522. Happiness: Can Anyone tell me where I can find it???

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/happiness-can-anyone-tell-me-where-i-can-find-it

Suppose it is a hot summer day with scorching heat and you are walking in a city which is very new to you and you feel very thirsty. There are no shops for you to get a chill mineral water bottle just then an old friend confronts you and offers you a refreshing cold glass of lemonade. How do you feel when you see the glass? What will be your feeling then, do you term it as happiness or pleasure? Some say pleasure while other says they are happy. Though there is a link between these two feelings, there is a subtle difference between them. Sometime one stir up the other, but they are never the same.

Pleasure is feeling which dependents on our five senses and mind, while happiness is independent of the five senses and mind. Happiness is ingrained in our Self.

Many a times we get confused between pleasure and happiness. Pleasure is a good feeling that is felt when our senses are sated, to make our sense satisfied we have to depend on circumstances, objects, events and people. Happiness is not so, we need not depend on anything to attain it and also it is not something far away and unattainable. It is ingrained and an inseparable part of our Self which is veiled by our thoughts, desires and worries.  The understanding of adepts down the ages has been that happiness is inherent in our Self and not something to be gained anew. All that is necessary for us to do is to realize it.

How???

By just being indifferent to it…The story below might help understand better.

Once there was learned soul who had arrived from Himalayas. The citizens of the place mostly peasants gathered around him seek his blessings and listen to his sermon. But the learned soul would not open his eye and come out of the seat of silence for the people to shoot their questions for him to answer. Day passed by he was so very much to himself that the people thought that this learned man knew too very much and that started regarding him to be their savior and interestingly to so happened that things began to fall at place and everyone were find solace since this learned man came to that place. The news of the learned man reached the king of that province and the king came to meet the learned soul. The bowed to the learned man with reverence and asked, “O Enlightened Soul, I often wonder what happiness really is. Can you please disclose to me the secrets of happiness?”
 

The Learned man who rarely talked just gave merciful glance upon the King and said, “O King, happiness is like a butterfly.” The King was confused by the obscure answer. “I did not understand” said the King. The Learned Soul smiled, “Very soon, O King, it will be revealed to you.” The sage then closed his eyes and went back to his seat of silence, leaving the king perplexed about the mysterious wisdom he just heard.
 

A few days passed by and the King was taking a stroll along with his queen in the royal garden. His eyes fell on a beautiful vibrant colored butterfly which was resting on a leaf. As soon as he spotted the butterfly the words of the learned soul echoed to him, “happiness is like a butterfly” he went near the leaf carefully to catch the butterfly. As soon as was about to catch it the butterfly it flew away and sat on another plant. The King did not give up he was determined to catch it he followed the butterfly. Amazingly for him each time he was near to it the insect flew away and sat on another leaf, flower or a plant.

 

The King now took it up as a prestige issue and did not want to accept the inability to catch a butterfly that too in front of his queen.  An hour passed by, the king frustrated by his unsuccessful attempts, reconciled and sat on the bench in the garden exhausted. As he closed his eyes to relax, he felt a slender itch on his arm. Slowly he opened his eyes, the same butterfly which was all the time dodging him was now rested on his arm. King was amazed to look at the creature on his arm and just then a unique realization surged forth in his mind, “Yes the Learned Soul was indeed right. Happiness is like a butterfly, for when I intensely go after it, it eludes me and when I least expect it, it comes to me and hugs me and caresses me playfully.”

521. Pearls of Wisdom from a Sufi Saint…………!!!!

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/pearls-of-wisdom-from-a-sufi-saint

It so happened that a group of young men were debating and discussing among themselves as to which is to be preferred Knowledge or wealth. Majority of them felt knowledge has to be preferential. When they fail to come to a conclusion they met a Sufi Fakir living near Dargah Khwaja Gharib Nawaz, Ajmer Sharif. They wanted to know from him how knowledge was better than wealth. They requested him to give them the reason why knowledge should be preferred to wealth.

The Sufi Saint closed his eyes and for a moment sat in silence and recollected what Ali bin Abi Talib (radiallahu an) who was the first cousin of the Prophet Muhammad (salallahu alayhi wasalam) had answered when asked the similar question and then started talking thus:

“Knowledge is the inheritance of the Seers, while Wealth is the legacy of the Samrats. As the Seers are superior to the Samrats Knowledge is superior to Wealth.”

