11-25-2011, 12:00 AM
Diamond Unicorn wrote:
I absolutely get your point but I disagree with your conclusion that it 'doesn't matter' or its irrelevant.
It matters simply because there is a difference between truth and fantasy, and anyone who loves the truth will want to know the truth!
There is a difference between a piece of fiction that may 'reflect truth' or be inspiring and between a real and valid account of actual spiritual experiences and teachings;
QS: Believing that "Jesus saves" or "Don Juan lives" or "Castaneda lied"... all these things are irrelevant, BECAUSE they are only beliefs - and in the big picture, "belief" is as worthless as tits on a bull.
Not exactly... there is a big difference between believing in something that is actually true in universe reality and believing in something that was made up in someone's imagination.
I've highlighted in red the points where I think you are stuck. Sorry - no offense. If you are "believing in something", it is not Knowledge but only information that you can either accept or reject. That being the case, I would no more "believe in Castaneda" than I would "believe in" the Bible or Dr. Seuss.
If you are asking for something that is "actually true in universe reality"... good luck with that. As far as I know, there are only 4 things that MIGHT qualify: earth, air, fire, water. And even that is purely a matter of perception, so what would you classify as "actually true"?
When I say it doesn't matter, I stand by that statement wholly. If Castaneda lied, it doesn't matter. If Dr. Seuss lied, it doesn't matter. If Jesus was "made up in someone's imagination", it doesn't matter.
What DOES matter? What have you experienced for yourself that others would consider impossible? Would you be called a liar or a fool or a charlatan if you had the courage to relate your own unique experience and pull no punches?
Perception is entirely unique to the perceiver. We may have common reference points (aka "the consensus reality") but that's rather like having a "baseline normal" for the human body. Normal body temp is 98.6. But if yours is slightly higher or lower than that, does that make you a liar?
It's all about perception. If Castaneda says he jumped off a mountain and landed in Los Angeles, what do I care? It doesn't affect MY experience one iota. If Admiral Byrd claims he found the entrance to "another world", how does that change my own journey? (It doesn't.) If somebody once wrote the words, "Jesus wept," how do I know if it's true, or if "Jesus" even existed? ...and why should it MATTER? I-Am. Beyond that, it's all a **** shoot.
Only when you have no beliefs left to lose will you have the courage to stand naked in the face of the infinite. As long as you "believe in something", you are limiting your own experience. Your choice.
I absolutely get your point but I disagree with your conclusion that it 'doesn't matter' or its irrelevant.
It matters simply because there is a difference between truth and fantasy, and anyone who loves the truth will want to know the truth!
There is a difference between a piece of fiction that may 'reflect truth' or be inspiring and between a real and valid account of actual spiritual experiences and teachings;
QS: Believing that "Jesus saves" or "Don Juan lives" or "Castaneda lied"... all these things are irrelevant, BECAUSE they are only beliefs - and in the big picture, "belief" is as worthless as tits on a bull.
Not exactly... there is a big difference between believing in something that is actually true in universe reality and believing in something that was made up in someone's imagination.
I've highlighted in red the points where I think you are stuck. Sorry - no offense. If you are "believing in something", it is not Knowledge but only information that you can either accept or reject. That being the case, I would no more "believe in Castaneda" than I would "believe in" the Bible or Dr. Seuss.
If you are asking for something that is "actually true in universe reality"... good luck with that. As far as I know, there are only 4 things that MIGHT qualify: earth, air, fire, water. And even that is purely a matter of perception, so what would you classify as "actually true"?
When I say it doesn't matter, I stand by that statement wholly. If Castaneda lied, it doesn't matter. If Dr. Seuss lied, it doesn't matter. If Jesus was "made up in someone's imagination", it doesn't matter.
What DOES matter? What have you experienced for yourself that others would consider impossible? Would you be called a liar or a fool or a charlatan if you had the courage to relate your own unique experience and pull no punches?
Perception is entirely unique to the perceiver. We may have common reference points (aka "the consensus reality") but that's rather like having a "baseline normal" for the human body. Normal body temp is 98.6. But if yours is slightly higher or lower than that, does that make you a liar?
It's all about perception. If Castaneda says he jumped off a mountain and landed in Los Angeles, what do I care? It doesn't affect MY experience one iota. If Admiral Byrd claims he found the entrance to "another world", how does that change my own journey? (It doesn't.) If somebody once wrote the words, "Jesus wept," how do I know if it's true, or if "Jesus" even existed? ...and why should it MATTER? I-Am. Beyond that, it's all a **** shoot.
Only when you have no beliefs left to lose will you have the courage to stand naked in the face of the infinite. As long as you "believe in something", you are limiting your own experience. Your choice.