Our society has given us answers to questions we’ve never asked, and those answers have become our way of life. It’s a mode of living that necessarily raises new questions because those answers are not ours, and moreover, don’t match the actual — often suppressed — questions we really have.
Seeing that it is thus, is a first step. But then, stepping out of this vicious circle, to be liberated of preset directives and seeing what our own questions and answers are needs tremendous effort, courage, and absolute clarity.
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It’s perhaps one of our toughest endeavors, because our habits, concepts, knowledge, opinions, cultural, social and educational mold are remarkably persistent and have imposed a very particular mental disposition on us; a state of mind that hinders us to see things, the world, and ourselves from out an unbiased and dispassionate perspective. On top of that, in an increasingly globalized world with universal ways of thinking, the stranglehold of “doing it their way” has become an almost insurmountable barrier.
Clearly seeing all that, realizing deeply the thusness of it, is a prerequisite to come to our own response to life and living. That response however, can never be formulated by the tools we got handed by our educational institutions and environment, may that be our country, schools, studies, jobs, teachers, gurus, family or friends.
In fact, an entirely other “mindset” is needed. Another approach, and another way of looking. Another language. An attitude and way of life that emerges from inside of us. Because we will need our own answers. No one else can know what they are, or should give them to us.
Are we able to set aside all that we’ve learned so far and think to be true about attaining happiness, fulfillment in life, peace of mind, self-realization, or enlightenment? Can we cast off all artifice, opinions and conceptual frameworks, and pay careful, unprejudiced attention to the dynamics of both our outer and inner life? Is it possible and how?
And, when we’ve finally come to our own “thing,” can we then assume true response-ibility and follow our inner callings and insights? Are we willing to take the consequences of doing so? In fact, do we have any other choice if we want to attain true peace of mind and happiness?
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