'Enso', downloaded 25th February, 2010, from:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29855871@N02/2868878798.

Freedom and responsibility

'You don't NEED to follow me! You don't NEED to follow ANYBODY! You are all individuals!'

From Monty Python's 'The Life of Brian'.

A profound statement.
Saw the program on Monty Python this week in which the members of the group argue that Life of Brian parodies the trappings of religion, not belief itself.
I would have to agree. It's possible to embrace your ultimate freedom and responsibility and remain a person of faith, although the form that faith takes may be changed and refined...

[Untitled image from the Life of Brian], downloaded 25th February, 2010, from:
http://www.smh.com.au/news/entertainment/film/life-of-brian-crossed-off-banned-list/2008/09/26/1222217478730.html.

Living the question

I wonder whether all of this thinking and writing about spiritual issues, and approaching truth 'head-on', parallels in some way a literalist way of doing spirituality. It's like trying to think my way to an answer without first living the question.

My resolution now is to live the question through writing fiction and meditating.

Fiction is an embodiment, an enactment, of truths (I don't even like the word 'truths', but can't think of a better one), rather than a propositional statement, rather than the literal truth of non-fiction. Meditation is even further removed from doctrinal statements or creeds of any kind...

'Feng Huang / Phoenix' by Lindy Lee, 2008, downloaded 20th February, 2010, from:
http://www.suttongallery.com.au/artists/artistprofile.php?id=28.