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is mysterious, mystical, vague, cloudy -- because no term which is very basic to religion can be defined.
The subject cannot be made an object. I cannot put myself in front of me, so I cannot define. Neither has Buddha defined, nor Jesus. Definition as such is debarred by the very nature of the phenomenon.
Everything else can be defined because consciousness is the definer. Everything else is before consciousness. The consciousness can know -- it can go around, watch, observe, experiment, define, dissect -- but who will define consciousness? You cannot go away from it: you ARE it. You can know it, but you cannot define it. Knowledge is not possible, only knowing.
I can help you to create a meditative state where you can know what it is, I can give you the method, but I cannot give you the definition. That's why religion always looks a little suspicious. "Why don't you define your terms? Just do as science does. Define! If you cannot define your terms that simply shows you don't know what you are talking about."
A great linguist and positivist philosopher, A.J. Aiyer, says that if we take two terms -- 'God' and'dog' -- the second is true and the first is false. Nobody can define'God', the word is meaningless.'God' cannot be defined.'Dog' can be defined -- 'dog' is more meaningful than'God'.
If you insist on definitions, then only things can be defined; persons cannot be defined. Laws can be defined, love cannot be defined. Gravitation can be defined, but grace -- grace cannot be defined. That which is without is definable; that which is within is elusive. One has to understand it... and move into meditation.
Buddha says, "Buddhas can only show you the way. YOU have to move. One day you come upon the goal. Nobody can give you the goal beforehand."
Not even a definition is possible. And it is good that a definition is not possible. Otherwise you will settle for the definition, you will settle for the information, and you will never travel, you will never journey to the goal. And sometimes it happens that the very map you were thinking to use for the journey becomes the barrier. You become satisfied with the map itself.
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