“Wealth has to be guarded by you, but Knowledge guards you. Therefore, Knowledge is better than Wealth.”

“If Wealth is distributed it reduces, amazingly if Knowledge is shared it amplifies. In this regard Knowledge is greater than Wealth.”

“Wealthy person has many enemies than well-wishers; a knowledgeable person has well-wishers and no enemies. Therefore Knowledge is safer than Wealth.”

“Due to his Knowledge a learned man has a wider outlook and is generous while a wealthy man due to his love for money is mean and so a miser. So in such circumstances Knowledge is advanced than Wealth.”

“While Wealth is constantly exposed to the danger of being grabbed by someone, Knowledge cannot be stolen. In this regard Knowledge is good for safe keeping than Wealth.”

“While hoarded Wealth has the problem of legal tender as the time passes, Knowledge gains in depth and dimensions as time passes. Therefore Knowledge is favored to be handled than Wealth.”

“Wealth does not recognize the virtue and stays with a person while Knowledge enters a person only if he practices virtues and thereafter if he fails it disowns him. Hence Knowledge is chosen one than Wealth.”

“Knowledge illuminates the mind, while Wealth pushes it to darkness. Therefore Knowledge is ideal than Wealth.”

“It might be possible to gain Wealth through Knowledge, but it is hard to gain Knowledge through Wealth. Hence Knowledge is supreme than Wealth.”

“Wealth is limited and one can keep account for it but Knowledge is infinity and one cannot keep tab on it. That is why Knowledge is preferred to Wealth.”

“Knowledge is always superior, better, greater, bigger, advanced, good, favored, chosen one, ideal, supreme, and preferred to Wealth, because Knowledge induced humanity and humility to say to Almighty; we adore you, we are your servants. While Wealth stimulate in Samrats and Sultans the vanity which make them claim to be greater than Almighty.”

The group bowed down the Enlightened Soul for providing the insights on Knowledge and left, filled with Knowledge. 

520. An Evening Chat with God!!!!!

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/god-and-i/an-evening-chat-with-god

It was a hectic day at my factory I had very little time to take a break, but at the end of the day it made me satisfied that the day’s work was smooth. There was nothing to worry about the unfinished tasks for the day. I came home had my evening tea and then my eyes closed for a while, I could visualize this conversation happening inside:

“I would like to place as few question before you, my Lord” I said.

“Do you want me to answer your questions?” Absolute asked.

“Yes, but only if you have time” I quipped.

He smiled and said “I have transcended the time, I am eternity.”

“You are eternity but why have you put me in the time limits”? I asked.

“Who said you are not eternal, just come out of your Body and Mind index you are also eternity.” He said.

“Please Lord elaborate.” I requested.

Absolute explained, “When you were born you had no limit of time and as you grew you got bored with your childhood and rush to be a grown up adult and then when you reach old age you yearn to get back your childhood. These changes in phase are for your Body not for your Mind or your Self. You fail to comprehend this Truth.”

“O Lord, please let me know am I upholding your expectations as a human being.” I asked.

“You ask me if I am happy the way you are behaving.” He asked with a little louder voice.

“No, Lord I just want to know if I am living life as you had anticipated.” I clarified.

“Do you call your life a living; you work so hard and skip meals to see that you do not starve. You earn money losing your health and finally spend that which you have earned hard to restore your health. You are so preoccupied with the future and do not relish the present. You live as if you never die and die as if you never lived. Do you call this a living”? He asked.

“Oh Lord, then am I doing a blunder by living so.” I asked.

“Not only have you dear, but most of the human sect does the same.” He poked.  

“Then Lord please I request you to guide me as you did to Arjuna in the Battle field, as you directed Moses at Mount Sinai, as you did guided Hussain at Karbala.  

Absolute reached out for my hand and held it with His, there was silence for a while. And then He started to reveal His views on how I have to lead my life.

“First you have to understand that you cannot expect anyone to love you. All you can do is behave in such way that they love you.

Then learn that it is not good to compare yourself with others as there is so vast difference in what you deserve and what they deserve. There might be much more than you desire but never less than what you deserve.

