Let the Mystery Be

Eventually you learn not to look too closely. If you do you just keep finding things that bug you and you’re never at peace. (A nod to Brian A. here)

On November 23, 2010 I started using a new journal. Opening a bound volume with line after line awaiting my musings and memories is both daunting and exciting. I began the new journal with the following:

Belief is tricky. I hold some things as true, some as false, some as relevant (but without a definite resolution) and some as irrelevant. Philosophy and religion have structures of belief well worn and intricately constructed. My beliefs don’t necessary align with the main themes of the currently predominant sects and schools but they don’t necessary contradict them.

I believe in life. Cognito ergo sum really makes sense to me. If I didn’t have existence then what is dithering about being and not being. I also believe in the corollary, not life. As the preacher said, there is a time for everything including a time to be and a time to be no more. For the short time we are here there is an awful long eternity to be gone.

There may be a transformation of essence, a continuation as it were of existence but as far as I can tell empirically the odds against that are pretty big. If it were not for the exception to two phone calls that creep me out to this day I would peg the odds at 1,000,000,000 to 1 against the ethereal sphere of existence. As far as I can tell based on tangible fact, the who of whom I am ends when I shed this skin.

As a result while I am among the living I believe I must act appropriately. What this means is that I need to do good, to be an aid to and help my likewise doomed fellow travelers. The golden mean, the do unto others mantra makes sense to me. I must confess that I am not good at it but it does make sense. I think we are compelled to do more that the medical profession that is we have an obligation to try and do good, not to simply avoid doing harm. We must act with compassion and reason.

If there is a knowing being a knowing essence my appeal would be, “Source of being and existence bless this world. With grace and mercy ameliorate pain, relieve deprivation and gently resolve conflict. Provide bodily integrity, space, shelter and sustenance for our persons. May my life be blessed but not at the expense of others. May others be blessed but not at my expense. Let me be genuine and effective and an aid to others.