Faith and Enlightenment
Prologue:
I wish to discuss an intriguing issue. It is an understanding of existence referred to as enlightenment, a subject I have contemplated for many years. Researching everything I could find dealing with spirituality, and attempting to find understanding of the mind, has only revealed how much I didn’t know and how much more I have to learn. I found that enlightenment is not the end, or beginning, of a path. Enlightenment is not a torch that lights your way through the darkness of a forest; enlightenment is the sun shining brightly and revealing sections of many paths through a jungle. It might not reveal the end but it gives you a pretty good idea of where you are headed and where you might end up. Enlightenment is not a state of being; enlightenment is a way of thinking. To practice enlightenment is to practice goodness. My studies have never ended and shall never end. Knowledge is something that remains with the soul and is the only thing one can carry with one when dust returns to dust. I will attempt to describe the discoveries that came to me. Enlightenment, of course, cannot be given. It must be learned.
The Beginning:
We are special, the animals that are referred to as humans. The special-ness comes from the quirk of a few misaligned genes and causes an abnormality that is a blessing, and a curse, to us all. This mutation, which has given mankind the ability to function differently from other animals, has allowed human beings to try and grasp the meaning of existence. It is a blessing of renowned importance, because it allows us to look at reality and draw conclusions, despite ignorance and confusion. I am, of course, describing the divine gift of intellect and I am in no way attempting to raise myself above other animals. Intellect was our defense, nothing more, but it is just as divine a gift as the eyes of a cat or the deadly poison of a Black Widow.
An ability to comprehend is important, but does nothing to shape the world around us. Our intellect is not what creates gods or destroys civilizations, nor is our ability to reason that which gives us mastery over existence, it is our faith that offers meaning to existence. One gazes at the world and absorbs what one wants. One takes what one can accept and have faith in. One should then leave the rest behind and tell oneself that any other conclusion will merely be the delusional dream of the insane, something to be accepted; not understood. At times those we label as insane are whispering about our own mentally disturbed state so they can better understand why we have faith in the things they, themselves, see as delusional. Who is right and who is wrong? That answer is: We all are. Examine all religions and spiritual pathways. This study will allow one to absorb the wisdom passed down by wise men through dogma. This wisdom, which is the contemplation of common sense, will allow one to embrace a personal spirituality.
Those who slam their fist and stomp their feet insisting that their way is the right way have the most fear of the unknown coursing through them. Enlightenment is static in nature. The enlightened individual understands one must watch and listen. This puts one in stasis and any action taken will negate the state of enlightenment. Enlightenment comes from studying what has been, what is, and axioms that reveal the future. Some have allowed their faith to solidify reality around them and this creates a spiritual blindness of their own choosing. Fear is dangerous and powerful and should be respected. Some even give fear a divine presence or worship it. I try never to judge; it is not my place and I do not argue against another opinion, unless I am trying to explain my point of view. Anyone who is good at debating understands that either side can be argued successfully. It all depends on the speaker and the faith he holds in what he is arguing or debating about. If we use apt words, with the appropriate knowledge, we will always end the discussion in a circle. We should never attempt to disprove another’s views, only to express our own. We have heard for years that there are no absolutes, except for the one, and a sure answer is impossible to get unless you are asked, “Are there any sure answers?” Maybe it seems ironic and hypocritical, but it’s still perfectly enlightening all the same.
The nature of paradox thrills me. Our ability to denounce our own words with the same statement we use to clarify and solidify the absolutes that we create for ourselves. We have the ability to create anything, including gods. They step from our minds, empowered by our faith, and take on a life of their own. I imagine, since the first human had the ability to gaze around and have some comprehension of the world, she quickly attributed those things that she could not understand to the divine and magical. Deities were brought to life and took possession of the attributes assigned to them.
An interesting question is this, “Why would something create something else, only to bow down before it and give worship?” Perhaps it is boredom, perhaps it is an expression of poetry and intellect, or perhaps it is fear. Who knows? The important thing is to realize the power of faith. Unfortunately, too many, accept this worship and create a place for themselves not wanting to go any further. These individuals are placated by their lack of understanding.
