“Other founders of religions, other enlightened people, have compromised with their audience. Buddha remains uncompromised, hence his purity. He does not care what you can understand, he cares only what the truth is, and he says it without being worried whether you understand it or not. In a way this looks hard; in another way this is great compassion.

Truth has to be said as it is. The moment you compromise, the moment you bring truth to the ordinary level of human consciousness, it loses it’s soul, it becomes superficial, it becomes a dead thing. You cannot bring truth to the level of human beings; human beings have to be led to the level of truth. That is Buddha’s great work.” The Diamond Sutra, Osho 1977

I have always want to know why. Why this … why that … how come … in what way … There is an analytical part to me that is always asking questions. In my childhood I must have driven everyone crazy with my search for answers. I never gave up asking for more info, or explanations, or examples to help me understand. For most of my life I have asked why about religions, spirituality and the nature of being human. For a long time I wasn’t aware that I was being guided to books that made me question even more. I love to read (and have even been know to read the cereal packet at breakfast) so books on philosophy, religion and mysticism have also been a regular part of my reading list.

I like to return to books I’ve read before. Some of my books have been with me from age 11. I find I can read & read & read them again and again. There is a deep sense of joy in reading a book again and discovering a new layer of meaning. It means I’m ready to think about something from another point of view. As my understanding and experience of me and life grows these wonderful books offer me a chance to test my evolution. Today I revisited one of my favourite subjects – Buddha – in a book written by Osho. He wrote about the Diamond Sutra to help us understand more deeply the message contained  in the recollection of what the Buddha was heard to say.

My Guides wanted to help me work through what was being channeled in by them. They wanted to answer my questions about how we could let so much pain and misery happen. That if there was a Divine someone why we were left so much to our own devices. That perhaps free will wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. For a long period of time I read book after book looking for answers. The debate in my head chased round and round. I wasn’t for letting me or my Guides off lightly. This little quote from Osho’s book helped me to let go of the chase for answers. I became calm about my apparent lack of a definitive answer to my questions. It was possible for me to say to myself ‘it is what it is’ and recognise that a greater truth might exist but that I wasn’t ready for it yet. In the words of a famous TV programme ‘The Truth is out there’.

I can enjoy finding my way, bit by bit, to the truth. Asking questions is still important. Looking for explanations continues. One day I will know that greater truth. Until then I will continue to be Guided in my reading to words of wisdom, intellect and challenge.

Day 62 of my blogging challenge.