Words Of Wisdom - Finding Answers

Wisdom. When you are in search of wisdom, it is natural to read books, watch videos, try to find gurus to follow, put a lot of focus on learning more to add to your happiness and reduce any suffering. We look everywhere for the answer to questions like the meaning and purpose of our life and how to be happy. This is normal and natural.

But there is some powerful wisdom you should contemplate. And that pearl of wisdom is this: There Is No Answer!

We spend our lives looking for the answer. You know, the answer that will make us happy, whole, satisfied, successful. So we find an answer, like one the Buddha gave us. He said grasping is at the root of all suffering. So we then work hard to conquer desire and grasping in our lives.

Then we tend to think that non-grasping is the answer to everything in life. If only we could master it life would be great. But it doesn't work that way. Detachment and non-grasping are not the whole answer. They are just part of the equation.

So some people spend years trying to conquer desire and grasping within themselves. They are actually full of the desire to kill off desire! After months or years of this you will likely figure that out. "Well, trying to desire to kill off desire doesn't seem to be working, so..." You drop that and start looking for another, better answer.

In the same way people on the search for self wisdom make love the answer, or compassion, or knowledge, or holiness the answer. Then they work very hard trying to be holier or more wise or more loving. Only to find after several months or years that it isn't working. Trying to be more of anything isn't the answer!

Here is a useful wisdom secret. All answers are only partial truths. Any answer can not be the whole truth. So if you feel strongly that being more loving is your answer, good! Go to work on that for a while. But just don't expect love to solve everything. It won't! And don't burden love with that expectation!

So understand this. Any answer you find to living happily ever after will only be temporary. Partial. Not the whole thing. That's because life doesn't need to be solved or answered. Start to be okay with living in the question. Start to be okay not knowing or even needing an answer. There's more to this, but this can be a good beginning.

Reflections:

How often have you tried to make something you figured out or discovered the answer in your life?

How often do you spend time looking for the answer to life's suffering and problems?

Wisdom