Spiritual Inquiry . com

Our first duty is to take care of ourselves. We must take the time to relax and to ensure that our lives are happy. We must be compassionate towards ourselves. If we do not do this, if we are too hard on ourselves, then we will inevitably look to others to fulfill our needs. This will only create pressures in our relationships. Thus, while being compassionate to oneself may seem selfish, it is actually intensely unselfish.

Let relationships be based on love, not on need. Help others, but help yourself too. Fulfill your own needs first. This is not self-indulgence, it is the opposite. The best way to be happy is to help others. But conversely, you cannot make others happy unless you are happy yourself. So while we should not neglect others, we should also not neglect ourselves, because in reality the two are inseparable.

I firmly believe in the importance of inquiry and of challenging your beliefs. However, what would happen if this inquiry led us to a point where we believed we should inquire no more? Does there come a time when we discover the Truth and must then stop questioning and just have faith? Is there ever a time to stop inquiring?

I do not believe that there should ever be an end to inquiry, just as I do not believe there will ever be an end to science. The argument against continual inquiry is that it can introduce a paralyzing doubt. However, this is not valid. Scientists do not need to retest the laws of gravity year after year, and it would be a waste of time to do so. But if new evidence comes to light, we, just as scientists, should always be prepared to evaluate our beliefs.

There are branches of religion that tell us exactly what to think. They say that to question or to doubt is wrong. I disagree with this notion. Perhaps this is my point of faith. You should not doubt your beliefs for no reason. This will indeed stop you progressing. However, being willing to change your beliefs as your understanding grows is a virtue. I don’t think there is ever any value in shutting yourself off to the possibility that your beliefs might be wrong.