The Four Great Questions of Life

By James N. Judd

Rare is the person who, at some time or another, has not found himself/herself pondering one or more of the four great questions of life Who am I? Where did I come from What is my purpose? And, Where am I going? Such questions invariably arise when there is some crisis in ones personal affairs, but due to the emotional confusion that usually accompanies such crises it is difficult to reason out answers to such profound metaphysical questions.

Answers appear in the worlds religions, but there is such a variance of opinion between the different theologies that trying to find a definitive solution among all of those divergent teachings only develops more confusion. There is, however, a common inner or mystical foundation to all religions that supports their man-made dogmas, creeds and rituals which provides the clear answers all of us are looking for.

This consistency and enduring nature of the ideas that form this foundation or ground of religion has resulted in those ideas being collectively referred to as the Perennial Philosophy of mysticism. There can be some difficulty, however, in finding the answers within this Perennial Philosophy because the concepts are metaphysical in nature; and this means they are beyond the range of our normal linear way of thinking and, so, not readily obvious. They are, so to speak, locked-up, and a key is needed for us to be able to discover their wisdom.

In this book, The Four Great Questions of Life, Dr. Judd provides that key and,

Clearly shows where these answers appear in various religious teachings

Uses down-to-earth illustrations to explain what they mean

Shows the universal application of the ideas embodied in the Christian Trinity

Describes how the Law of Karma (cause/effect) and Reincarnation are compatible with Christianity

Provides a logical explanation and definition that removes the mystery of the nature of good and evil.

For anyone who has ever struggled to find any meaning in such questions as, Who am I? What is my purpose in living? and so on, this book offers clear-cut and practical answers which, irrespective of ones religious background, show the way to a happy and fulfilling life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 16, 2000
• ISBN: 9781469109022

James N. Judd

Dr. James N. Judd is President of Universal Teachings, and has lectured extensively in the United States and England, including addresses at Parliament of Worlds Religions (Chicago, 1993). He is past-President, Vedanta Society of Houston, and is listed in Whos Who Worldwide. Dr. Judd is the author of six books, and numerous articles.

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Contents

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER ONE

Who Am I?

CHAPTER TWO

Where Did I Come From?

CHAPTER THREE

Finding the Self

CHAPTER FOUR

What is my Purpose?

CHAPTER FIVE

Where Am I Going?

CHAPTER SIX

Good and Evil

CHAPTER SEVEN

The Practical Approach

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INTRODUCTION

One of the most significant events in the evolution of the human race was when something of the Self touched the human consciousness and we became aware there was both a ‘within’ and ‘without’ in our world. The act of consciousness turning inward upon itself, the awareness of its own being, marked the beginning of our journey back to the realization of Self-consciousness. And it was then we had to face the four great questions of life, Who am I? Where have I come from? What is my purpose? And Where am I going?

These are the questions that are the raison d’etre of all our religious systems, and although these systems contain the answers we are looking for, the differences in theology between the major world religions makes it impossible to arrive at a simple solution. However, beneath these outer teachings of creeds, dogmas and rituals there is a common mystical ground to all religions which is known as the Perennial Philosophy. The unanimity of thought within this Philosophy, which exists amongst the diversity of all the world religions at their inner level, not only presents clear answers to our four questions, but also shows us that if the mystical way they describe is followed we can reach the fulfillment of human life.

The term mystical way, or better mysticism, is one that I am not sure is fully understood. A great number of people feel it is somehow related to Sunday church service, or perhaps fringe religious sects, but certainly do not associate the meaning of the world with everyday activities. To correct any possible misunderstanding let’s define the term. W. R. Inge, late Dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, in his book, Mysticism in Religion, quoted several definitions of mysticism, and I have selected the following two:

Mysticism is religion in its most concentrated and exclusive form. It is that attitude of the mind in which all other relations are swallowed up in the relation of the soul to God. (E. Caird)

If I may speak no longer as a psychologist but as a man, the experiences of life confirms my belief that the possibility of some communion between God and the individual is not an illusion. (Dr. William Brown)

For sheer simplicity of expression, however, I really prefer these words of Anne Lowenkopf in her book, The Hasidim. She wrote:

The mystic looks at the world and sees God.

Most of us, even on the Sabbath, even in the most holy of places look for

God and see the world.

