God

The problem is not that truth can’t be found. The problem is that there’s too much of it on the market. Life is short, and there are too many stalls selling this product… You won’t even have time to visit them all, let alone taste the goods.

First you need to understand that truth can’t be learned from people. “Human” and “truth” are antonyms. Every person is by nature a question. People can hide their questionability under various mantles, cassocks and so on — and hand out great ultimate teachings to others. But it’s just business.

Truth can only be learned from God. We’re communicating with him right now. God doesn’t speak in words. He encrypts his messages. But decrypting them isn’t hard. Look. We’re sitting here gazing at a candle. Simultaneously, a stream of consciousness passes through your mind.

What is this stream? You think something quickly, then hear something, remember something and so on. You feel a draft. Or notice the smell of a burning wick. All of it is mixed into a special combination of things being sequentially perceived, existing only within you. A unique stream of experiences and impressions, changing every moment.

This stream is you. But it’s also God. A mixture made of divine soul blended with matter. Is matter also God? Something like his nails or hair, let’s say. Are your nails you?

God in his all-knowing aspect is present everywhere and permeates everything. Through different states and forms runs a single nervous system — today we’d call it an information network — that you can use even when you don’t understand your own nature at all. You can ask God questions and receive answers from him. He will send you signs. Personal encrypted messages, of a sort.

You don’t need to decrypt anything. The messages are encrypted only for others. The instantaneous configuration of your consciousness is unique and changes every second. Two know about it — you and God. And at some point, from the external world comes a quiet voice: “There! That’s it!” Like an arrow pointing at something. That’s the message: pay attention to what you see, hear, or think right now. There’s no point explaining in more detail. You have to understand through experience.

I nodded. Then without much interest thought: “Maybe it’s true?” And at that moment the candle flame flickered. Gently, as if from a draft.

Keep in mind, God will only speak to you. Others won’t see the signs sent to you. And you won’t see what he communicates to others.

— I believe we live in a virtual reality. And I also believe in the unified sentient nature of everything that exists. Just don’t ask me how the two fit together.

They fit together simply. Through God. You’ve seen tourists with those selfie sticks? A phone or camera is mounted on them, and people photograph themselves. Selfie tripods. We all work as God’s selfie tripods. God entrusts you to see on his behalf your patch of reality. Kind of like working on a specially assigned plot.

— But why do you call it God?

— The word is popular among Indian saints. You can say whatever you want — “spirit,” “unified information network,” “quantum conscious factor” and whatever else. These are all just labels on signs with shovels underneath them. No matter how much you dig, you won’t find anything but more labels. It’s not about what we call it. It’s about how we use it. And that depends on you. Or rather, on God within you. You yourself can do nothing. God within you can do everything.

“The Invincible Sun” by Pelevin