06/15/2026
6/14/26 - Living without WHY - continuing our journey with Meister Eckhart at Unity Church of Castro Valley sharing my BLOG of today's dicussion
The Architecture of Overflow: Why the Soul Demands No Justification
1. The "Why" Trap
Human development begins with a refusal and matures into a demand. A child’s first linguistic milestone is often "no," a declaration of individual boundary. But close on its heels comes the relentless, exhausting "why?" This inquiry is more than a stage of growth; it is the beginning of a lifelong burden. We are conditioned to believe that every event, every emotion, and every divine movement must submit to the tribunal of human reason. We become trapped in the analytical head, a space that demands a logical receipt for existence, while the heart—the seat of our ancient knowing—waits patiently for us to remember that the most profound truths require no justification at all.
2. The 18-Inch Journey: From Head to Heart
The most arduous pilgrimage any human will undertake is the "18-inch journey" from the intellect to the soul. In our modern landscape, we are trained to believe that questioning is a sign of intelligence, yet the soul operates on a frequency that predates the need for answers. This is a radical shift from the "why" of the mind to the "is" of the spirit.
To understand this depth, we must look to the things that exist outside the reach of time.
"What is true today that was true 10 million years ago, and will be true 10 million years from now? It is the love of a mother for her child the moment she knows that life is within her. Even deeper, it is God’s love for each of us. There is no 'why' there; it is a knowingness that takes us deeper."
3. Finding God in the Chaos (Even the Politics)
It is a common error to assume divinity is absent from the friction of our lives—especially within the polarizing atmosphere of modern politics. However, if we believe that God is everywhere present, we must accept that the Divine is as present in the chaos of Washington D.C. as it is in a cathedral. This is not a political endorsement, but a spiritual recognition that the "tearing down" of old systems is often a macro-event—an "answered prayer"—designed to strip us of our calculations and return us to the basics.
Even the highest levels of secular authority have glimpsed this reality; consider the 181 spiritual organizations once identified by the Pentagon that point toward a "golden thread" of love woven through physics, philosophy, and every world religion. When we release the need to judge why the chaos is happening, we can focus on this thread, seeing through the turbulence to the love that remains the underlying architecture of the universe.
4. The Radical History of "Living Without Why"
The concept of "living without a why" is a dangerous, revolutionary idea with a blood-stained history. Seven centuries ago, Marguerite Porete and her contemporary Meister Eckhart proposed that the soul could exist in a state of pure being, bypassing the need for calculated justifications or the Church’s mediated grace. This was radical enough to trigger medieval inquisitions because it suggested that the soul is already whole, needing no "reason" to be loved by God. To live without a "why" is to dismantle the internal belief that we must earn our right to exist. Just as a building must sometimes be razed to allow for a more noble structure, our habit of constant questioning must be torn down to make room for the soul’s original dignity.
5. Modeling the Flower and the Bird
Nature serves as our silent, most profound catechism, illustrating a life lived entirely from the overflow of being rather than the demand for recognition. These common moments of existence are the highest expressions of the "without why" philosophy:
The Blooming Flower: It blossoms in the hidden corners of the world, never asking for an audience or a reason to unfold its petals.
The Singing Bird: At the first hint of dawn, as a subtle breeze opens the day, birds begin their song. They do not sing for applause; they sing because they feel the shift in the air and know "He’s coming—God’s here." They rejoice before the sun is even visible.
The Sunset: The sun paints the horizon with a riot of color, a silent "good night" to the world that seeks no reward for its beauty.
6. The Wisdom of the Infant
We often see the purest form of this philosophy in the checkout line of a grocery store. A baby does not calculate who is worthy of a smile; they offer it instinctually to a stranger, seeking only to be recognized and acknowledged. They have not yet "unlearned" their divinity.
As adults, we can return to this dignity through the simple act of acknowledgement. When we pass someone experiencing homelessness, the instinct is often to turn away, avoiding the "why" of their tragedy. Yet, most often, they are not seeking a transaction; they are seeking a "return to dignity." A smile or eye contact—acknowledging the person rather than the problem—is a move back to the instinctual love we practiced as infants.
7. Love as an Overflow, Not a Transaction
True love is not a trade; it is an outpouring. Following the "Namaste principle," we look for the love in others—even those who act as "haters"—to help them see the love within themselves. This is the teaching that love "seeks not its own." It does not ask, "What will I get?" It asks, "How shall love express itself in this moment?"
However, this expression can only come from a state of wholeness. We have become a society that fails to care for the caregivers, forgetting that you cannot pour from an empty vessel. Self-care is not selfish; it is the maintenance of the reservoir. We must show ourselves the same love we give away, ensuring we are giving from our overflow rather than our exhaustion.
"God doesn't ask what will I get; God simply says how shall love express itself in this moment."
8. Conclusion: The Freedom of Simply Being
To live without a "why" is to find ultimate freedom. It is to recognize that there is a "church within us" that has nothing to do with steel or stone. As the old hymn suggests, this inner church is built "not with steel, not with stone, but with lives which are our own." It is a soul that is already a "fire for new life," something "straining to have birth" within our daily actions.
What would happen if you ceased your calculations? What would your life look like if you woke up tomorrow and, instead of asking for reasons, you simply trusted your original nature? May you move from the head to the heart, awakening to a life lived not from fear or obligation, but from the overflowing abundance of divine love itself.
