work?

    And here is a pat on the shoulder. <3 . :)

    yagrCinorjersilver
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