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December 2007 
What & Where: Notes On The Seeker's Mentality
Posted on Dec 5th, 2006
by 
David Jon
David Jon
I never personally considered that so much could rest behing the visage of a question. Peel back the surface of a question, feel into that question, sense its nature, and you really can discern so much more than what at first may seem obvious.
For example, questions that begin with a 'What...?' tend to arise from and compel what I'll call here a seeker's mentality. These can run the gamut, from 'What is enlightenment?' to ' What is Love?' to 'What is Truth?' to 'What is Integral?' to even that now infamous Zen koan, 'What is the sound of one hand clapping?'
The 'what-questions' seem to imply that there is a 'thing' that will be the answer to the question. You see, the very nature of the 'what-question'--such as 'What is Enlightenment'--implies that there is a single answer to that question, i.e., that there is this object called 'enlightenment' that we can definitively point to and say, 'That... that is enlightenment.'
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A question that begins with 'Where...' is similar in nature to a 'what-question.' The difference is that the 'where-question' is about locating that 'what' in space and time. For example, 'Where is God?' or 'Where are my car keys?'
More seriously and gravely, we might ask 'Where is my true calling?' or 'Where is my soul-mate.' The hope is that we can find out 'where.' Is it in Egypt? Is it in Topeka? Is my true calling on Planet Zemeldon in the Gamma District of Quadrant 18.63 of the Andromeda Galaxy? Amd if so.... can you tell me where the bleep that is!!
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Seeking. Searching. The seeker's mentality. That perpetual search. The unquenchable thirst. Who would have thought that the nature of the questions we ask reveals the 'state of our consciousness.' What, implies that an object is the answer--a thing... a some-thing. it is a consequence of living in/as/through a state of consciousness that objectifies Life in toto, perhaps.
Where does much the same. We might even get a sense of how the 'what-question' and the 'where-question' are related; in that they both reinforce a sense of seeking for the precious object that we hope to relieve us of our suffering--be it a person, a place, or a thing. Objects all.
For example, questions that begin with a 'What...?' tend to arise from and compel what I'll call here a seeker's mentality. These can run the gamut, from 'What is enlightenment?' to ' What is Love?' to 'What is Truth?' to 'What is Integral?' to even that now infamous Zen koan, 'What is the sound of one hand clapping?'
The 'what-questions' seem to imply that there is a 'thing' that will be the answer to the question. You see, the very nature of the 'what-question'--such as 'What is Enlightenment'--implies that there is a single answer to that question, i.e., that there is this object called 'enlightenment' that we can definitively point to and say, 'That... that is enlightenment.'
______________________________________________
A question that begins with 'Where...' is similar in nature to a 'what-question.' The difference is that the 'where-question' is about locating that 'what' in space and time. For example, 'Where is God?' or 'Where are my car keys?'
More seriously and gravely, we might ask 'Where is my true calling?' or 'Where is my soul-mate.' The hope is that we can find out 'where.' Is it in Egypt? Is it in Topeka? Is my true calling on Planet Zemeldon in the Gamma District of Quadrant 18.63 of the Andromeda Galaxy? Amd if so.... can you tell me where the bleep that is!!
_______________________________________________
Seeking. Searching. The seeker's mentality. That perpetual search. The unquenchable thirst. Who would have thought that the nature of the questions we ask reveals the 'state of our consciousness.' What, implies that an object is the answer--a thing... a some-thing. it is a consequence of living in/as/through a state of consciousness that objectifies Life in toto, perhaps.
Where does much the same. We might even get a sense of how the 'what-question' and the 'where-question' are related; in that they both reinforce a sense of seeking for the precious object that we hope to relieve us of our suffering--be it a person, a place, or a thing. Objects all.
Access: PublicTagged with: integral, seeker's mentality, what, where, search, consciousness, states of consciousness, Egypt, Topeka, Zen, koan, enlightenment, what is enlightenment
I feel the nature of a question is its essence. Like you say, the what question reflects a seeker’s attitude. Unfortunately people often want to know the reason for something - we seem to often require a logical answer and that gets us entangled in explanations which distance us from the truth.
Excellent blog David Jon. Thank you.