You have to learn to forgive and forget as forgiving add more to your virtue. By forgiving you remember very less and you are relieved, instead if are not forgiving you remember a lot and get tensed.

It is very easy to dig into profound wounds of those whom you hate while it takes eon to heal them.

You are not a rich man if you have the most; you are rich only if you need the least.

There is no use of having lots of people, who love you dearly, what matter most is even if you have a few you should be able to express and reciprocate to their feelings.

Understand that even if the conceptions are same the perceptions can be different.

I have provided enough for all your need but not for your greed. Greed based need or need based greed both do not have my approval. What starts off as need based greed ends up as greed based need.

Work as if you might die the next day but in terms of making money think you have another day.

Son, these are very little and subtle matters, if you practice all that is said immensely you will have self-realization and the intuition will reveal more to you” He said.

“Thank you, My Lord for all the good words and providing me solace.” I said humbly.

Absolute smiled and said, “Just be aware that I am with you ... always.”

Just as I could come to terms with what I had been visualizing my cell phone made its presence felt…………………!

519. Who is your GOD???

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/god-and-i/who-is-your-god

Once a Sadhu (Adept) from Himalayas came to a village and sat in the seat of silence under a Banyan tree at the outskirts of a village. The radiance in the face attracted some of the ongoing public. They went near him and took his blessings. The news of the arrival of the Sadhu from Himalayas at the outskirts of the village spread like wild fire and the whole village flocked to have a glimpse of the Sadhu. One evening the villagers squatted down before the Sadhu expecting a discourse from him. For a alone time the Sadhu was closing his eyes, some of the villagers gathered courage and asked him, “Oh, Holy Sage, will you kindly tell us which God or Goddess do you adore?”

Sadhu calmly opened his eyes and said, “Rig Veda declares, ‘Ekam Sat Vipra Bahudha Vadanti’- meaning: ‘Truth is one, learned people call it by different names’. So, according to me to adore that Truth it really does not matter whom I worship.”

But this answer did not satisfy the villagers so one of the villagers said, “We have many Gods and Goddesses with different names. There are endless discussion and debates to decide who the best among them is. You have meditated in Himalayas so you would be the perfect person to tell us whom you would prefer.”

The Sadhu sat thinking for a while and then said, “Before answering your question I would like to tell you all about an incidence that happened which my Guru told me from his real experience in life.

“There was a small village by the side of River Ganga. The river was the source of water for drinking bathing and washing for the village. Once a peculiar type of germs contaminated the water of the river as a result of which the villagers fell sick. Due to the illness the villagers’ memory started to fade and they were unable to recognize things.

The Sarpanch (Head of the Village) made a plan and called all the villagers and said, ‘Brothers and Sisters, this disease is making us forget everything before it is too late and we get completely detached from this world, let us write the names of all things over them. It will help us remember them.’ 

And as told by the Sarpanch the villagers started writing names on all the things they found.

As time passed the disease took an ugly turn and the villagers started forgetting the use of the things they had named. Again the Sarpanch ordered the villagers to write the brief application of the item which was named so that they could read them and make use of it.

Now the Sadhu from Himalayas said, “It so happened that my Guru went to that village after he heard of the dreadful disease. Before the villagers’ memory was completely lost, he gave them a portion of herbal medicine he had made from the roots of some medicinal plants in Himalayas. The portion worked well and the villagers’ memory started to become sharp. After getting back their memory completely, they were astonished to find every thing in the village had a name tag and a brief note on how to use them. Thereafter, when they came to realize what actual had happened and how they had named all the things and written down how to use them, the whole village burst out with laughter.

Sadhu continued, “Look, my children when one is under the influence of the worldly illusion (Maya) he starts losing the identity of his Consciousness, hence he starts calling God in different names. If one drifts far away from Consciousness, he loses the ability to understand the omnipresence of God. Hence he depends on the names and forms. If your Mind (Manas) gets aligned with your Individual Consciousness (Jiva Chaitanya) and your Individual Consciousness with the Universal Consciousness (Brahma Chaitanya), there is no necessity of giving different names and assume different forms of the one and only God.”

