THE ANSWER CONTINUED

THE ANSWER, Continued

A few days ago, in a post titled “Questions and Answers” I suggested a method of self-analysis that involved writing a list of all the questions you could think of that have relevance for you, along with all the answers that you could provide. This was followed up with the post: “The Answer”, in which I raised what I think are the two most important questions there are: “Is there an answer beyond question? and does anyone know that answer?”. I suggested that there is an Ultimate Answer, and that it has something to do with the demonstrable self-evident existence of your consciousness, the universe and the non-existence of nothingness.

If you have followed the logic so far, you might be surprised where this line of reasoning leads. It raises the following question: Given there is an answer beyond all questions, how can you come into possession of that Answer? The answer is simple, profound and frustrating: you cannot attain the state of consciousness that possesses the Ultimate Answer by reason alone. This answer is easy to prove: An answer for which there is no question is prima facie beyond reason. If there is no question to start with, then there is no logical path to The Answer.

Given that there is no question that can lead to The Answer, it follows that given The Answer, there is no logical path leading to a question, because if there were, once found, that question would lead back to the Answer, and it would no longer be an answer without question. This was proved by a brilliant mathematician named Kurt Gödel, who passed away in 1978. His proofs are called the Incompleteness Theorems. They proved that there can indeed be questions that have no answers within certain logical systems. Such systems are incomplete.

Because the universe and your consciousness cannot be derived from nothing, the universe and your consciousness are incomplete logical systems. Does this mean that you can never know The Answer? No, because consciousness is capable of direct experience. If it were not, there would be no a priori facts, no self-evident facts and no logic. The answer is that you must attain The Answer by direct experience, not by reason. And, of course, this brings up a question of immense importance: Given that The Answer without question does exist, how do you go about coming into direct contact with it? This, of course, raises the second part of the question: Is there anyone in possession of The Answer? If so, that person or those persons might be able to help.

Clearly, the question: “Is there anyone in possession of The Answer?” is a question of paramount importance. Over the centuries, there have been a few saintly people who have been said to possess The Ultimate Answer. Unless you live in a cave on a desert island without any contact with the rest of the world, you have heard of at least one. Let’s suppose, for the sake of argument, that some of these, or at least one, is genuine. Because you have the free will to believe what you want, you can choose to believe that or not.

My advice is to be skeptical until you have experienced direct contact with indisputable evidence one way or the other, but do not close the door to the possibility of an all-knowing One, because your life and your expectations of life will be bleak if you reject that possibility. Also, you must consider what the implications are if it is true. Disbelief without proof is at least as dangerous as belief without proof because rejection of truth always has consequences.

If you want to live a meaningful life, do not reject the possibility of transcending finitude; look for a way to experience The Ultimate Answer. Consider the scriptures of the world and the words of those who are said to be enlightened:

“In the beginning was the Word, … and the Word was God… and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.”

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

“Parambrahma (Spirit) is everlasting, without beginning or end, it is one, indivisible being.”

“This world is the Lord’s illusory creation (maya). The nature od maya is darkness, ignorance.”

 “Whatever precious jewel there is in the heavenly worlds, there is nothing comparable to one who is Awakened.”

“Music in the soul can be heard by the universe.”

“The way said to be the way is not the way.”

The bottom line is: You must seek, but know well that to find the way, you must look beyond reason and seek to contact the spirit of an enlightened being and ultimately, with The Answer without question Itself.