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<\/a><\/p>\nI thought my point was moderately clear, but I\u2019m too often mistaken about such things, and once again it appears to be the case that I wasn\u2019t near as clear as I thought\u2026<\/p>\n
Let me try to be clearer here.<\/p>\n
I believe the only measures of authenticity, of our spiritual quest are those found here and now in this body and with this mind and this heart. And that authentic appears only when we let go of our ideas\u2026 I\u2019ll unpack this in a moment.<\/p>\n
Do I believe sacred texts are of use? Yes. But that they are alleged to have been dictated by God or the Buddha or any other special authority carries limited weight with me. I find they are useful to the degree they represent the collective wisdom of people, and as they point us, that is you and me, to this moment.<\/p>\n
And this moment is the teacher, the only teacher.<\/p>\n
Let me open my mouth and show my innards.<\/p>\n
This is my faith.<\/p>\n
As we let go of what we know, of all appeals to authority, every blessed one of them, including that most seductive of them all, the revelations of \u201cmy\u201d ego, the assertions that are \u201cmy\u201d idea, sometimes something precious and beautiful appears.<\/p>\n
Doesn\u2019t mean there aren\u2019t things to do.<\/p>\n
On this way it is helpful to sit down and shut up.<\/p>\n
It is very helpful to pay attention.<\/p>\n
But life will take us where we need to go, if we\u2019re willing to let it teach.<\/p>\n
If we\u2019re willing to surrender into curiosity, into not knowing.<\/p>\n
Eventually, eventually\u2026<\/p>\n
From a stance of not knowing.<\/p>\n
We find we actually do let go\u2026<\/p>\n
A blessed moment.<\/p>\n
We, that is you and I, really can not know.<\/p>\n
Just this.<\/p>\n
Not knowing.<\/p>\n
Only not knowing.<\/p>\n
Just this\u2026<\/p>\n
From this moment, this place, this stance, we are given the eyes to see and the ears to hear.<\/p>\n
Back to authority figures. While only assistants to the real teacher, they can be enormously helpful. And sometimes are essential. Both on the way to this place and once we\u2019ve arrived, good friends are undoubtedly useful. They sometimes are found in books, but more generally useful are actual breathing living friends who\u2019ve walked the way before us. We do need checking along the way. It is so easy to be seduced by our thoughts, mistaking them for the moment to which I\u2019m actually trying to point.<\/p>\n
But even here, the final judgment must come from the moment, the place, the stance.<\/p>\n
And\u2026<\/p>\n
It is my experience this moment, this place, this stance, disappears near as quickly as it manifests.<\/p>\n
Our ideas are seductive things. Actually I think they\u2019re unavoidable. Certainly they have utility, and shouldn\u2019t be despised\u2026<\/p>\n
But, if we don\u2019t enshrine our ideas, and particularly if we don\u2019t enshrine our memories of our deep experiences of the moment, don\u2019t then make that reconstruction the spiritual authority, then we are given a passport that allows our return.<\/p>\n
Every now and again.<\/p>\n
And, from that place, we discover we can make our way<\/p>\n
with a little grace<\/p>\n
and some genuine usefulness\u2026<\/p>\n
Living a life that matters.<\/p>\n
This is my faith.<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Recently a reader took me to task for my criticism of appeal to revelation in Christianity, asking somewhat rhetorically if Buddhists don\u2019t also have authoritative texts. I thought my point was moderately clear, but I\u2019m too often mistaken about such things, and once again it appears to be the case that I wasn\u2019t near as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":120,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1340","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n