Mutes & Liars *
When we encounter the Absolute, it becomes clear that it cannot be spoken about in any accurate way. We become mute. And then, when we speak, we become liars - we know we lie, and we know there is no other way. If we are to communicate, we have to lie.
(I think someone once said that everybody lies, but only Buddhas know they always lie.)
The same thing seems to happen for people using the Byron Katie inquiries. After a while, it becomes clear that everything we can speak is a story - it is not true. So we can become "mute" by prefacing everything with "this is my story, but", and then as we become more used to it we speak normally again, yet fully knowing that it is all lies.
Of course, these lies may align as closely as is possible with what is true for us, and even with consensus reality (high degree of intersubjective agreement). They may be functional. They may be very helpful in orienting in the world and in communication. Yet, they remain lies and cannot be anything but lies.
There is a great freedom in fully seeing them as lies, because there is then nothing to defend, and we can let go of them more easily - allowing new and temporarily more functional stories to arise and be temporary guidelines.
Labels: relative and absolute, stories, the work