Chris Hebard
Let me share a warning about “Teachings”. I do so hate the word –“teaching” – it implies that what is discussed here is both official and can be learned. Here is my experience: It can’t. True Wisdom must be seen and that seeing is born directly through the loins of the “seeker”–from a different, mysterious place altogether.
One of the challenges of being guided in Self Discovery is an inclination to forage for “pointers”, feeding grist to the mill facilitating the search. These pointers can be shortcuts. The risk is that, prior to investigation of them, we may come to accept, rather than a question, every view we encounter, particularly when they come from “teachers”. When this happens, we trade freedom for expedience. In my experience, blind acceptance of any pointer – any teaching – may provide a false sense of assurance and feel good temporarily, but, its fruit may be proven hollow under the harsh light of recognition of the very next emotional agitation experienced.
Accepting the word of another regarding our own happiness is just as dangerous as its opposite position: “There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments, and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance – that principle is contempt prior to investigation.” (Attributed to Herbert Spencer)
Both contempt prior to investigation and blind acceptance has no place in Self Inquiry. If you hear nothing else in this entire article, hear this: There is no liberation or happiness in inheriting another’s set of beliefs. True happiness is discovered through the inspection and dismantling of belief itself. Liberation could be called the end of all belief. It is the domain only of “what is”.
And, “what is” can only be experienced now, and, it can only be experienced directly.
What would the value be of someone else’s truth to you? It would be valueless unless it actually became your direct truth. There is only ONE teacher. May you find him/her now.
I have come to realize that the basic quest of life is to discover where happiness resides. The hunt begins with the assumption that there is something missing “in here” and that something “out there” will complete me, thus bringing me peace and happiness.
As the ancient Yoga Vasistha exclaims: “This world appearance is a confusion: even as the blueness of the sky is an optical illusion. I think it better not to let the mind dwell on it, but ignore it.” (1.3.2)
I chose the opposite direction: I assumed that the world had an independent reality and that there was no “God”. I chose to inspect and investigate every single assumption that led me to this conclusion. I had no choice. In this sudden “crack”, I had seen, without any doubt, that it could not be true. It led to an amazing conclusion, which confirmed Vasistha’s counsel.
Excerpted from Stillnessspeaks.com. Chris Hebard is the founder of stillnessspeaks.com