There are those, though, who insist on exploring the unknown and try to understand the phenomenon around them. This is the most precious and wonderful thing that we have the ability to do. We can turn magic into science. But, this is actually not important, not as important as the thought process behind the conversion. Believe what you want, that is the answer, because it is all relative to your perspective.
The key is your faith. That is what created the gods of the past and that is what will create the gods of the future. Yes, there will always be a necessity for these divine beings, because it is the ultimate expression of our spiritual self. If you have ever spoken to an extremely religious person who denies any thought beyond what he or she holds dear, you have seen true faith, but belief warped and misguided by fanaticism. I believe they have forgotten where their faith comes from. They lose sight of their personal power and give up to a higher being the responsibilities that come with this powerful faith. Such people do not wish to think anymore; they are tired of seeing everything and seek to narrow the infinite possibilities around us. They have found something comfortable, something that blesses them with an understanding, and they refuse to go further or think about another possibility. Do not doubt that they succeed at limiting their view and that faith will create the reality they seek.
I offer the example of two fanatics that preach side by side to bring power to a god or goddess that springs eternal from their faith. They tell all assembled before them that they must worship the deity they speak of and that there is no other possibility of truth. Both do not worship the same deity. If there is a congregation of twenty before them listening to their words, and believing what they hear, then there are twenty-two deities created, each worshiped individually by each of those assembled. The power generated by each person is enough to have created a deity and this in turn allows the creation to have dreams and beliefs of its own. Ad infinitum. Were we brave enough we might worship ourselves since we are the creators and they – the deities we create – the created. Realizing the human animal creates deities might be the beginning of our ultimate empowerment. Even the smallest change in faith, between two individuals, can create a separate entity. Those who claim there is only one truth are speaking the truth. But this is only true for the person who states it and not for the person they stand next to and claim to speak for. . Wisdom is the building block of faith and we learn from experience what is so and what is real to us. Faith is beyond the written word and the human tongue. After all, it was faith that made these things plausible and it was faith in ourselves that allowed us to begin the scribbling that became, at last, the sublime written word.
Whatever you wish to worship, whatever you seek to give your allegiance to, will exist for you. This is pure, simple, and obvious. Do not limit your faith. Reach out and explore with everything that you are. Seek the knowledge of every path you come across and you will eventually find the enlightenment you seek. Take what you want and laugh as you throw the rest aside and call it the ramblings of a crazy person. The point is to seek self-understanding, the only way to find enlightenment. The static nature of enlightenment forces one to observe the universe. The observer projects upon the universe and observes what their perception and faith dictate.
I give this warning concerning ignorance; it is only blissful because you know no better, but it is still bliss, something that is difficult to give up. If you are still reading this, then I suppose you have enough wisdom to no longer consider yourself blissful. But, I would never return to the past and forget the things I have learned. What a waste, and you would be doomed to recover what you lost all over again.
Spirituality is what you believe in and what you have learned through the living of life. It is what you have faith in, and even the ignorant have faith in something. They only refuse the struggle to obtain a greater degree of enlightenment and do not wish to be confused by the labyrinth that lays before them. Let us step closer to reality and see the power of the faith you choose. The very things around you, the paper you hold in your hand, the walls, or your desk – others around you look at these things differently, and it is obvious that they will have a different opinion than yourself. Does that mean that you are wrong? Maybe. I say maybe, because another will state that your opinion is false and therefore in their reality, you would be wrong, but in yours you are right, so what more could you ask for?
It is obvious that people will see the same situation in different ways, judging it from their past experience of what is. Perhaps if you do not think about your past experiences and attempt to try to understand them, then you are lacking and your faith is not real even to yourself. So, do these different points of view create separate realities? Yes, they do. We are each the center of the universe and each of us controls what we know and understand about the reality surrounding us. We can only speculate on another’s point of view, but we do so by looking through our own eyes. My descriptions bring to mind a bubble, which surrounds each of us. This bubble of existence is distinct. Its size is infinite, and the bubble will extend away from the center point indefinitely. You, of course, are the center point. This bubble is all you comprehend about the world around you. Within this bubble is everything you have faith in and everything that has become real for you. These bubbles overlap with others but still hold your idea of existence. That is why the same occurrence can be viewed in several different ways. This encasing of existence gives each of us control over our universe. Things only have as much power as you give them. Things can only control you when you have faith that they can. A universal perception comes from each person separately, and two people sitting side by side are parallel and overlapping universes.
