Skepticism

Healthy open-minded, open-hearted skepticism is a very good thing. And yet too often skepticism becomes a form of narcissistic encapsulation that says,

“Within my understanding and experience, if I can’t find personal evidence for this, if it is not within the range of my experience, understanding, concepts or beliefs, if it is not the way I choose to see things, then it can’t possibly be so. Therefore anyone who has an experience or a capacity outside the range of my understanding, outside the range of my experience must be a fraud, deluded or a liar.”

Do not mistake this for skepticism. It is narcissistic encapsulation.

The question to ask ourselves is, “Am I being skeptical… or am I just being narcissistic?” Hmmmm.

It is often wise to abide simply in not knowing.

“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” ~ Shakespeare -or someone else with the same name.

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Freedom from Knowing

From my experience, finding ourselves pessimistic and nihilistic are part of the process of full awakening. All of our views, hopes, beliefs and philosophies go out the door. We are left helpless, hopeless, without meaning and purpose. I suspect anyone who fully awakens goes through this, maybe sometimes for years. And too many stop here. Half-baked.This point is half way around the circle and still being encapsulated by the circle. It is the Ghost’s Cave.

If we then somehow set aside our philosophical, mind-created stance of pessimism and nihilism, fully admit “we” ultimately don’t know anything, then a profound opening may happen and we effortlessly live in wonder, delight and astonishment.

At the level of our thinking conceptual mind, there is a profound not knowing, not concluding about anything. Anything that can be said about This is not IT, including saying it is “This,” is “IT.” There is silence.

In spite of rivers and mountains now once again being rivers and mountains, there is absolute freedom to Be. Outside the encapsultion of the circle.