Yes I agree we must think deeper, but what does that mean to you?
http://www.age-of-the-sage.org/buddhism/parable_burning_house.html
In the analogy of
The Burning House, an elder with many kids, property, etc. One day, there was a fire and his children didn't recognize the fire because they were playing and doing their thing. The father tried to tell the blind-minded children they were in danger. He told them how they were in danger, what can happen to them, etc.
Then he thought of a good idea. Instead of explaining how dangerous the house was because of the fire, he lied and told his children there were jewels outside, carts of them, and that is how he got the children from the house.
1. He changed his tone and words to the given situation in order to save his children. Looking deeply means understanding and adapting the conversation not only to your needs but the needs of the people (people) you speak to. It does not mean you forget yourself. It means you think of others.
2. Looking deeply is literally coming out of your shoes to be in another person's shoes. It is empathy. Not many people have strong empathy while others have it so much it exhausts them. I remember asking if someone who lacks empathy thought killing was moral and someone who loves god thought saving a life was, if these two people must agree with each other for world peace, where would they start.
It means asking questions with the motivation and interest to answer them. Not just from Buddha perspective. Not just from Bahaullah perspective. A back and forth thing. It's healthy assertive conversation technique that's a prerequisite for any philosophical musings if one has the patience to think in that way.
When you suggest we need to go deeper, what are you hoping to find?
I never thought about finding anything. My therapist asked me that and he looked puzzled when I said I never "searched" for truth (aka my signature). I love religion and just really probing the psychology of religious thought. Most people in person and online take it as an offense and get defensive. My friend literally told me not to tell her what I learned about, say, Catholicism because it would make her doubt her faith. Others just don't want to touch "what if" questions.
I asked on RF years ago if there were something about your faith that you find difficult to understand or come to terms with, what would that be. One member got defensive as if I asked her to find something wrong with her faith.
I'm not a silent person. I'm very expressive and that is my nature and personality. I use that both in what I do in work and when I study the Dhamma. Sharing about my latest art work to talking with my friend about the girl I was dating.
If I can talk deeply and really get into what-ifs and analogies with other topics, why would religion be such an exclusion for people. I mean, some people would literally (or actually do) tell me about their personal life with their mates but if I asked them what they prayed for, it's hush hush.
Sometimes people
can't be open. One thing I learned about Buddhism is 1. Admitting it 2. Finding the cause (if it brings up issues) 3. Acknowledging a solution 4. The goal itself. 5. The actual steps out of that goal.
But if we do not have empathy for others, why would we care about other people's personal life such as religion when we barely know them?
I was never that way. That's how you get to know people.
Also age and type of religion plays a part in it. Culture most definitely. That's another way to go deeper. Don't use culture, age, and religion as an excuse to not talking about a topic you chose to put yourself into.
You-people in general.
I have a lot of think-out-loud questions.