Our faith is limitless and all encompassing. The mind, though, is limited to what we can grasp and understand about what our faith has brought into existence around us. What we have faith in is our reality. And any concept is valid. Seek your own thoughts and only use the advice of others as a guide. This is the only way to reach enlightenment. The existence of an infinite number of possibilities cannot be ignored. Anything thought of or comprehended is a possibility of existence. The question is: Is there only one truth? I believe there is one ultimate truth. For each and every individual knows within them the truth of existence. The paradox of the situation is that each individual believes in a different truth. The comprehension of the infinite is truly difficult. It may be easily expressed and said, but it is always an arduous task to visualize and see. Would enlightenment be the understanding of this infinite, paradoxical, idea of the ability to have everything exist? That would mean that enlightenment could only be found through constant meditation and no spoken words. It would mean never creating a reality but only listening to the creation of material and spiritual existence that surrounds you. Everything is possible; therefore enlightenment can be reached, but only for the moment. It is the cool breath of a breeze on the hottest of days. Felt and enjoyed, but forgotten immediately. Lost in the twisting path of your faith’s dogma.
1. As Hermes Trismegistus said, “As above, So below.”
2. That which is found within is also found without.
3. Size is infinite and relative.
4. The eternity of time is less than a moment.
5. We each stand in the center of the Universe.
6. Paradox
Trismagistus’s statement, “As Above, So Below,” suggests that things in the universe are directly linked with each other. There are obvious patterns that repeat themselves and are evident in every day life. A simple comparison is an atom to a solar system; we imagine the one constructed like the other. We are all aware that an atom is the basic building block of matter. You are a product of matter. Everything holds a piece of everything else and all things become intertwined when broken down. The breaking down process is infinite. The expansion is infinite as well. The cells within our body are living things. They work towards a larger goal, and we assume we are the superior beings they strive to create. Perhaps we are simply a step in the direction of creating a larger being than ourselves. Perhaps we are a foreign body, a piece of a virus that seeks to destroy an organism that is beyond our abilities to see. And perhaps a cell is viewed by something far smaller than we, and is thought of, as a measureless universe beyond which nothing can or will ever be known. All this is explained in these two statements:
1. As Above, So Below.
2. That which is found within is found without.
These statements are extremely general and simple, yet explain a great deal about the essence of existence. We are only aware of size in comparison to ourselves. There are things that cannot be seen with the naked eye. An atom is said to be the smallest particle of matter and yet we have recently come to acknowledge that there are things that make up an atom, particles so small they are impossible for us to study. And again, there may well be parts that make up the particles that make up an atom. Ad infinitum. And if we can see this within ourselves, then the same is true outwardly as well. The entire universe, as we know it, could extend in the same way. The possibilities for life extend greatly when the chance for life becomes limitless. This makes it completely probable that there are indefinite numbers of living things that reside within us, just as we are a part of a countless number of living things that extend away from us.
