a danger 2.

Nathan. I was happy to read your latest posting ‘a danger to my self’. Here are some thoughts that came up for me as I read your post... You wrote: "i believe in an underlying eternal reality. what i don’t believe is that’s ‘the answer.’ in other words: where did that self, that reality come from?" I wonder: that underlying-reality, that eternal self you believe in and experience in meditation... why does it have to come from somewhere? or go to somewhere? does it have to have a beginning and an end? Perhaps that self just IS, with no beginning or end, no coming or going. And if you haven't discerned a beginning or end to that self, maybe there isn't one...? Also, I wonder... having discovered that underlying eternal reality... does it really matter where it came from - if indeed it came from somewhere? I put these thoughts forward with much respect and curiosity...

non-answer: Zofia Kumas-Tan your comments are very right-on and i couldn’t agree more. i would only add that when you say ‘perhaps that Self just IS’, you’re basically reiterating what i wrote in my post, and i say it may be a bit of a cop-out, that the question remains. ‘cop-out’ may be too strong a term, but i am simply warning against an assumption that one has found the answer. and i’m specifically warning against thinking anyone else has either and therefore is some sort of great prophet. a belief, due to meditation, intuition and logic, is not a certainty, a knowledge. that’s all i’m saying. and as long as a yogi is making that distinction, enjoy the saat-chitt-aanand. you’re saying ‘maybe there’s no beginning or end’ and ‘does it really matter?’ those are both great comments/questions.

Also, I fully agree with your position that the true yogi will seek to have a personal experience of Truth, rather than blindly accepting teachings... and it seems to me that the best teachers encourage us to practice yoga/meditation and to find our own answers through the practices, to find our own inner teacher. At the same time, I find great value in having faith. It's true... this faith aspect approaches religion... but if it fuels me to continue on this path, to apply myself earnestly, to stay with the practice... is there harm in having faith? in drawing inspiration from the teachings? Especially if the teachings touch something in you, and that something in you responds with a kind of joyful recognition, or remembrance... Do you know what I mean?

non-answer: Zofia Kumas-Tan you’re clearly an intelligent, deep thinker. again, i agree. i agree there’s nothing intrinsically wrong with faith. in fact, i sometimes almost envy folks with deep faith, in a prophet, in a god. is there any harm in it? well, we see that there certainly can be.
but what i appreciated most of all was your last couple of lines regarding inspiration and a ‘joyful recognition or remembrance’. that’s beautifully put. and yes i do know what you mean.