There is a book I go back to every now and then to read a part I haven’t read before. Its called Tying Rocks To Clouds: Meetings and Conversations With Wise and Spiritual People by William Elliot and its one of those books that you can pick up whenever and you needn’t read from beginning to end (I still haven’t finished it). It is non-fiction and in it Elliot has sought out leading voices in spirituality such as Ram Dass, The Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa, B.F. Skinner and many others. He interviewed them all with the same fundamental questions about existence and their personal beliefs. I thought it would be interesting and fun to try to tackle these questions for myself and post them up here. I invite Nick and all of you to do the same and share your own answers. There are twenty-four questions and at first I was going to finish them all and then start posting. However, this is pretty heavy stuff we’re talking about here and I realized that each question not only required a lot of contemplation on my part, but a lot of words too. The answers themselves could take you in a thousand different directions. So this is only part one of a series. After this I will try to post two at a time, making this a 13 part series. So at the rate I’m going: Part 13, copyright 2009. I really hope thats a joke.
1. On What Main Beliefs (Or Truths) Do You Base Your Life?
I believe that life is a relative experience. Everyone is living their own reality; their own universe. This universe is based on the sum of their experiences combined with how they think the world should be and how they negotiate the way it actually is, as well as some inate identity you were born with (have you ever heard how a baby’s temprament never really changes as it grows into an adult?). Keeping that in mind, I feel that there is no one right way to live. What works for some people will not work for others. It’s my experiance that this idea contradicts many other peoples beliefs (basically that there is one right way to live and they’re striving to achieve it) so it scares some or atleast makes some feel uncomfortable. It shouldn’t. This notion is something to be embrassed and loved. The universe runs on infinite diversity in infinite combinations. This can be seen all around us. It is diversity that keeps the ecosystem flourishing and keeps the universe alive. It is when governments, religions, and people try to proclaim that they know the right way that everyone should follow that people become truly at odds with each other; people are persecuted, get hurt, die, wars start, etc. That is not to say that I don’t believe in rules or laws or that those that harm the community shouldn’t be dealt with in some fashion. I simply believe in compassion, because even though I say that I believe we are all living our own seperate reality I also believe in the paradox of this–we are all in it together. We are alone, but not. And at our most basic we are all the same person, aren’t we? We all want the same things. We want to be loved and give love, to be nourished, to be respected, to enjoy life and be happy, to create and be productive. Simply put, I’d say try to be happy and at peace with yourself above all, do what you feel is right, and try not to hurt anyone along the way.
