A few years ago, by chance, I visit a group of Indian Sages, they were chanting mantras, and out of nowhere I experienced what some might describe as "Temporary Enlightenment", two weeks with no identity, being one with the universe, Absolute Unconditional Love. Then, it fade away.
Jim Carry tells a story, he had experienced something similar, and I share his quote,
.. suddenly I was thrown into this expansive amazing feeling of freedom from myself from my problems I saw that I was bigger than what I do I was bigger than my body I was everything and everyone I was no longer a fragment of the universe I was the universe and ever since that day I've been trying to get back there. It comes and goes it's like riding wave sometimes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIaY0l5qV0c
That experience sparked a lifetime of seeking. But along the way, I tripped into a trap—one you might know too. It’s not about any one path or teacher. It’s about dogma, the cage that promises freedom but locks you in. Let me share what I’ve learned, not as some guru, but as a guy who’s been lost and kept going. Take what fits. Leave the rest.
Dogma’s Quiet Snare
We Truth Seekers love a good story—a system that says,
“Here’s the truth, follow this, you’re set.”
It feels safe, certain. I fell for it once, clinging to a teaching like it was the only light in the dark. But here’s the catch: dogma doesn’t bend. It demands you fit its shape, not yours. It’s a map someone else drew, not your terrain. I thought it’d free me, but it boxed me in—made me doubt my own voice. Truth isn’t a rulebook. It’s a living thing, and it won’t sit still for anyone’s sermon.
Truth Over Titans
There’s an old Zen line:
“If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him.”
Sounds wild, right? But it’s simple. Don’t bow to giants—not even the wise ones. No teacher, no philosophy, no sacred text owns the final word. I used to think I had to pick a side, salute a flag, and march. Wrong move. Truth doesn’t wear a uniform. It’s not out there waiting to be handed over. It’s in you, whispering, daring you to listen. Kick down the idols. Trust your gut over their gospel.
Suffering Isn’t Living
Some paths paint life as a grind—suffering baked into the deal. I bought that for a while. Everything I loved—dreams, laughter, messy days—felt like distractions from some higher goal. But that’s a lie that drains you dry.
Life isn’t a sentence to endure.
It’s a pulse, a rhythm, a chance. Sure, it’s not all easy—things slip, hearts ache—but that’s not the whole story. Suffering comes when you fight life, not when you meet it. Stop running from it. Step in. It’s yours to shape.
Another quote, this one from
Ronan Loughney
Why was I pursuing any personal project when the only thing that really mattered was Enlightenment and the only way of working towards that was meditation or some other mindfulness practice?
Why was I working on myself, when the self needed to be dissolved?
Know Yourself, Find Meaning
Here’s where it turns. The goal isn’t to escape or dissolve into some cosmic void. It’s to understand you—who you are, what stirs you, what keeps you up at night.
"Know thyself," the philosophical maxim on the Temple of Apollo in ancient Delphi, encourages introspection and self-understanding, emphasizing the importance of understanding one's own nature and limitations
I spent years chasing someone else’s answers, thinking meaning was a prize to win. It’s not. It’s a fire you build, log by log, from your own hands. Ask the hard questions. What moves you? What’s worth your fight? That’s your truth, not theirs.
Meaning isn’t found—it’s made, and only you hold the tools.
Embrace the Ride
Life’s too big for one creed. I learned that the hard way, shedding skins that didn’t fit. Now, I love it—the chaos, the wonder, the unknown. You don’t need to reject the world to rise above it. Dive in instead. Build something. Break something. Laugh at the mess. That pull I felt as a kid? It wasn’t about a statue or a system. It was about me waking up to me. You’ve got that spark too. Fan it. If a teaching lifts you, keep it. If it chains you, drop it. The mystery’s yours to chase.
Step Out
So, truth seeker, don’t wait for a savior. Truth’s not a gift someone delivers—it’s a trail you blaze. Dogma’s a detour; skip it. Life’s not here to crush you—it’s here to meet you. Know yourself, build your meaning, love the game. If you spot the Buddha, tip your hat and keep moving. Your road’s calling.
