The Mystery Machine

We like mysteries because they’re something that’s difficult or impossible to understand and explain. They entertain us. Watching a magician’s deception, we like to believe, and choose to ignore how it’s done. This path of the impossible detaches us from reality. Stories do exactly that; we like stories, as they also entertain us. We’ve the same stories handed down to us, generation after generation. If something is repeated enough times, we believe it – that’s history for you, and we can see how the stories in history are being changed at this moment.

The word ‘entertain’ originally meant to maintain or continue a certain condition. In other words, it holds our attention.

Once established in mysteries, we become insecure and confused as we aren’t sure what’s real anymore. As long as we can keep the mystery of life vague, we don’t take responsibility, and have to rely on others.

Mysteries are just an illusion, and are why some people find it difficult to know what the essence of goodness is. They think it’s unknowable or ethereal, but goodness is, in truth, the essence of wellbeing.

Goodness: simply the beneficial or nourishing element of ‘food’, be it materially, mentally or spiritually.

We know intuitively what is harmful and what is beneficial. Even animals know this to survive. Our level of morality comes from the level of our understanding.

To some, goodness is others being nice to them :-).
A fleeting event.

To a Bodhisattva, goodness is showing compassion for those whose essence is enlightened,
but who do not realise it.
A constant endeavour.

We have to know what goodness is
so that we can recognise deceit.