518. Are we using Technology or letting the Technology use us????

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/wellness/are-we-using-technology-or-letting-it-use-us

Aldous Huxley an English writer writes that the things we love most are ones that destroy us. We are obsessed with material objects. Our belief is that our possessions provide us the comforts. Hence we are attached to our possessions. In order to hold on to those possessions our modern lifestyle has become faster, more complicated, and diverse.

Materialism, technology, and attachments are all interrelated. With technology we presume to match the speed of time and hope to be connected with the world at all times. Email, TV, smart phones, social networking sites allow us to get plugged to the world, which is a great prospect by itself, but on the whole we have become more dependent on these things. We have forgotten that we had survived without them say about 20 years back.

Our lives have accelerated ever since the technology has challenged a race with us. Newer generations are already finding it difficult to relate to their kids, who enter a completely different world than their parents. This may cause a failure of our moral infrastructure. Already people have being identified with their material and social selves much more than their spiritual selves. Moral instinct is fast fading away, and nothing is taking its place as a spiritual guide. Cell phones, message texting, video games and computer games have become a necessity in life for most youngsters. About 120 cases of “Mental Health Condition” have been reported at the Services for Healthy Use of Technology (SHUT) clinic of National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (Nimhans) in Bengaluru, due to PUBG addiction in the last three months. Amazingly many urban school going children are exposure to such technology very early. This has in fact become a reason for school violence, bullying, dropout rates, concentration deficit disorders and the loss of traditional values. Unfortunately many parents and family members feel left out and left behind unable to connect in a meaningful way with their youngsters. While some parents become helpless and just watch their young one go their way, others simply throw up their hands, unable to understand what is going on and what to do. 

Bedtime stories, fairy tales and religious books had once played a central part in connecting with children but now that precious one-on-one communication has been lost since technology has taken center stage. Technology in fact can actually enhance the communication level between a parent and a child if used in the correct sense. The internet is window to the world and getting information from the internet is like trying to quench the thirst by drinking from a fire hydrant. Use of technology is precious and has to be used in accordance with our social, professional, and personal values. But are we using it that way????  

517. Euthanasia is to stop the suffering. But suffering of whom???

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/mysticism/euthanasia-is-to-stop-the-suffering-but-suffering-of-whom

Euthanasia, some call it good death while some say it is no better than physician assisted suicide. According to Hindu scriptures, helping an individual to end a painful life is a good deed by fulfilling moral obligations. But by helping to end a life that has to endure suffering as the fruits of the past life deeds one is disturbing the synchronous cycle of death and rebirth.

Suffering is to be endured with because it is what I need to bear with for the deeds in my previous birth. I should never ask “Why me?” simply because I did not asked so when I had enjoyed the pleasures. Pain and pleasure are to be equally experienced if I know that they are the resultant fruit for what I had done. I need to accept them with open hands as I am the doer and I need to be the enjoyer as well.

Once a donor visited an old age home to view and make some donation. The in-charge of the old age took the gentleman around to show how the old age home was managed and maintained. After having a look at the office, garden, kitchen and ward they went into a room of an old lady in a vegetable state.

The in-charge said, “We have to feed her and clean her she is in this state for more than a year. She is undergoing the suffering and we pray Him to end the suffering. The staff who are here and I take care of her we do it as the duty commanded by the Lord above.”

After signing a cheque and handing it over to the in-charge and walking back to his car the donor told to the in-charge, “Sir, I do agree with you that it is the fate of the old woman in the vegetable state to suffer but she does not feel it any more the more sufferers are we, who think she is the sufferer. Suffering does not confine to one person alone, the people around also undergo it and it is the design of the Karma such and so”. 

The in-charge went into contemplation after that he never said that the inmates were suffering.

An individual has two trust worthy friends in life, one is Knowledge and the other is Death. Knowledge is something that is beneficial and a requirement in life, while Death is inevitable sometimes even unexpected.

Euthanasia is not an act of sin but it is worldly attachment which causes it to be looked upon as an act of sin. We have heard and read of many who have voluntarily stopped taking food and medicine when they sense that their existence needs an end. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar the activist, politician, poet, writer and playwright who was responsible for many reforms in Hindu culture refused food, water and the medicine which were prescribed to keep him alive and he died on the 25th day on February 26 1966. When there are few who can consciously decide on issues like this some are not so fortunate they live it for the relatives and the physicians to decide, but the unanswered question is what is the degree of suffering which makes one eligible for Euthanasia? More importantly is it the degree of suffering in the patient or the intolerance to look after the sick which decides?????

