[JosephM]

The One question

How to write this without being judged or misinterpreted by some is most likely an inevitable impossibly yet perhaps there will be many who may appreciate this writing and even if only one does, it will be well worth any effort taken.

Religion is a system created by man in an attempt through words to set up a belief system and it tries to answer deep questions concerning mankind. Questions such as who is man? Who is God? What is good? What is evil? What remains after physical death? Why is the world the way it is? Is there free choice? How does one know God and a myriad of other questions.

Religion does this through a series of both plausible and implausible concepts and stories passed down through time and usually originating around a central figure who is said to have known these answers. Unfortunately, those who have been reported to have known usually never wrote a single word themselves to be passed down. Perhaps this is because they knew it both wasn't necessary and that man/woman already had these answers written on their heart.

So how does man get to these answers without relying on the past me down concepts and stories of men through various linguistics, times and translations. How does man stop forever learning but never coming to the knowledge of the truth? What is the one question that man can ask that an answer will put an end to all these questions? Or is there even one?

It seems to me the answer to the last question is a definite yes. It is the most basic but often most overlooked question. That question simply is "Who am I". That question is so basic that without an answer to it, understanding becomes nothing more than verbal meaningless concepts of the minds of men.

The answer to the question dawns upon one only after the asker has surrendered to truth or found all that he/she thought was true but now recognizes as false is exposed. In other words, when one recognizes the false as being false, only the truth remains. Why? because Truth is not a word or concept and is always present now.

So one goes through the mental process of asking Who am I and observing I am not this or I am not that as one discovers through self observation that which one is not. Eventually, the mind reaches its end of available content and awareness surfaces of that which is its essence and has been both indivisible source and object all along. It is at this point that one stands in awe of the simplicity of the answer which if put in words could never describe or adequately conceptualize that which is nonconceptual by form. Then the questions of Who is God? Who is man? Is there an afterlife? etc.. all become mute.

Why does this work? Simply because the "I" thought is the most basic thought the mind can think. It brings one ever so close to its source and dissolves other thoughts even if just momentarily. It is there in the gap, in silence, in space beyond conceptualizing that one discovers that which has never been lost nor missing nor ever could be. It is without exception present for all yet there is no here or there to describe location. It is out of the reach of no one and available to all. It is the answer to all questions and whatever name you apply to it will not be what it is.

There are of course other ways to discover what i have written here but the discovery is the same. Only the method and the words will change. Words/linguistics are limited to subject and object so if you want to nit pick on words feel free to follow that distraction if you are so inclined.

This short writing is a free gift to interpret as you choose. It is one man's gift to oneself.

If there are any further questions, i will be happy to anwer them the best i am able.

Love in Christ,
Joseph