For a moment or two I’d like us to reflect on and explore how we would answer in response to these following questions. So stop the music, close down any other distracting browsers and let’s focus here for a couple of minutes.
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Who am I?
Who am I to think that I’ve learnt anything from going through the lessons and studies?
Who am I to think that being here on the temple makes me better?
Take a minute now to ponder and play with the questions, and if you’re willing write down one brief thought or two in response. We might explore these thoughts in a discussion afterwards.
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Thank you. I’d now like to share some of my own thoughts for you…
To answer the first question “Who am I?” we may say that we are Jedi; a name that most of us here share. To answer the second question, “Who am I to think that I’ve learnt anything from going through the lessons and studies?” I’ll personally admit, I like to think that I am learning something even if I’m not always sure of what it is. (We’ll discuss that question more in detail another time however…)
And so we arrive at our ‘final’ question, “Who am I to think that being here on the temple makes me better?’. In my opinion, we may often go one of two ways.
Some here might say that we, by being Jedi/ on the temple, are better/wiser/more aware than those who “aren’t” Jedi/ not on the temple (or those who don’t care about some of the ideas that are important to us on the temple). We sometimes hear little hints of this when we say the world would be a better place if there were more Jedi in the world.
And then some here might say that we are no better than those who “aren’t” Jedi or those not on the temple saying that ultimately we’re all human, more than names or images and no different from one another... This second idea; of being no better than anyone else; is the idea that I explored a little in my own head for this sermon.
When focusing on this question on being better than someone or other people, I realized there is often a rejection of saying ‘I’m better’, perhaps saying to myself or to friends, “I don’t think I’m better!” (I feel this is most likely to be my first and almost automatic response) because that seems normal and right for me to do so.
But here I start to smile and encourage you to laugh at that.
Because funnily enough I wonder if there is something in that sentence, “I don’t think I’m better!”, that shows I DO indeed think I’m better!
Why?
It is simply because I tell myself and friends that, “I don’t think I’m better” but this is in comparison to those who do think they’re better, and so I am putting myself above them. Caught!
And so seen in that light I am no different to anyone else because for the most part we all think we’re ‘better’ (even in the above case where I don’t think I’m better), but it could well be because of my training or self-development, my ’level’ of consciousness, my ’identity’ and higher values… etc.
And if we go deeper into this idea; to be ‘better’… What do we require? I think we require an opposition, a comparison or something- ‘other’. And where ‘better’ arises… so does ‘worse’ (or not better, :p). That is the nature of the game… A very old game of Black- and White. (If you’re interested check out Alan Watts for more on that.)
And I’d like to simply say that’s… pretty normal.
As is the way it is when we are feeling better (or struggling to do so) and then later feeling worse, rising up and falling down. And I’m not sure we can ever completely escape that process. So what can we do about it? Again, I’m not completely sure, but I like to think that I’ve stolen at least one piece of good advice that I’ve heard for this question, :p
I think that we CAN pay attention to feeling (good/bad,better/worse) whenever we do- and let it come, and let it go. Take yourself with a heavy pinch of salt, by which I mean not too seriously (rather than eating yourself sprinkled with salt… *haha morbid sense of humour*). Look around and perhaps you’ll see there are a lot of people in the same boat as you- all sharing the experience of I- thinking that I am THIS (and you are THAT)- but by recognising that image of ourselves and other we can take a little distance, relax and just maybe take ourselves a little less seriously… with a little salt, :)
For in conclusion, we’re all simply here and now (where else could we be?), we are what we are, beyond names, beyond words, and isn’t that pretty damn wonderful?
I’d like to now invite you to repeat after me a couple of lines adapted from this sermon if you agree and find worth in saying them together,
I am more than one name,
I am more than one word,
I am more than one idea.
I am what I am.
I am.