3. Size is infinite and relative
I contemplate the monumental idea of water and I am overcome with the notion of infinity. The water you drink has the possibility of being just as old as the world. It could have passed through the bodies of countless living things and absorbed a piece of each and every one of them within it’s many properties. Consider that whenever you drink your next glass of water or use ice to cool your next beverage. We judge the size of things in comparison to what we know. Most people only know what they see and experience. The rest is simply faith. Can your faith place a limit on the size of the universe or does your faith limit your knowledge of the universe? Enlightenment is the ability to grasp any possibility and understand where and why it is possible. Time is something we have created to allow us to ignore the fact that everything could just be happening simultaneously. Our minds put things in a basic order so we can understand them. Dreams happen in an instant and can seem hours long. Days can seem like years, and when you look back you cannot believe how much or how little has passed. Time is what we make it. A moment is forever and continuous. We just attempt to place order to it. You cannot put a beginning to eternity and yet it seems rational that all things have to start somewhere by something else. The concept of eternity reaches beyond the idea of a beginning. Time is a measurement, a word that we use to describe the passing of the moment. I have asked the question, “What is eternity?” I have received the answer, “A circle,” too many times to count. Those that want me to understand bring a piece of paper and draw a circle for me. I think a circle is forevermore, yet the moment you place your pen upon the paper you have become the creator of that circle and it is no longer eternal. The line you draw may continue forever, folding in upon itself, over and over again, but your decision to draw it and prove your point, started the whole thing off. And yet I am expected to believe that a circle formed from nothingness is completely whole. That is something I find difficult to understand. In the beginning there was nothing and suddenly a full circle of life spontaneously occurred all at once, forever creating a cycle that repeats itself forevermore. While it is possible, I feel that something cannot spring from nothing without the presence of faith to have it do so. So, again we have paradox. Can the faith from the future create what we consider the past because we believe it to be so? It is said that those who control what is known of the past can control the creation of the present. So, if you have faith that the past is a certain way, is it not that way for you? So wouldn’t that mean that time is simply what you believe has passed? Time is only truly relative to your faith in what is and what will be.
4. The eternity of time is less than a moment
Your faith in what is can change from moment to moment. You may read something and find through experience that what you once believed was not what truly happened. In that instance, time changes completely for you as you alter your faith, and then, in a moment, the perpetuity of this tide of time is changed forever by your belief in something more. The universe stretches away from us forevermore. We occupy a center space and the universe is everything else, whether it reaches within or without. It is unlikely that there is a barrier to this infinite void. If there were, it would only make sense that it would reside within something else, and this encasement would still be part of the universe.
5. We each stand in the center of the Universe
We stand in one spot and all things extend outward from us, just as they extend inward, but we are the beginning point. We are the pencil hitting the paper and all things rotate around each of us individually. Everything we see is our own creation through thought and faith. Those around you, perhaps they are universes that you have a chance to view and influence or perhaps they are simply there because you have faith they should be. It matters not, they still exist and, through the wonderful dealings of paradox, you may influence these parallel universes or they may influence you. Can the faiths of two individuals collide and do battle? This would return us to wondering if there is more than one truth. Perhaps enlightenment is the absorption of all the information that surrounds you. Faith creates and through creation we stipulate and hinder ourselves by a specific belief. The cool breeze you feel might simply be the alteration between cycles of faith and set belief. Enlightenment may come only with the realization that you didn’t know all that you thought you did. Perhaps the disorientation is your realization that all things are possible, and all things have a chance to become real. But, in that moment when time is eternal, you focus your faith and make reality whole once more. It is all more easily understood that way. You step out of the labyrinths of your minds eye to keep from getting lost in the maze of understanding.
6. PARADOX
Yes, paradox is a powerful ideal. It spreads throughout our realities and creates confusions that we wish were not apparent. Paradox is the ultimate form of enlightenment. It is the confusion of everything happening at once. It is the realization that all things are possible no matter how improbable or contradictory they may seem. It is the same matter occupying the same space at the same time. Unavoidable and frightening, it is avoided and conquered by faith. Yet because of the power of paradox, we lose the ability to comprehend all things and all times. Our minds cannot grasp the full truth of what paradox is. And yet we understand it as much as we can. It is simply chaos with a pattern we impose on it or think we comprehend from it. To give a definition to chaos is itself paradoxical. How can something completely chaotic be explained in any shape or form? Would that not give it a basis of order? We run from the evil that surrounds us and give thanks to the good that enters our lives. Were we not the creator of it all? Did we not cause all things that have happened to us? By chance, by luck, by the error of good judgments, we built the foundation of faith upon which we stand and dare others to knock over. We dare because we wish to know. Our minds crave the path of enlightenment and the only way we can find it, even briefly, is to have our foundations of belief destroyed. Paradox rules us all. It lies about us at all times. We all know we are the masters of our destiny. It is the fearful beauty of our lives and our thought, only comprehended when we turn away from fanaticism. The very nature of reality is a perception created out of faith. If you wish to gaze upon paradox, consider this: Can you have faith in your ability to change the predestinations of existence? You want paradox; then there it is.
