LITMIR.BIZ

      4

      WHY DO YOU THINK

      Why have you come to Earth? Do you remember? Why have you taken birth? Do you remember?

      —John Astin

      For many years, I was part of a group in which the leader would sometimes select a person to give a spontaneous forty-minute talk on spirituality. We never knew who was going to be chosen, so it made no sense to prepare beforehand. Whenever it was my turn, I would nervously stand up in front of the thirty or so people and just begin talking from my heart. I usually had no idea what I was going to say, but somehow it always ended up sounding surprisingly coherent and powerful. To the group's amazement, no matter who stood up to speak, great words of wisdom and inspiration would flow. From this experience, I realized that we are all a lot wiser than we're aware of consciously. If given a chance, we can tune in to a storehouse of inner wisdom.

      With the questions in this chapter, you'll be given an opportunity to tap into your own storehouse of wisdom. Often, we doubt our understanding, and thereby fail to expound on the wisdom that could benefit ourselves and others. We look to “experts,” such as priests, rabbis, or people who have written books to tell us what we already know in our soul. Yet when we begin to have faith in our own understanding, we can avoid the trap of always looking outside ourselves for answers to our own personal questions.

      In one of Bill Cosby's early comedy albums, he does a skit in which he describes how, in college, he was dating a very intelligent woman who would frequently contemplate the question: Why is there air? Mr. Cosby, a physical education major at the time, thought the answer to the question was totally obvious: to blow up basketballs, to blow ._up volleyballs. As you can see from this example, questions can be answered at various levels. With each new level, questions can tune us in to a whole new perception of reality.

      As you answer the questions in this chapter, you might try a couple of simple techniques for helping you tap into your innate wisdom. First, as suggested earlier, try pretending you're an enlightened being who really knows the answers to these questions. This can help you past any tendency you may have to doubt yourself. Second, try speaking for at least two or three minutes on each question. Even if you don't know what you're going to say, just keep talking. Don't try to quickly come up with the “correct” answer; rather, use each question as a catalyst for exploring deep spiritual and philosophical issues. Amid the trivial things you may say will be pearls of wisdom.

      You may also choose to use these questions as a topic of discussion with family or friends. When doing this, simply ask the question of the entire group and see what each person says. Encourage people to speak from their heart-not to convince others of their point of view, but to share and develop their own wisdom. Allow silence to exist until you or others feel moved to speak. Sometimes, a very creative and thought-provoking interchange can occur by building on what other people in the group have said. Two heads are usually better than one, whereas five heads working in synchrony can have insights beyond anyone's expectations.

       1. Why do you think the Bible is' the bestselling book of all time?

       2. Why did the Buddha proclaim that life is unsatisfactory and filled with suffering?

       3. Why has Christmas been transformed from a religious holiday to one in which there is a big emphasis on buying presents?

       4. Why have people of different religions historically argued over the right way to know God?

       5. How has the rise of technology and material comforts affected our spiritual pursuits?