SEEKING
MYSTERY
Don’t
just stick with the Household God
‘The
Household God you have created is no more than that….. The God you have made to satisfy your
needs is not the Ultimate Reality’ ‘Sr Ishpriya
'The Tao
that can be named is not the Tao' Taoist Sacred Text
Over many years I have been
reflecting on the challenges facing both myself and many people of faith as
they question some of the stock answers given by the orthodox and mainstream
teachings of their particular Faith Tradition. Many of these can seem to fly in
the face of our growing knowledge and understanding of our world, our cosmos
and evolution. These ‘old’ repeated dogmas are increasingly seen as irrelevant
both by younger, inquisitive and searching minds and serious mature seekers.
Those who question are often
challenged by a choice that is often presented to them in a dualistic manner.
This is a ‘false choice’ between the
concept of the ‘Unknowable God or Mystery’ and that of the ‘Personal God’. This is presented starkly as an Either: Or choice. Even worse, those who seek
Mystery are often accused of being ‘New Age’. This is designed as a simple put
down that avoids respectful dialogue. However, for many the reality can be a Both:
And choice, one that involves a 3rd ‘Something that is Mystery. But first let me put these ideas in their
proper context.
 |
| Mystery -& The Big Bang |
|
|
Over millennium, people have struggled
with the concept of an Ultimate Reality,
a God by whatever name we may call it, him or her. This ’Creator’ of the cosmos is ultimately a Mystery and yet the Source of all. Over
time, many of the Faith Traditions have recorded in Scripture and rituals their
ideas and experiences of this Mystery. Some of the Traditions believe that this
God – this Unknowable, Ultimate Reality, has taken on a human form in order to
make itself known to humanity.
Christianity & Buddhism
Certainly the Christian
Tradition believes that God became man in the person and divinity of Jesus who
was the Christ. Hindus have a trinity of Gods, one of whom is
Vishnu and he has 10 ‘incarnations’ or avatars. It is important to remember that for Hindus
these are merely the many faces or aspects of the Ultimate Reality. They are
not the Ultimate Reality. Hindus believe in only one source of Ultimate Reality
whom they call Brahman.
In Buddhism, although not a Religion, there is also the concept that a
person, such as Gautama the Buddha, can become fully realised. Then as a fully
realised person, through the example of their life and teachings, they can help
us all to gain a better insight into our own self and our spiritual journey.
But these Incarnations become visible in human form and are seen by us, who are
human beings. Therefore, we can but see an imperfect vision of the Ultimate
Reality or Mystery.
