The Endless Search
For most of us, embarking on a journey of self discovery is to look for a way out of overwhelming pain, stress, or hardship in daily living. When all other means have been exhausted and we have yet to find a permanent solution, the search continues. “There must be another way” and “surely life can’t be all grief and sorrow only” fuels the hunt for something other than what is present. It does not make sense to endure the difficult and painful or even bear with the meaningless and unhinged. So then, what is the purpose of life? Such an astronomical question was asked centuries ago but how many had the answers? Fortunately, there are those who devoted their life going through extensive trials and tribulations and survived to share with all who follow in their footsteps.
When we seek the wisdom of enlightened or awakened beings, what is it truly that we are asking for? A large majority would probably reply with the desire for a way to have permanent peace, happiness, and a life without worries or fears. Do these answer the big question of what is the purpose of life? Or does it sound more like we are looking for a way out of misery and to preserve a lifestyle of comfort in order to stay happy instead? The inherent pull towards escaping or getting out of what we do not wish to experience is so strong that it is difficult to see beyond what the journey of self discovery is truly meant for. It is pertinent for us to know that this path is not a manner to temporarily satisfy indulgences because what makes us happy today may not be so the next, but to ultimately realise that we are deludedly believing that existence has a purpose, to begin with.
The journey of self discovery really just leads us back to where we began, with the question of what is the purpose of life. If we had thought to question the question, it may have saved us a whole lot of sweat and tears. The famous saying that the solution lies in the problem itself is truly profound. However, how can we see through the problem while we are in a headlong spin trying to figure out the question which we never thought to question? Albert Einstein once said that no problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it. When we hear the words of the wise ones, we tend to interpret from our own past perceptions and what we think we know from previous experiences. However, we need to look beyond the confines of what we think we know in order to break the barriers of our limiting beliefs and see from a fresh perspective.
Ironically, this journey of seeking is a trapping too once we realise that the seeking is to be given up or understood as futile and even counterproductive at times. We walk on the path looking for answers on how to free ourselves from the vicissitudes of life – to have a simple and peaceful dwelling where there is a healthy balance of the pleasant and the inevitable unpleasantness. It does sound seemingly harmless and non disruptive to others. This is where it is difficult to fathom how even this goal of the journey is THE problem if the consequences are not understood. The act of seeking peace is already the dissatisfaction with what is. The intention to go further from what is already present clearly shows that one is not seeing what the awakened ones are pointing at.
The delusion of a better time or place than the present is the trap of ignorance. The belief of anything or anywhere other than the reality of the moment is missing the mark totally, not even just a tiny fraction off but in fact a total opposite of the truth. Crazy and scary how what we thought would lead us out of misery is, instead, the cause. Hence, our only purpose in life is to understand that not accepting, not acknowledging, and not being with the way things are is the truer cause of our perpetual existence. The more we seek to make life a permanently happy place, the further we are from realising the truth about ourselves. The answer is right before us yet we do not see it. The key lies in the wisdom that shows the true way of the Path. Join me at WISE to finally end the search that goes nowhere.
In grace,
Hui Yee
11 Oct 2022