What I know

[Fovea]

and can say with certainty is that I was born and that I will die.

From my first breath I have struggled to understand the universe through the bits that I can see, feel, hear, and taste.

Using my senses, and the power of reason I have gone through my life trying to resolve the mysteries into prosaic fact, but I rub up against mystery every day, and sleep with mystery every night.

I believe that there is more mystery in the universe than I can wrap my mind around. And of that mystery I am in awe.

Everything else I think about the divine and the universe is speculation. I used to have faith that all would be revealed. As I get older, and closer to oblivion, I realize that my faith tells me now that I will never see it all, and that the divine pulses and twists through all that detail and apparent chaos.

But I will never see it clearly. I can only fingerpaint analogies of a scene more inspiring than the Sistine chapel, wilder than Dali, and more full of arabesque than the Alhambra. It is like trying to whistle a four voice fugue.

Even if the divine moves through me, I might sense it, but I would never know it. And of necessity, I make that my religion, and relegate the rest to faith. Ironically, the certainty that I will never know, makes my faith clearer and stronger.

The endless struggle for knowledge has made me appreciate my ignorance in a new way. Because in one hand is a pitifully small bit of certainty, and all else is faith.

[Viva_Daddy]

1. Are you certain?

You say you are certain that you were born and that you will die. Where is the evidence? Neither your birth nor your death are anything you can be certain of now as birth and death are but memory and imagination. The only thing I am certain of is that I exist here and now at this moment. Beyond that it's all speculation, memory, imagination, etc. and each of these happen only now...if at all.

To me, the mystery you speak of is a great joy (except to "the mind that craves to know"). After studying "theology" for decades I finally gave up (or gave in) to the Mystery that is beyond this (or any) mind to understand. Any "god" which could be understood by the human mind is not worthy the name of Infinite, Eternal, Ever-Present. Let those who continue the search continue. They do not yet fully appreciate the KOAN that "religion" has given them. When the mind finally exhausts itself, then perhaps they will be ready to open up to the great mystery that surrounds and gives life to every moment.

[WhiteTara]

2. Viva Daddy!

Very well said. And welcome to DU!
Namaste and :hi:

[Viva_Daddy]

4. Thanks for the welcome

As you can tell from my post, I'm what is considered a "non-dualist". This is truly a "unique path" and I hope to find others on this site...even though there are no others in reality.

[mtf80123]

3. Om....

To Viva Daddy

_/|\_

Any "god" which could be understood by the human mind is not worthy the name of Infinite, Eternal, Ever-Present. Let those who continue the search continue. They do not yet fully appreciate the KOAN that "religion" has given them. When the mind finally exhausts itself, then perhaps they will be ready to open up to the great mystery that surrounds and gives life to every moment.

That is the truth that keeps the cosmic symphony in tune!