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A Thousand Names for Joy
Posted by Holger:
Quote and photo from Stella:
“No one has ever known the answer to Why? The only true answer is Because. Why do the stars shine? Because they do. Why is the glass sitting on the table? Because it is. That’s it. In reality there is no why. It’s hopeless to ask; the question can’t go anywhere—haven’t you noticed? Science may give you an answer, but behind that “Because” there’s always another why. There is no ultimate answer to anything. There’s nothing to know, and no one who wants to know. Just have fun with the asking, because there are millions of answers, as many as the stars in the sky, and not one of them is true. Enjoy the stars, but don’t think that there’s anything behind them. And, ultimately, do you even care about an answer?
The Work is wonderful, because it leaves you with the real thing, beyond all answers. It leaves you with no concept of who you should be. There are no models, no ideals; the goal isn’t to be wise or spiritual. You just notice what is. I like to say, “Don’t pretend yourself beyond your own evolution.” What I mean by that is “Don’t be spiritual; be honest instead.” It’s painful to pretend that you’re more evolved than you are, to be in the position of a teacher when it’s kinder to yourself to be in the position of a student. Inquiry is about the truth, which doesn’t necessarily look the way you think it’s supposed to look. Truth is no respecter of spirituality. It only respects itself, just as it appears now. And it’s not serious; it’s just God laughing at the cosmic joke.
If someone comes toward you with a gun and says he’s going to kill you and you’re scared, go ahead and run. That’s no less spiritual than any other reaction. But if you don’t have a belief about it, you’re free. You can run or stay—it doesn’t matter, because whatever you do, you’re at peace. Oh, you might think, he thinks he’s going to kill me. You could just as well be filing your nails. That’s freedom.”
— Byron Katie, “A Thousand Names for Joy”
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Created: July 16, 2023
Last modified: July 16, 2023
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