Nuggets

Talking on the ´phone to an old friend who is one of the few people I know who is actually interested in religion / spirituality / Buddhism - and who actually is prepared to discuss things. Recently started to try to get a "conversation" going - initially on this web page, then on e-mail, but now on ´phone - and all despite her living in US and being 8 hours out of (my) sync.

We joked about the Shell system as we knew it 30 years ago, when "they" used to circulate "the wisdom of the centre" in 50-page booklets generated by experts on various (generally IT-related) topics. It took me a while back then, but eventually I ´sussed that the booklets usually had a couple of good ideas, but then were padded out to create enough "bumf" to become a standard-size circular. I reckon I became quite adept at spotting the critical points (or "nuggets" of wisdom) and we were laughingly discussing that yesterday.

While we were talking, I was going through my usual routine of slagging-off most of the people I run across ("you´ve really got a bad word for everyone" as my brother once said), but Sharon then said she thought most people actually had that "nugget" inside them if you were prepared to look for it.

Quite profound really - and does work even with my cynical thinking.

(Unfortunately, I also discarded 90% of the "Shell bumf" without hunting for any nuggets, much as I do with people. A rapid interrogation of new faces, then an equally rapid discard if no signs of convergent interests or potential intellectual stimulation. (Don´t get me wrong, I rarely meet anyone new anyway). My "doesn´t suffer fools gladly" (thanks Malcolm) staff-report comment from the 70s that haunted my Shell career still holds true all these years later)

As I lay awake early this morning, watching the moon go down (new curtains still in "pinned pleats" mode, so open all night), I realised that the "nuggets" concept also holds true for many other aspects of my life. In particular, relating to religion.

Whilst Sharon is persevering (sorry S, maybe wrong word) with her search for enlightenment in Buddhism, I have been browsing on every religion and philosophy available, trying to find something that can explain my "road to Nottingham" vision / enlightenment. Basically I realised that I am looking through the "religious booklets" looking for the nuggets that inevitably are contained within them (but in similar vein, I have always believed that religions are 99% bumf and ritual anyway).

My search has taken me through most of the standard western religions, most of the eastern ones and a few esoteric pathways too. From most of them I have gleaned something along the way - not necessarily actual nuggets , but often a pointer to the next place to look.

My current " obsession" / interest in Stanlety Sobottka´s work on consciousness has led me to his trigger - a work "I am That" by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj - basically both point to Advaita Vedanta as the ultimate truth. So I am (currently) quite happy investigating the concept that only consciousness really exists! That certainly narrows down the field of research.

Now to go out and search for some nuggets in other contexts.