516. When Absolute is moved from His Eternal Dwelling ……….!

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/god-and-i/when-absolute-is-moved-from-his-eternal-dwelling

A group of adepts traveling towards Himalayas happened to pass through a thick forest. The forest was so shadowy that the Sun-rays were unable to touch the ground because of the thick vegetation. It was almost pitching dark there, and to the amazement of the adepts they saw a powerful light emerging from a place and out of curiosity they followed the light and saw that the light was emerging from a cave. The light was so radiant that they were almost blinded; they went near the opening of the cave.

They wanted to know what kind of light it was. They shouted, “Who is inside?” The voice from inside the cave said, “I am Absolute Consciousness, the indwelling Conscience in all beings.”

One of the adept asked, “O Supreme Lord, why is it that you are here in this cave. What has made you come here to this thick forest?”

The Absolute Consciousness revealed thus, “You know my eternal dwelling is in cave of the Lotus Heart of all Beings. Earlier human species would visit me there and talk to me about their joy, grief, wantons, and convey their gratitude. But in recent times few of them have forgotten that I am in their Lotus Heart and have stopped visiting me and talking to me or sharing their joy and grief. They have moved me into the sanctum sanctum of Temples, Churches, Mosques, Gurudwars and other places of worship. They have separated themselves from me. They no longer want me to dwell in their Lotus Hearts”.

One of the adept asked, “O Supreme Lord, It is so surprising for us. In order to experience you in our Lotus Heart we thread the path of Truth and yearn to experience Eternal Bliss by finding you in the cave of our Lotus Heart, why should a few humans think of moving you from their Lotus Heart in the first place?”

The Lord answered, “You are right, Not all but some, want me to reside in their heart as indwelling conscience, while others want me to be confined to four walls of a place of worship. They think that by keeping me out of they do not feel the prick of conscience but I do know all. The reason for them to keep me out is that they have the guilt feel when they commit a mistake, with me inside them. When I was residing in their Hearts my presence itself would control, guide and protect them. In recent times they have started to get accustomed to lead a life of their own as getting vouched by me and the guilt due to my presence constantly bothering them. Most of them seem to need me only when they are in trouble, tension or fear. At such occasions they come running in search of me in those places of worship where they have confined me to seek protection, guidance and relief for their problems. This too they do at their convenience. When I was easily available for them in their own Lotus Heart they did not contact me and now foolishly they go in large numbers to places where they force me to stay. I am easily available to all those who remember me in their Lotus Heart. I will not be available to those who move me out from their Lotus Heart and lodge me in huge expensive place of worship”.

The Adept asked, “O Supreme Lord, they are after all your children they do make mistake would it not be kind of you to forgive them of their foolishness?”

The Absolute Consciousness replied, “I do forgive them as I know it is just a phase in their life which makes them feel that my necessity is not that important. After they understand that it is not their efforts alone which have caused the better moments in life, they start to turn towards me. At that moment I welcome them with both hands open just as a mother would do to a naughty boy who has broken her favorite flower vase. If they re-install me in their Lotus Heart and remember me with feeling of complete surrender and devotion and I assure them that they will be taken care of. I will make everything possible that would eventually be for their well being”.

515. Love: Unconditional while Giving, Reciprocal when Received…!

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/love-unconditional-while-giving-reciprocal-when-received-367029

Reciprocal love is a means to share and should never be mistaken to be “I love you because you love me” circumstance. If one has understood it well he discovers the balance of mutual respect in it and make him think that there is great intimacy and has a trendy traditions reinforces in it. It is never a love of exchange or trade though it may appear to be conditional as it is a response to certain needs when they are met. At times this kind of love could also be automatic and impulsive. It blossoms out of me when I am satisfied and sated with love which I am least expecting from my counterpart.

Reciprocal love is not a bad thing; in fact it is indirectly a reason for the life to go on. I am a human and it is oblivious for me to respond to the take and give mechanism. In this way it may make me behave self-oriented but that is how it is. In a way reciprocal love may work as puffing up my ego and yearns to show the depth in it. 

