The answer fits into do the questions have answers? Whether we write a question or read a question, either way we are asking a question. Those whom write questions are doing two things, they are inquiring for the self but as well inquiring for humanity, that is a very considerat ideal to have.

It is in the second case that the question is a gift from awareness to awaken those seeking. The answer comes from each individual and so even a "stupid" question could lead you into the most profound insight.

There is an egotistical push that helps all be able to write questions as I have stated before it takes ego to even think you can help someone, so this site couldn't even exist if it wasn't for the ego. Likewise this holds true for answering questions or even seeking to better oneself, that takes boldness and is a good thing.

Does this make one spiritual? For me I'd have to say not. Being spiritual is not a learned thing or a process it is what we can not ever not be. It is our true being beyond just the finite body image.

Whether we inquire by writing or reading questions, we are seeking to understand ourselves. Now here is the amazing part, can we find enlightenment by seeking outside the self? I believe as Simon demonstrated clearly here, we can because we are all the expression of the one being talking to himself. So in this realization that all is God, we lose the little ego part in the sea of the superconsciousness. This awakens us that we are not only the inquiry but as well the answer.

There could and has been questions way off topic that have ended up awakening something within that was never even thought of much less considered as a way of thinking, because the questions are not really the questions of others but of the self seeking awareness. This is why when we see even a question that seems like it doesn't belong or fit in that someone someplace turns it into a deeply meaningful insight that only that question could have provoked. Because in the end it is not the question or the answers that are important but the progressive awareness of the true self knowing thy self.

how our intellect is used
not just that it is allowed
to ask questions contributes

to know who we are, and to
understanding that which
is the spiritual

We are already spiritual. There's just differences in awareness of that. Finding out more about anything is spiritual in my opinion. Everything is made of "spirit".

My perspective on ego or concious part of the mind is that it just translates the higher minds thought blocks into words. If you get a thought "I need to go to the store", you already know what the thought will be even if you leave it at the first two words "I need..". So basically I think you're just translating your higher minds thoughts/information into something that your concious mind can play around with. So being honest with yourself and not manipulating your own thoughts too much, the ego should get clear messages.

Once you ask a question, like for example, "What am I?", it becomes an internal search, because you will have to seek what was asking that question - that thought - that arose from with you. What is "within you"? That is within "the body".

So, it seems like when a person says "I" , most of the time, they are referring to The Body and The Sensations of The Body such as Emotion and Thought, and consciousness (the silence that the thought has arisen from).

If you ask the right questions I can bring you to insight that will change your entire perspective on life.

This an amazing question- it brought up so many good answers, and gave us reason to ponder..

I guess I live a dual world sometimes- and when I write here on IQ, I also live in that dual world. I say this as a preamble--it may surprise some people here that think I am solely "Christian". I certainly am not just that, and neither is Wade-- but you know that of him. When I came to Pennsylvania to live with Wade, I was shocked and delighted to see his huge collection of spiritual books- ranging from Buddhism to Spiritual Philosophy to NeoTech (which is how we both ended up here in the first place.). We certainly have found much to think about since we joined Inward Quest almost five years ago (Celebrate!!! IQ is going to be Five Years Old very soon!) We have been lucky enough to have a huge block of hours to just talk and talk. That is how we started in the first place- talking, pondering, wondering, hoping, dreaming, loving, debating, praying, and of course, writing. I have to say, it has been wonderful to be with him in person. For the first two years, we talked on the phone- usually eight hours a night. My arm used to ache after our phone calls, most of which were definitely longer than six hours at a stretch.

Why am I mentioning all of this here? It seems appropriate to tell this, because we have surely debated the course of the soul, and the difficulty of shutting up the ego to find the inward truth. Asking questions has always been my "thing"- I am the kid who raised her hand in grade school when I did not understand what my teacher was teaching. But I also raised my hand when I found myself truly engaged with an idea born from the teacher's lecture. My soul used to soar in school. I loved learning. And the way to learn is to ask questions. Why do we ask questions? To find the Truth about existence. And there are some-few-universal truths. But even these universal truths can be pondered and played with in our minds.

Lots of science fiction movies come from playing with what people take for granted as universal truths. Suspend belief for a time, and you might find yourself shrinking and shrinking to take a voyage inside a human body. (Fantastic Voyage). Or maybe imagine you go drilling for oil under the sea, and find in an abyss a whole race of special sentient beings there. (Abyss) We can think about what life might be like after an apocalyptic war, and see what happens when we try to keep people pigeon-holed into very discrete roles. My soul squirmed when I saw Divergent. I would have been a rebel even there in that imaginary world. Or travel light years into space to the planet Pandora, and visit the Blue Race there, and learn their ways. (Avatar) All sorts of creative endeavors start with playing with the truth, and seeking to find if it stands up to be right- or perhaps becomes a new right (Watch The Great Debaters if you want to see society struggling with the truth, and finding that what it stands for is wrong.)

I do not think it is futile to ask questions, and try to discover within ourselves and even in our society, what stands for truth. I certainly am a far better person for having been on Inward Quest, and seeing my "truths" tumble down into the dust when I read everyone else's answers. Asking questions can certainly lead to spirituality- it can also lead to nothingness if you allow it. But you must be captain of your soul at these times. You can go adrift if you don't think about and talk about what you are questioning.

