Spiritual Inquiry . com

In spiritual inquiry, we must search for what is true, not for what is appealing or convenient. I recently asked a woman why she believed in God. Her response was that God had to exist because otherwise life would have no meaning! Such a statement is purely wishful thinking. It is like saying that there must be an after-life because we do not want to die.

In spiritual inquiry, we look for truth. For some of us, that may mean concluding that God does not exist, and that life has no meaning. We must be prepared to accept any possibility, because if we exclude certain possibilities then we are not really seeking the truth.

God may exist, and there may be an after-life, but not merely because we wish it were so. To say “my life would have no meaning without God, hence there must be a God” is not clear-headed reason. The truth is not necessarily what we want it to be, it may be inconvenient, but we must accept it, for to do otherwise would only be delusional.

Spiritual inquiry and the search for happiness are not the same thing. In fact, the search for happiness will often impede spiritual inquiry. By focusing too much on happiness, we over-emphasize our egos. Furthermore, the search for happiness often pre-supposes that we are currently unhappy, and thus increases our misery.

Spiritual inquiry, along with most pursuits in life, is more effective when we are already happy…or better yet, when we are not all that concerned with happiness. Unhappiness is just a result of desire and dissatisfaction. It is a distraction that we can do without. If we are content with what we have, grateful for all the pleasures in life, then we will be happy.

So forget the search for happiness. It is something that happens without thought. Instead, learn to contribute to the world, learn about yourself and others, inquire about the nature of things, and be content with what you have.