In contrast unconditional love is divine and different. I need not look far to find it; I experienced it in my mother. Every person has relished that love from his mother. If there is a thick bondage between the siblings and the parents it is very normal to comprehend that kind of love. If one has received such kind of love, it often will pour out on to others as well. Unconditional love dwells in the open-hearted person who has a nature to be cool even if the love he is spreading may not give any guarantee of a similar reciprocal emotion to him.

There are no parameters by which love cannot be judged of its quality. To express love to someone simple because they are good looking or smart does end up in a disaster. Love has to be without any sort of terms and conditions. Unconditional love goes beyond such conditions and reaches into the very essence of the object of affection. To those who understand unconditional love they say only one thing: I don’t care if you do or do not respond to my love, but still I love you because you and I are one soul with two bodies. This attitude is to love everyone and everything, without attached strings and judging. Unhappiness is experienced when expectations are not met. If I can love without expectations, then I am definitely happy.

After much is told on unconditional love which I need to practice, I should not expect my counterpart to be like me. If there is a shower of love over me by my counterpart I have to respond to it, through reciprocal love. If I do not respond then it would look like one sided affair from others point of view, of not my counterparts.
 

The love showered by the Sun on the Sunflower is unconditional, but the Sunflower facing the Sun with a smile is reciprocal. The Sunflower faces the Sun the entire day and at night it bends itself and waits for the Sun to reappear at dawn to face and smile at it again. The scientific name for this phenomenon is “Heliotropism” but what I learn from this spectacular occurrence is that I need to show unconditional love to others like Sun and at the same time while I am receiving love, whether it is conditional or unconditional from other I have consciously reciprocate and show my love to them like the Sunflower. Hence I do need to give unconditional love and at the same time display reciprocal love when I receive one…….. I suppose you too agree with me ……!!!!

514. Faith begins when Reasoning ends……

http://www.speakingtree.in/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/faith-begins-when-reasoning-ends

Mind looks for a reason behind every phenomenon in this universe. It studies the patterns of repetitions as in seasonal changes or sequence of replications as in evolution and records the cause for the effect. Anything that obeys these patterns and sequence is considered as logical and those which differ from these patterns and sequence are termed illogical. So in short that which is logical is something which is based on reasoning.

Here we need to understand that these patterns or sequences that occur were not orchestrated by any of those minds which have observed and studied them. Hence they cannot do any modifications or changes. What they have studied and observed and recorded are on phenomenons which are happening naturally authored by some power to which they do not have access. Mind merely realized these patterns and sequences through study and observation.

The influence of Gravity, Inertia and Force were present even before they were recorded as laws by our scientists. And further there are many phenomenons which are to be observed and recorded for our references later in many areas. Reasoning is based on facts and on proven or accepted laws. Objective facts or review of a situation without any subjective aspect sneaking into it is essential for logical assumptions. This is possible only if one is not prejudiced or biased. Normally, people believe in what they like to believe in and pass it off as logical for others to acknowledge. This blog does not discuss that kind of reasoning here. There are some areas which is very difficult to source the pattern of repetition like in the study of mind, emotions and will, for which we have to rely on faith.

Faith is an intense belief on something which it is beyond the power of reasoning. For instance, a child has faith in the love and affection of its parents and hence it does not question their actions, even when it seems like their actions are not acceptable to the child. That is immense faith. Immense Faith on what I believe reflects a compelling urge from inside to remain devoted sincerely to whatever I have faith in. There is no need for me to look for logical explanations or have doubts or confusions. It is accepting without any reservation or condition. For instance, if I have faith in God I accept without any reservation or condition that it is the power that has authority which organizes the cause for every effect.

Now how did that faith dwell in me to think that it is some power which provides systemized cause for every effect???

When something cannot provide a logical reason it does not mean it is illogical there are chances that the logic could be beyond my realm of thinking or even understanding. If I can go to the roots of it I can surely find the reason for it too. Just like how the operating manual is provided for a layman to operate a television, there are scriptures which guide the seekers. If the seeker can go into finding the Truth he can do so, just as the serviceman understand the electronic appliances beyond its operating manual by studying the circuit diagram. There is place for both the operating manual as well as the circuit diagram. The serviceman cannot demean the operating manual just because he has the circuit diagram on the back of his hand. This is neither having faith nor looking for reasons but shear act of impertinence……... What say????