It’s easy to assume that if you sincerely want to know the truth, the obvious thing to do is ask a sincere question. However, this turns out to be one of those tricky dreamstate sleight of hand maneuvers hiding in plain sight that can keep one running in circles for years on end.
Sincerity is cheap. You can sincerely want something that isn’t true.
Sincerity describes how genuinely you want an answer; existential maturity determines whether you’re willing to investigate the assumptions that created the question. A sincere question can still be completely in service of the false self.
This is why a person can sincerely want truth, devote years to seeking it, read books about it, meditate on it, discuss it at dinner parties, attend retreats devoted to it, acquire special cushions for sitting closer to it, and still retain one small condition: Truth must not violate my emotional requirements.
