I always wanted freedom. The path for me was the pursuit of truth. Truth was finding an answer to the existential questions: Why me? Why here? For what? In order to pursue truth without interference I went into business. The simple equation was this: perform a required function and get paid enough to have a stable life providing time for contemplation. I did not want to have my income tied to my questions, or in any way impinge on my freedom of exploration.
For this reason I did not want a job as a priest, or minister, or philosopher. Business I could pursue dispassionately. I did not want to own my own business because I wanted to be free of it. I did not want to be a manager because I did not bring home worries from work.
I spent most of my free time reading and studying whatever interested me in my pursuit of truth. Many people asked me why I read so much. The answer was simple. I couldn't figure this all out on my own. If I was going to find the answer, I needed help. I needed input. I needed the knowledge others had gained.
This pursuit took me through psychology, self help, evolutionary biology, sociology, philosophy, etc. It took time. But I had provided time by being a simple householder. I lived simply beneath my means. I did my job. I did it well. I left it at my desk when I walked out the door
I found in my search mostly what was not the answer. It was a process of "not this, not this," separating the wheat from the chaff. Christian mysticism came close, but it was very individualistic and tied to experience. It was not knowledge that could be easily passed to another. What experience would I have to have to know?
Advaita Vedanta eventually rose to the top. It was knowledge that was supremely thought out, logical, and thorough. When contemplated as edified by a knowledgeable teacher, it makes sense. Vedanta is a science of consciousness. It can only be said to be religious or spiritual, because it answers existential questions. Who am I? What is God. What to I need for happiness?
It was astounding for me to realize that my questions had all been answered thousands of years ago. The knowledge and understanding provided by Vedanta is deeply satisfying. It answers fundamental questions posed in any psychology, philosophy, and religion. It transcends them. Self realization brings peace. The search drops. Freedom is revealed to already be the case. The truth becomes self evident.
For this reason I did not want a job as a priest, or minister, or philosopher. Business I could pursue dispassionately. I did not want to own my own business because I wanted to be free of it. I did not want to be a manager because I did not bring home worries from work.
I spent most of my free time reading and studying whatever interested me in my pursuit of truth. Many people asked me why I read so much. The answer was simple. I couldn't figure this all out on my own. If I was going to find the answer, I needed help. I needed input. I needed the knowledge others had gained.
This pursuit took me through psychology, self help, evolutionary biology, sociology, philosophy, etc. It took time. But I had provided time by being a simple householder. I lived simply beneath my means. I did my job. I did it well. I left it at my desk when I walked out the door
I found in my search mostly what was not the answer. It was a process of "not this, not this," separating the wheat from the chaff. Christian mysticism came close, but it was very individualistic and tied to experience. It was not knowledge that could be easily passed to another. What experience would I have to have to know?
Advaita Vedanta eventually rose to the top. It was knowledge that was supremely thought out, logical, and thorough. When contemplated as edified by a knowledgeable teacher, it makes sense. Vedanta is a science of consciousness. It can only be said to be religious or spiritual, because it answers existential questions. Who am I? What is God. What to I need for happiness?
It was astounding for me to realize that my questions had all been answered thousands of years ago. The knowledge and understanding provided by Vedanta is deeply satisfying. It answers fundamental questions posed in any psychology, philosophy, and religion. It transcends them. Self realization brings peace. The search drops. Freedom is revealed to already be the case. The truth becomes self evident.
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