Hi dwid,

I don’t know if I would really call it skepticism on my part. To me skepticism tends to presume something is impossible or unlikely first and then looks to be convinced otherwise secondly, whereas my tendency is to try not to make any form of value judgment; maintaining a sort of wait and see attitude while collecting evidence to determine for myself the veracity of any claimed phenomena.

If I get to the point where I accept a phenomenon as true/real I try to recognize that just because I accept something as true/real does not make it true/real and equally just because I do not accept something as true/real does not necessarily make it untrue/unreal! Because of this I sort of view all things from one particular perspective as possibilities, but also as inherently unknowable from the perspective of Absolute Truth/Reality. What I consider known or knowable then is merely what I accept as known or knowable and does not mean it is actually true/real in the absolute sense, merely true/real for me according to my perspective. So from my perspective all things are possibly true/real with the only limitation being the arbitrarily accepted boundaries of an individual’s personal perspective.

From a hard science point of view this could seem ludicrous, however many people do not understand that worldviews (definitions of reality) are determined by arbitrary agreement. We have a generally accepted definition in the scientific community about what constitutes real and unreal, knowable and unknowable. However definitions create arbitrary limits that have the tendency to restrict our perspective. Limits restrict what we will consider to be possible. Because of this there will be knowledge that is considered by some as unreal or unknowable that is in reality real and knowable. By allowing that anything is possible one is open to the possibility that the unreal is real and the unknown is knowable. If we maintain too fixed of an attitude about true/real we limit the opportunity to know what may be considered untrue/unknowable, but is in reality true/knowable. Since we don’t know what is unknown we remain open to knowing the unknown by accepting its possibility. In the mean time it is wise to follow the generally accepted structures of reality, the arbitrary definitions of what is true/real, as provisional truths. They are seen as tools we will use for a specific purpose, but to be discarded when they are no longer useful. This attitude frees us to be receptive to phenomena that occur outside the arbitrary boundaries of the commonly accepted limits.

I tend to approach a subject according to the belief system to the other person while interjecting thoughts or ideas meant to broaden the perspective concerning whatever the topic is. To many, life is about imposing personal beliefs upon others, and I understand that at times it may appear I do the same thing, however my purpose generally is to broaden perspectives not impose my own perspective. It springs from a belief that a broader perspective is of greater benefit than a narrower one. This itself is only one perspective however and therefore not necessarily true within every context.

To me Tao is like water, it is inherently formless. Like water Tao takes on the form of whatever contains it. In this way limit is imposed upon limitlessness, but this limit occurs for a purpose. It should not be perceived as a negative quality or phenomena. The interaction of limit upon limitlessness may be thought of as a form of divine playtime, dance, or game!

Just as a cup gives form to the water it contains, each cup defines/forms the water it contains differently than that of dissimilar cups. Each individual is a dissimilar cup of Tao that uniquely defines and expresses/manifests Tao.

Since we are active participants in determining the shape of our cup, our personal definition and manifestation of Tao, we project our own value and meaning onto Tao. The projection of Tao we perceive and interpret is actually a reflection of ourselves onto the field of experience, and therefore a manifestation of only a limited aspect of Tao. By introspecting into ourselves, our self-imposed limitation and the effects we have on the world around us, we may learn about Tao, but more importantly about how we limit the manifestation of Tao in our lives.

The value and meaning of our unique manifestation of Tao is determined by each of us for ourselves. When we interact with others, sharing our ideas and thoughts, we are merely limited aspects of Tao contained within a cup of our own creation commingling with other limited aspects of Tao. Through this commingling (socializing) we are changed and the expression of Tao we manifest changes in quality. We will each determine the meaning and value of that change in the quality of our personal expression of Tao for ourselves.

As i re-read this it seems I am making no sense at all! But this is the best I can do for now, LOL!!
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If you read any of the sources I have mentioned please share your thoughts and insights in that regards. I have read many of your postings and I have found your thoughts interesting and of benefit in broadening my own perspective!