Answerable and unanswerable questions (or: A different kind of Quiz Night)

What’s on top? Your name, and what’s top of mind for you.

Introduction

This session more practical and less theory. Perhaps a bit odd.
I have a handful of questions for us to meditate on. Interesting inquiries, peculiar prompts, weird wonderings, curious cues.
- The questions we’ll consider, contemplate, and check out invite us to look more from an experiential angle than a conceptual one.
- Concepts are useful, but they simplify and exclude, make things fixed and static.
- Experiential answers can be more wide and meaningful and interesting.
I’ve gathered them from a bunch of different teachers. I’ll say a tiny stats and vibe check about them with the question.

To the see the truth. The questions are pointers or guide or invitations to see something that’s usually, frequently, obscured.
- To use a classic analogy: the sun is always there and shining, but sometimes behind clouds, or a storm, or its night-time.
To find some peace. Find a bit more space. Make space around difficult or uncomfortable thoughts and feelings.

I’ll introduce the questions, and where I’ve most recently seen it.
We’ll do a short 5 minute meditation on it.
- I’ll ring the bell once to start the little sit, and ring it once to end it.
We’ll see if we want to have a short discussion about it.
We’ll move on to another questions. We’ll do as many questions as we do.
We’ll close with our usual 20 minute silent sit.

What is this?

Lots of possible answers. Use, shape, colour, size, meaning. But they all miss something.
Here’s a complete answer: [sings the bowl]. The verb is the answer. (Seung Sahn)
- Stats: Korean Zen Master, 1927–2004.
- Vibe check: letters to students and “dharma combat”.
Can you taste the difference a bit? Between the labels and the verb?
In my experience, the more we think about it, the more confusing it gets. The less we think, the more it “makes sense.”

✔ Where do your thoughts come from? Where do they go? (Tara Brach)

Stats: Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, trained Buddhist teacher. Hundreds of articles, videos, talks, and some great books.
Vibe check: Mix of Western psychology and Eastern spiritual practices, in particular Buddhism. Compassion, acceptance. Equity, inclusivity, peace, sustainability.

✔ What’s here when there’s no problem to solve? (Loch Kelly)

Stats: Author, meditation teacher, psychotherapist. For about 25 years. Effortless Mindfulness Institute.
Vibe check: Experiential teaching style, Glimpses.

✔ Who or what is noticing? (Diana Winston)

Stats: Taught mindfulness for health and well-being since 1993 in many and varied places, including Director of Mindfulness Education at UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center. Author of several books.
Vibe check: Secular. Flexible, appropriate practice. Right practice for the right moment.

What’s always and already available? (Adyashanti)

Stats: American-born. Recently retired after several decades of teaching. Name means “primordial peace”.
Vibe check: Non-denominational, but strong flavours of Zen. Peace. Okayness.

What do you find when you look for yourself at zero distance? (Richard Lang)

Stats: UK. Since about 1970.
Vibe check: The Headless Way, from his teacher Douglas Harding. Bit like Zen from the West instead of the East.

Who am I? (Ramana Maharshi)

Stats: Lived 1879 to 1950. Had an impactful experience with death at 16 that set him on his path.
Vibe check: Hindu sage. Self-enquiry is all you need.

In this moment, is there really a problem? (Sam Harris)

Stats: Philosopher, neuroscientist, author, and podcast host. 2018 Waking Up app.
Vibe check: Makes Good Trouble, usually. Particularly opposed to dogmatic belief. All over the place in a good way, but Dzogchen-like focus for meditation.

Added 2024-09-05, last updated 2024-09-25.