Pleasantville

Sounds of laughter shades of love are ringing through my open ears,
Inciting and inviting me.
Limitless undying love which shines around me like a million suns,
It calls me on and on across the universe.

"Across The Universe", The Beatles

Musing

Once upon a time, after I had broken up with Russell, he and I were talking about our spiritual beliefs. At the time, he was investigating spiritualism, visiting mediums, and going to spiritualist gatherings.

Anyway, I don't really remember the actual dialog, but I do remember that he was impressed with my words. He asked me where had I picked up my beliefs and I said something to the effect that I get it from everywhere. Books, movies, music, my parents, my friends... life.

I believe that there is a Truth, with a capital "T," out there. I believe that each of us holds a piece of that truth and that we can exchange our individual pieces to try to understand what we can of the whole.

When discussing the question of religion, I almost always trot out the folk tale of the blind men and the elephant. There are different versions; I'm quoting from John Godfrey Saxe's (1816-1887) version of an Indian folk talke, but the original seems to be Chinese.

It was six men of Indostan
To learning much inclined,
Who went to see the Elephant
(Though all of them were blind),
That each by observation
Might satisfy his mind.

One man grasps the elephant's ear and declares that the beast resembles nothing more than a fan. Another feels the tusk and decides the elephant is like a spear. The third falls against the elephant's side and announces that it's a wall, etc. ( here are some more verses )

Each path of faith has an imperfect vision of the Truth, whatever it is. I doubt that we'll ever put the last piece in place.

And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong!

So oft in theologic wars,
The disputants, I ween,
Rail on in utter ignorance
Of what each other mean,
And prate about an Elephant
Not one of them has seen!