Spirituality

Existential Questions are the most important ones for me…

Have you ever wondered “who am I”?….

What is the meanining/purpose of life? What goal(s) should I strive for in life? How much of who I am can / will change? … and how much will remain the same? Is there a soul? Where do I come from? What happens after I die? I can only know MY experience of the world, do others also have similar experiences? Are there absolute standards for what is right and wrong? … or is it all relative? … depending on the context and culture? What how can I be happy? / how can I get happiness? Is happiness a thing we get or it a choice? What about love? Is it something that comes and goes, totally out of our control or does it depend on the choices we make? What is love? What is marriage … beyond possessing the thing I want? Why do bad things happen to good people? Why can’t I have a normal life like everyone else? Why is life so unfair? Why do bad things happen to good people?

Is there a God who watches over us? Will I be judged based on the things I did … or didn’t do… during this life? How can i get rid of this guilt and fear of the consequences of the mistakes I may have committed? I have seen the faith of my grand parents and others, but I don’t see the point of faith when there is absolutely no evidence supporting it, but what if it turns out to be true once I am dead? Why is God so selfish and egoistic? Why does he want people to pray for him or praise him all the time?

Why do I feel so lonely? Will it ever go away? Will I ever find True Love? What is it, anyway? Each day I keep myself busy and waste no time at all. By the time its evening, I am really tired and go directly to sleep. That way I know I am not wasting any time. But sometimes I wonder if I am missing something, or worse, if I am avoiding something? Am I depressed? Will medicines help me?

….I have…these and many other similar questions. They led me on a journey….

Mysticism, beyond religion

Almost every religion has two approaches to knowing God. The mainstream approach is one of theology, whereby one learns about God through words, either written or spoken. An alterntive approach focuses on the experience rather than words. Words are useful pointers. The Zen Buddhists would say “words are like a finger pointing to the moon”, obviously once you see the moon, the pointing finger is no longer relevant. How is this approach different? Well its as different as experiencing anything and reading a description of it. Viewed from this perspective, one cannot adequately describe God, as the wetness of water, to someone who has not experienced it. These traditions often use metaphors, narratives and other literary devices to convey their message than straight prose. Many who just read the text literally are unable to understand its meaning directly without someone to interpret it for them. That’s why mystic traditions are often considered “mysterious” with hidden meanings.

So now you know a bit about where I come from, click hereĀ (pdf) to know more about what I believe in.