The following questions and answers have all been fished directly from the Thought Pool and typed out while they were still wet and flapping about. The question will likely arise, 'Who is asking the questions? Who is answering?' A very good question! As usual, when we really look closely into it, we have no idea who is doing either.
Q: So you mean that I should just give up all of my spiritual practices?
A: Not at all! If ever the word 'should' passes through this face, do feel free to hit it hard with an old cricket bat. You can neither give up nor start anything. There isn't any you anywhere to be found. If there seems to be resistance to that negation, marvellous! Go find this you. Let's have a look at this elusive character! Bring it before the jury! Human bodies may appear to be doing this practice or that practice, following this pattern of behaviour or that pattern. They may also appear to be doing any number of activities that are not labelled 'spiritual practice'. Some of these other activities may be labelled by judgemental thought as virtuous. Some may be labelled as sinful. None of those bodies is you, and none of them is under anyone's control. So there really is no question of any 'you', nor of anyone else either beginning or giving up anything.
Q: So why do you bother to answer these questions?
A: I don't. A question arises by itself. An answer arises by itself. No-one is doing any of it. Just like a weather pattern, or the incessant babbling of a stream.
Q: But if it is all just nonsense, isn't it better to remain silent?
A: Who will do the remaining silent? Just as there isn't anyone doing the questions and answers when they arise, there also isn't anyone doing the silence when they don't. And what is this 'better' nonsense?
Q: How can it be possible that things just happen with no cause?
A: How can it be possible that there is a cause, unless that cause has just happened with no cause? If a cause were necessary for something to happen, then very obviously nothing could ever possibly happen. It is the same question as '"Who created the universe? .... God did .... OK, who created God? ...... er ...... no-one did ...... he just is, without cause .....'
The imaginary God character in the middle is superfluous and redundant. Universes just arise out of nothing, without cause.
Q: If nothing matters, why do you bother arguing the toss about this idea or that idea?
A: I don't. There isn't any I anywhere. Both sides of any discussion arise on their own, initiated by no-one, possessed by no-one. Every thought automatically comes with a counter-thought that negates it, returning us to no-thought. Just like any wave form, every peak has a trough, and every trough has a peak, and ultimately they just cancel each other out. All just harmless ripples, happening for no reason and without any particular significance.
While there is present the assumption 'thought is initiated by people' or 'he is saying that thing, she is saying the other thing' etc. then it might seem as though an argument or discussion is taking place between two or more separate entities.
Q: So why should we bother listening to you?
A: No idea! What the hell are you doing here? By all means feel free to bugger off!
Q: It is easy to just quote from scripture or from the talks of a Master. What evidence is there that you know this for yourself?
A: Everything is absolutely effortless - from collections of words appearing here and there to the carving of a huge canyon, to planet and star and galaxy formation. It all happens with no effort whatsoever. Just as the 'you' character in a sleeping dream may appear to be climbing a mountain or fighting a dragon, really there is no effort whatsoever, as these things are not really happening. It is just spontaneous imagination, which requires no effort. The 'waking dream' is no different.
I do not know anything for myself. Both the I and the self in the question are imaginary dream characters, and there isn't anything to know until some imagination has arisen.
Q: How can you have such a contempt for Life?
A: There is neither contempt for what you call 'life' or otherwise. Life, or consciousness is just something that seems to happen intermittently. Let us use an analogy. Bodies of various species have to evacuate faeces from time to time. There is no need to either respect or disrespect this. It is simply something that happens. There is no need to condemn it or to take steps to prevent it from happening.
The rest of life is no different. However, when there is identification with consciousness, it seems to be all important. One might say it is worshipped. 'Life is sacred' we hear here and there. This is entirely due to the mis-identification. There is this misconception 'I am life' or 'I am alive' and so 'Life is sacred'. It is no different to any other kind of discrimination such as 'White people are better than black' or 'Men are better than women'. Being is considered to be more important than non-being while the misconception 'I am' remains. So voices will be heard continually repeating 'Just be' and such like, which is once again not really any different from a voice asserting 'Be straight not gay'.
Being / Life / Consciousness is just one half of yet another dichotomy.
Q: It all sounds rather bleak. What place is there for love in all this?
A: It depends what is being referred to as love. Perhaps you are referring to the desire to be and to experience that gives rise to each 'I am' and each universe in which it dwells. Some may liken it to an artist's creative urge. Others may liken it to a relentless addiction, yet others to a kind of desperate attention-seeking, the ultimate 'Wannabe'. As usual, all just words.
The urge arises. The urge subsides. Over and over. So beats the Cosmic Heart.
Q: One minute you are comparing life to having a crap, the next calling it love. Astonishing! How can we take you seriously?
A: Well, who doesn't secretly love a good crap? What gave the impression that there is any need to be taken seriously?
The Happy Cow website and all articles on it are created entirely voluntarily and free of charge. However, if you feel that anything on the site has been of value to you, you may wish to make a voluntary contribution to the upkeep of the site. Click on the 'Donate' button below.
If you have an inspiring tale or some interesting philosophy to share with us, please feel free to e-mail your ideas to
contributions@happycow.org.uk.
