Isn’t that the question that we all come back to eventually (well, perhaps some version of it, anyway)? Why am I here? What should I do? How can I find happiness? Is there any point to it all?
If you’ve found this site and you’re looking for answers to questions like these, you’ve come to the right place! I can confidently promise you this:
I have no answers for you.
If you find someone promising answers, telling you they are enlightened, that you can learn the secret to manifesting your desires, or that they can channel someone from the beyond, just…beware. They are generally experts in transferring money…from you to them.
Those who know don’t talk. Those who talk don’t know.
Lao Tzu – Tao Te Ching
Having said that…I certainly have opinions about possible answers to life’s most challenging questions. Mine are worth no less and no more than any other opinion. But I believe you will find value here over some of the others in this:
I know that I don’t have the answers.
Rather than throw religious reasoning at you, promising that you’ll learn about secret knowledge and power, or displaying some pious facade (all ultimately leading toward a tax-deductible donation on your part), I have little more to offer than more questions.
My simple hope is that the questions I ask you, based on my own life experience and spiritual seeking, can at least help you move forward toward discovering some part of Truth for yourself.
But enough with what’s not here. Let me tell you what you might discover here as this site grows.
Ideas for finding more joy in life…
Having stumbled around in the dark for many years on the path of spiritual/self discovery, I might be able to help you avoid some of the pitfalls along the way. I have, I feel, at least found a candle to light a small area around me.
So yes…I’m over the proverbial hill. But age is just something you see on the outside. And while it’s no guarantee of wisdom, a few added years at least gives one the opportunity to discover more of what isn’t true.
…based on common themes among all spiritual traditions
For much of my life, I was certain that I had the answers. Well, maybe I didn’t have them all myself, but I at least knew the right religious leaders who had a monopoly on Truth. I knew that what I believed was the right way, and people of other faith traditions were just shit-outta-luck on the whole God thing.
When illusions are strong, dispelling them is difficult. And when they finally break apart, it feels like falling face-first on a cactus carpet.
After dropping my feelings of religious superiority, I began reading books from other religious traditions (not to mention reading my own, completely and in its full context for the first time). I found that there are some common themes among them all. Those commonalities, I believe, can bring us closer to real Truth than any one tradition alone.
…while continuing the search for real Truth
As the site’s name suggests, you’re likely to see quotes from and find references to the Tao Te Ching. I was reading this short treatise on The Way of Being (as it is often translated) during a pivotal moment in my own life. As I continue to read it, I often find myself thinking, “Hey, that’s just like what Jesus taught!”
It has obvious connections with the Hindu and Buddhist traditions. As my study of world religions continue, I hope to discover corollaries in other scriptures as well (the Qur’an is next on my list).
Now I can see that no religious tradition has a monopoly on Truth. I approach all of them knowing that time, translation, and the corrupting influence of political power have altered them. But they all have their own signposts pointing toward truth. To read these signposts, you’ll need to clean off the graffiti of religious tradition. It’s not an easy task, but it’s rewarding.
…but test everything; hold fast what is good.
Paul – 1 Thessalonians 5:21