The Responsibility of Understanding

“You have to take seriously the notion that understanding the universe is your responsibility, because the only understanding of the universe that will be useful to you is your own understanding.”
― Terence McKenna

In my experience the easiest way to feel ripped off is to give someone else the responsibility of understanding and transmitting how the universe works and yet we do this all the time. When I say this comes from my experience I do not exaggerate. When I was younger I tried to pan this job off on anybody. First on the rabbis, then all of the great atheistic teachers, then the Moonies, the Charismatic Christians, C. S. Lewis and various friends and religious leaders of all stripes. Each time I felt betrayed and finally gave up on anyone else’s interpretation defining reality for me.
Once I did this, the fun truly began. Not beholden to any one person I could learn from all and pick and choose my interpretation and my understanding. This yielded both a wider perspective and appreciation for all but also a greater understanding of the universe as a whole. Never again will any one interpretation do.
Blessings G

Click on images to see full-sized:

Her Thoughts Storms and Windtorn by G A Rosenberg

Pattern Stretching by G A Rosenberg