Today, Raphael and I went into Shandao Temple, a buddhist temple, near the social science's campus. I had 3 hours after my first class and we, after lunch, had decided to chill in there. It is a really nice temple. In the front are three statues of the Buddha, and various items that go along with Buddhism. It's somewhat difficult to describe. But thank God that a picture is worth 1000 words. :)
And as we sat in this temple, away from the traffic and pollution outside, we started to talk. We talked for a good three hours in there, ranging from buddhism to judgement, and several topics in between. And that got us thinking: "What is truth?"
For some, truth is what you have grown up with. Some within the Christian church, as far as I know, and probably in many other faiths, attend their religious services out of tradition, culture, and respect. But they don't really go because they WANT to, they go because they are EXPECTED to. Now those two words are completely different! What really is inside a person's mind and heart? And if what is in their heart truth, at least to them, what happens to them? And even if they just do what is expected of them, what happens to them? (In the case of an after-life).
For example, we talked about truth and death. What if someone loved their god with so much a degree, but could not withstand the horrible degrees of the world, that they wished to end their life? What would happen to that person? Would they suffer for an atrocity against the beauty, dignity, and sacredness of life? Or, due to their belief, would they receive a paradise? Or nothing at all?
And with this, in other people's eyes; suicide is thought to be a very heinous sin. But, how can we judge what is sin? How are we capable of categorizing what is sin and what isn't? Isn't that the job of God or the gods? And if we are given the word of that which we believe, how can we so take it under our direction and power to establish right judgements against another?
And what is sin? What is truth? What is religion? Is it a philosophy or an action? Or is it neither? Is it required or optional?
We could have talked for weeks on these issues. And no one knows for sure. It is like in the Christian church; there are so many denominations and texts describing differences in God. But isn't God IT? Isn't God the ONE thing in this world that IS? How can we be sure we are right in interpreting what He wants us to know?
For centuries, no, for thousands of years people have debated these very issues; these very questions. And no one has come up with an exact answer.
Stuff happens. So what? Was it pre-ordained, or is that even possible? If it is possible, then how does free-will factor into our lives? If both are true, then what is the point of either?
I can't even write all of the questions that we asked each other today considering Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Atheism, and Agnosticism. I would probably have to write an entire series of books on just one question: What is truth? But, I don't even think that I would be able to answer that question, or anyone for that matter.
Why do we have these questions fill our heads? If we really are just a blink in the span of life, then why should we trouble ourselves with these questions? Or is lifetime just another part of the real lifetime that our souls take? Or are there even souls? Gah, so many questions!
But there was one thing that we agreed on: No one knows anything for sure, and even though we have so many questions, we just have to believe in what we think is right. Our lives are meant for figuring this stuff out. Of course we won't know it all, but what we seek we shall find.
For me, as a Christian, I seek what God truly wants of me, and of what He truly is. That's all I want to know. Isn't that what we should seek? That simple, yet complicated, truth?
It's harder than it sounds, eh?
Excellent thoughts and questions. Keep asking and thinking. I guess I needed to take you to a temple to get you to talk more. :)
ReplyDeleteMark
I like to hear these questions. They are definitely the ones worth asking. :)
ReplyDeleteLet them keep you up at night. I think that the middle of the night is sometimes when I have my clearest and most interesting debates with myself about what I know and what I cannot or do not know. It is exhilarating to question and toss and turn over it. Maybe that's just me? :)
I also find that the more I question these things, the more I feel connected with all who have come before me. The thinkers from all faith traditions. They've wrestled with all of these ideas long before I existed. Isn't that amazing? Doesn't it make you feel both small and rooted at the same time?
Anyway, all that to say, I liked this post. Wish I could be there to share in the conversation too. Promise me that when you come back to Seattle, we will stay up after everyone has gone to bed (after Glee is over, of course), and we will ponder together. That sounds lovely.
Keep writing, friend.
Love, Court