Is it true?

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I used to teach a communication cycle that was very simple – speaking, checking, listening. The goal was to encourage managers to check with the other person about what they heard and then listen to the response. Reflecting an understanding of the other person’s words and sometimes feelings, particularly during stressful interactions was the “communication” strategy. But if we choose to see others as a part of ourselves, as spiritual beings, having a “strategy” is not enough. We must begin to question our motives in interaction: Is it true? Could our words stand up to scrutiny with a wider audience. What assumptions stand behind our words? Who are we in the words we speak? And, what is truth?
I believe that we are spiritual beings, and that our “truth” is often based on illusions, fostered by entrenched beliefs. Anthony de Mello, a Jesuit who collected what I call “teaching stories,” tells a powerful story about Truth. I will paraphrase the story: A man operates a Truth Shop, where he sells the truth. A wealthy man enters the shop and is willing to pay whatever it takes to get the truth. The shop owner warns the buyer that the price is extreme. The buyer insists on knowing the price. The shop owner, reluctantly states that the price of truth is to give up your cherished beliefs!
A belief is a fence. Those within the fence think they are protected by their beliefs. They imagine that all who exist outside the fence are in danger, but they will offer protection to them only if they know the password, and obey the rules within the fence. Part of the illusion is that there is such a fence, and that there are others who are in danger. No amount of “evidence” to the contrary will convince those inside the fence that their views are limited by the fence. Those within the fence don’t realize others have built fences as well, as they guard their beliefs as a way to be saved from destruction. Those within the fences can easily come to believe that because of being inside their fence they will not pass through “death’s door.” It is the fear of death that encourages us to cling to our beliefs, to believe in the illusion that we are separate from one another, and to kill and maim and defame in the name of those illusions.
We are all waves in the sea of Spirit. We have no need to fear death because we are always the sea, and it will continue to lash boldly against the shores of life. There are no true fences but only open waters. When we give up the belief that eternal life must be bargained for, we will begin to live truthfully in this life. We will be the wave that we are, confidently appearing in our frothy beauty, without envy or hatred or enmity for other waves. And when we have joyfully graced this life with our inerrant beauty, the majestic ocean will welcome our re-entry with open arms. There is no entry requirement just as there was none as the wave appeared for a time, for its own joy.

9 thoughts on “Is it true?”

  3. I must confess that nearly always (this perhaps may be the only exception) when anyone conspicuously uses the PhD title (when it isn’t first mentioned by being addressed by another party) I’m leery of credentials. Speaking only from my own experience, it seems more often than not that such education titles are used to self and publicly validate – rather than the individual proving themselves beyond such a title (ie perhaps taking a shortcut). Then again, perhaps the so-called ‘status-quo’ believes that one’s title is more pertinent than ones on personal formation and/or intelligence (which differs than that which was learned by text book teachings).

    This afternoon, I peaked a few times at the entries and found them quite refreshing and surprising. It’s really nice to ‘walk in’ with a preconception and find those to be challenged. To be honest, I expected something to be more self-consumed, or too much borrowing from cliche’d ‘new-age philosophers or writers. Instead, the writers thoughts were quite ‘matter of fact’ and coincidentally(?) resonating with some of my current thoughts of the day.

    Tonight, I’ve consumed a little wine and may appear a bit ‘soap-boxy’ and self consumed, myself – which I’d hope to avoid. I just wanted to say that it’s nice to read thoughts that really appear to be written from an individual perspective and open enough to engage a reader like myself.
    — on a personal note, you and I have interacted via net briefly once before. I don’t wish to use the net as a way to disguise myself, but at the same time do not wish to leave myself open for public view. Glad to have discovered your blog.
    Thanks.

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  4. I also subscribe to this belief as well. Not sure about anyone else, but it seems that at such a young age, we are ‘programmed’ (though perhaps not intentionally by our parents, peers etc…) with certain thought patterns. I’m sure that most would agree that the marketing media ‘feeds’ this – if not exploits, thus adding more weaving’s around us all. Once we seem to ‘wake up’ and began to ‘unweave’ we can be left with a feeling of vulnerability. If we are still surround around people that are still ‘cocooned’ this can provide a feeling of either isolation, alienation or a need to (due to genetics/ human conditioning) conform and do so at the expense of discovering deeper self.
    This is not to challenge the above, in fact, it was nice to read that someone else thinks along the same lines.

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  5. If I could just live one full day without being bombarded by thoughts which were given to me thru
    teachings, I wonder what I could create; what I would be like, act like, speak like. I wonder!

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