My Continuing Hope

by Ian Duncan
(Scotland)

I just want to say again that I love this site.There is a deep feeling of peace here and, whilst I am not a God believer, I do firmly believe that we are not a random chance in the general way of things. I still like to think that man will learn lessons from some of the atrocities that we as a people have committed, and personally I take comfort from our national bard Rabbie Burns when he says a man's a man for a that and that we are all brothers.This simple farmer stated so eloquently my aspirations that we will eventually cease our route to self destruction and realise what we have in one another, and that we will come, and must come; and if not, I shudder to think.

Dear Ian,

It's good to hear from you again and to receive your appreciation for this site. It makes the work all the more enjoyable when I receive feedback.

You say you do not believe in God. I have students who say the same thing, and when I ask them what they mean by God, it is the Judeo image of Yahweh who sits high in judgement upon the errant behavior of humanity. Now I can't say whether there is a supernatural being as such, or whether there isn't, but I can say that my God is beyond all notions of the mind and its dualistic concepts, and is more what I think Burns was saying that he trusted in that something in all of us. My God is like the sun--without It there is no life, and It shines down upon all of us no matter what the stupid and fearful/hateful things we do.

And because of this ever-shining sun I have absolute hope that we will eventually wake up from this nightmare of separated bodies and will remember that we are all of One Spirit--the I AM THAT I AM. And then we all have a good laugh and we'll raise a toast, and the round will be on God.

With Hope and Gratitude,
Janaka