That's quite a thorough and excellent statement about inquiry. I like the author's emphasis on releasing one's constructed world, being detached from any doctrine or expectation of what the outcome should be and being wide open to learn. That's real inquiry, and the times of doing that are exciting. Authentic spiritual inquiry means being truly open to truth wherever I find it and whatever it is. The fear for me to overcome in order to engage in such inquiry is the fear of where it will take me, how far will I go from what I was taught I was supposed to believe, how far will I go from people and doctrines I was attached to. For me, "releasing the constructed world while remaining conscious" means to let go of the constructs I had learned and be aware of what is, see with open eyes, hear with open ears, without the filter of learned reference points, doctrine, or prejudice. Sometimes I think I'm doing a good job of that only to realize I'm immersed in some belief or bias that I have, and I'm looking for information to fit my constructs rather than being open. It's very hard to know when I'm caught in or free of my constructed world. Listening to feedback from others helps, but I can overcome that too.
On Jan 20, 2014 david doane wrote :
That's quite a thorough and excellent statement about inquiry. I like the author's emphasis on releasing one's constructed world, being detached from any doctrine or expectation of what the outcome should be and being wide open to learn. That's real inquiry, and the times of doing that are exciting. Authentic spiritual inquiry means being truly open to truth wherever I find it and whatever it is. The fear for me to overcome in order to engage in such inquiry is the fear of where it will take me, how far will I go from what I was taught I was supposed to believe, how far will I go from people and doctrines I was attached to. For me, "releasing the constructed world while remaining conscious" means to let go of the constructs I had learned and be aware of what is, see with open eyes, hear with open ears, without the filter of learned reference points, doctrine, or prejudice. Sometimes I think I'm doing a good job of that only to realize I'm immersed in some belief or bias that I have, and I'm looking for information to fit my constructs rather than being open. It's very hard to know when I'm caught in or free of my constructed world. Listening to feedback from others helps, but I can overcome that too.