For a moment there, I realized that the questions only seem to multiply each time I ask. Not only is there the problem of finding the truth, but also the problem of knowing if you can even find it at all. The great Buddha said, "Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense"." Well, should I believe what he said? I guess so. He did, in fact, say that if it agrees with my own reason and common sense then go ahead. Fortunately, my own reason and common sense do not contradict with his statement, so yay!
Then again, maybe what he meant to say is that you can find the answers you're looking for if you direct your attention towards yourself. Not in a self-centered kind of way, of course. What you believe is the result of the facts you choose to accept. Therefore, what you ultimately accept as true is your choice. Nobody can choose for you and nobody can deny you of that freedom to choose. For example, if you can't accept this statement as true, then that is your choice. There's nothing I can do to change your opinion unless you choose to change it. I can persuade you, influence you, coerce you, or even hypnotize you, but the choice is still yours to make.
Now, if nothing can be trusted, unless we choose to trust it, then perhaps we can only trust ourselves. You can only trust yourself and I can only trust myself. The answer I'm looking for is most probably within my self. If I look inside deeply enough, then maybe I can find it. But another problem arises. Do I know enough about myself to be able to trust it? Ah, yes, how magnificent this life is. You come up with one solution; you end up with another problem. Nonetheless, to make it easier for myself, I've decided to know more about it, trust it, and then get the answers that I'm looking for. I know it is not as easy as it sounds, but I need to do something and I need to start somewhere.
In this quest, I will be using my imagination to try to find some answers. To help me with my objective, I've extracted a different personality from my psyche and named him "Yogi Sri Ryhenanda". Sri Ryhenanda is a very down to earth guy and has a good sense of humor. He doesn't think he's funny, but a lot of people mention that he is. Anyway, I ask the questions, he provides the answers. I don't know where he's going to get his answers, but I'm excited to find out. If you find some of his teachings a bit absurd or inconsistent with your own beliefs, then please read everything I said above for a second time or as many times as you want until you realize my point. However, I do hope to provide something beneficial to everyone who might set their eyes upon these articles. Until then...
"Sri Ryhenanda" in deep meditation
Read the interview here: Consciousness: I Ask, Therefore I Am What?