Using more secular terminology we can say that mysticism is the blending together of our outer conscious mind and the deepest part of our being, the super-conscious, in order to achieve a harmonious unified integration of these two parts of our nature. And the mystical way simply means trying to live in such a way that we can bring this sort of balance into our thoughts, actions and feelings.

In this sense, aren’t we all following the way of the mystic, trying to find more peace and joy in our life, looking for greater inner harmony and a sense of having it all together? It is true that most of us consistently fall short of this mark, some even appear to be heading in the wrong direction, and at times we look in the wrong places or even give up trying. But, whether or not we are consciously aware of it, our Inner or Higher spiritual consciousness is constantly pushing us in directions that will help expand our spiritual consciousness, and in this sense it can be said that all of us are in the mystical pathway.

I realize that some mystics may consider this viewpoint as too liberal, and that the way of the mystic applies only to those who have reached at least some measure of understanding regarding their personal relationship with the Creator. They may also consider that in taking this rather broad approach I have glossed over or simplified certain other mystical points in this book. But I did not write this for those who are well-advanced toward their goal of Self-realization; rather for those of us who are tottering on the way, or still seeking the right direction.

Others, whose faith is based solely on the traditional Church, may initially find it difficult to accept the mystical view of good and evil as explained in Chapter Six, and perhaps feel my use of some words to be more secular than sacred. But stop and consider that the infinity of Life Itself cannot be contained in the spatial limitations of semantics, and our attempts to do that are no more than some intellectual game that invariably results in barriers between people.

It is this same containment of Spirit, the restrictions necessarily imposed by man-made theology, that may at times make it appear that mysticism is inimical to the Church. This is not the case: it is just that, as Inge said, Institutionalism and mysticism have always been uneasy bedfellows. This, at least in part, is because the mystical insights of the great spiritual leaders of the past form the foundation of traditional religion, and when we become sufficiently spiritually enlightened to fully understand those original insights our comprehension extends beyond the rational interpretation of religious faith. For the mystic it is neither a rejection nor denial of the Church: it is simply that he/she is able to look at the world and see God.

This book developed from a series of lectures that I was invited to give a number of years ago at the Seekers Trust, a highly regarded Centre of Prayer and Spiritual Healing in Kent, England. The program on that occasion read, in part,

2:30 p.m. What is My Purpose?

3:30 p.m. Tea and Biscuits [The British word for cookies.]

Prior to that lecture one of the members, tongue-in-cheek, congratulated me for recognizing that our purpose in life was to be able to get Tea and Biscuits. I was at a loss for words until he pointed to the program, and then I readily agreed that it was, indeed, a noble purpose to achieve to. There is no doubt that one of the great pleasures of life is to be able to relax with good friends over tea and biscuits/cookies—provided, of course, that at least some of them are chocolate.

Finally, I must express my love and appreciation to my wife, Kathleen, for her constant support, guidance and counsel, and for her efforts in preparing this manuscript for publication. And to Michael Moore for his assistance in the cover design.

CHAPTER ONE

Who Am I?

There was once a tigress who although heavy with her unborn cub, was stalking a flock of sheep. Just about the time she was going to attack, the cub was born and the tigress died. The baby tiger was brought up by the sheep, ate grass, bleated, and acted in every respect as though it was one of the sheep.

One day another tiger came along and saw the young tiger grazing and bleating among the flock of sheep. Thinking that this state of affairs needed to be cleared up he charged into the flock, picked up the sheep tiger, and carried him away to a nearby river.

You are a tiger! What are you doing acting like a sheep?, asked the older tiger.

I am not a tiger; I am a sheep, came the reply.

After much arguing the older tiger finally convinced the sheep tiger to look at the reflections of both of them in the water. The sheep tiger was so startled at the sight that instead of his usual Baa-aa, he opened his mouth and let out a mighty roar. At that moment, freed from his illusion, the young tiger became aware of his true identity.

Most of us go through life like that young tiger. Inwardly, we are fearless and eternally free, but deluded by the human ego and the outer impressions received through the five senses we fail to realize our true identity. It is not because the question, Who am I? doesn’t arise in the mind from time to time, for it has echoed down through the countless ages of mankind, but invariably it gets pushed back into our unconscious. There are many reasons for this: the trauma of personal tragedy that frequently brings the question to the front of our mind gradually subsides, the demands of our daily round of activities, the metaphysical