I have chosen, as my religion, to be Christian. It makes sense to me- and I can imagine where it would not make sense to someone else. But my spirituality is much, much broader than Christianity allows. It is such great fun to explore the world of ideas, and take what I like and leave the rest. Wade and I do this all the time. We have had such fun talking over these past five years. He is an absolutely amazing person. And you can be sure that we will debate this idea...for a while. Just until someone posts a new question! (smile)

Happy Birthday, Inward Quest!!!!

Blessings,

Jaianniah ♥♥♥

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It's very easy to become spiritual because all it takes is UNFOLDING like a wound-up spring, not actually about effort!

When I see the life as it is, that is, there are two aspects to my life--material and immaterial, or I am body + spirit which is superior to body which is like a vehicle, my values and priority too will change, many spiritual qualities will surface one after the other:

1) In this AWARENESS, I know that my spirit (conscious energy) is superior to material energy that make up the physical body, hence have to re-establish my sovereignty over my body-senses, and begin to act with PURE motive towards others as I am one with them in make-up (spirit + body). 2) In this PURITY, there emerges JOY. 3) In this JOYFULNESS, I want others also to be joyful as I am, hence I should begin to care for others' needs without being asked for and without even expecting anything in return (which is called LOVE). 4) In this LOVE, I give and receive love, as a result of which PEACE is experienced by me and others around. [In all these five basic qualities of spirit, there are positive side-effects--they make me powerful (POWER) against any relapse, like butter extracted from milk will not merge with water any more. They will also help me to remain blissful/balanced (BLISS) towards all circumstances and all beings!]

What a wonder! See qualities come in a row!

Everything you are attempting to say in your post, your theory, idea, explanation, etc. is all based on the assumption that "it takes a ego to write a question, doesn't it?" No, it does not. You began infusing yourself (you, the soul) to the body you inhabit the moment you entered and began exploring its brain and the pathways through the body, forming an intimate bond at a cellular level. The ego recognized your presence immediately and you took the necessary measures to assure it that you were not a threat to the body. This was communicated through the "language" of vibration and the relationship you formed with the ego developed for better or worse (depending on your skill and previous experience) while you were growing up and learning to communicate through the conscious mind. I do not claim to understand every detail about this relationship between the ego and the soul, however, I am certain that both are able to animate the body vocally and through physical movement.

The ego's self preservation and defense mechanisms would reject the idea of running into a burning building to save someone three stories up. That is the soul taking control of the body. It does not fear death, knowing it cannot "die". There are many other circumstances where the soul directs the body. During a fast, it is not the ego, which turns you away from the buffet. The soul did not infuse itself to the body so that it could be dragged through life at the whim of the ego. Often these two are at odds with one another, however, an experience soul, having reincarnated many times is more adept at achieving greater control. As with most things, your beliefs can create limitations or barriers to the souls ability to walk, run, smile, laugh, and listen and to speak. The soul is here to participate in human life, not merely observe. There is no law that says that the soul and the ego must remain as adversaries throughout life. An experienced soul can develop a cooperative relationship with its body's ego that works to benefit the being as a whole.

We are spiritual and everything is spirit. It's all one regardless of whether we ask questions or not. It is just that when we meditate we become more AWARE of the Infinite nature of spirit (: Our Self :).

Is it what you think that you are going no where fast? It is because you do not know where you come from and where you are going. Also it is not so much the place that you are going to but the travel that you do to get there. so clean the inside of the cup with pure water. as for buying a soul it does not serve you.

if you do not know that you have one to begin with and you do not know how to use it. For the moment you are in division with your self.

When you make the two <become> one, and when you make the inside like the outside and the outside like the inside, and the upper like the lower! And if you make the male and female one, so that the male is no longer male and the female no longer female, and when you put eyes in the place of an eye, and a hand in the place of a hand, and a foot in the place of a foot, and an image in the place of an image, then you will enter [the Kingdom!"

And you will know where you come from and where you are going.

The flesh is flesh and the spirit is spirit.

When you will solve that division of course you will be spiritual.

since you are only in the flesh for a little while the time that you pass by and experience this world. So be passer-by.

Now that you know that you are two what will you do?

Have you found the beginning, then, that you are looking for the end? You see, the end will be where the beginning is.

Congratulations to the one who stands at the beginning: that one will know the end and will not taste death."

Whoever has something in hand will be given more, and whoever has nothing will be deprived of even the little they have."

If two make peace with each other in a single house, they will say to the mountain, 'Move from here!' and it will move."

Look to the living one as long as you live, otherwise you might die and then try to see the living one, and you will be unable to see."

"Two will recline on a couch; one will die, one will live."

What one will you be?

If you bring forth what is within you, what you have will save you. If you do not have that within you, what you do not have within you will kill you."

When you see your likeness, you are happy. But when you see your images that came into being before you and that neither die nor become visible, how much you will have to bear!"

if one is whole, one will be filled with light, but if one is divided, one will be filled with darkness."

Let there be light, be the light that you can be, experience and enjoy.