Answers

Welcome aboard an "Odyssey of Understanding". If this book series were a ship, then that
would be its name.
As you ponder your way through the pages, it will become clearer and clearer as to why I have
chosen this sobriquet for our "ship". For now, kindly keep in mind that this very first step of the
journey—the preface—should not fall into the category of "traditionally ignored introduction". In
fact, this is perhaps the most important segment of the entire series, as it will set the tone of our
epic voyage of wonders and give you a sense of the world into which you will be diving: a world
full of answers, but even more importantly, full of questions.
The root of the word "question" comes from the Latin word quaestiō, which means "to seek".
And it does indeed share the same root with the English word "quest". I took this to mean that "to
question" is "to go on a quest to seek out something".
It is only fitting, then, that we begin Answers with Questions. This is because I hold it to be
true that it is not only the need for food, shelter, love, and security that we all share. One of our
deepest needs and, in a way, the highest need that we humans have in common, is the need to
embark on a quest to discover answers to some of the biggest questions in our lives.
Nevertheless, it is not our ability to find answers that truly sets us apart from all other species
and artificial intelligence; rather, it is our ability to ask complex questions that is the hallmark of
our intellect and our distinction.
If you will indulge a simple example, consider the following:
When processing a request for information, a search engine may produce an answer one-billion
times faster than the average human and present one-trillion times the amount of relevant data. But
a search engine cannot, as far as we know, ask itself the purpose of its existence, the meaning of
its own inner mechanism, or why it should continue to obey commands from these faulty and frail
biological machines with computing capability far inferior to its own. When an artificial
intelligence begins to ask questions independently—especially the "big" questions—it is then that
we should be truly worried.
As we are humans, however, questioning things is what we should be doing. Indeed, that will
be one of our primary "quests" in this book series. We will contemplate and ruminate on some of
the biggest questions, including, but not limited to:
Where is the center of the universe?
What is the Truth?
What is the relationship between religion and Truth?
What is the relationship between science and Truth?
What is the greatest force in the universe?
What is the nature of reality?
Who are you… really?
What is the meaning of life?
What is the greatest force of life?
How do human beings work?
What is "good" and what is "bad"?
How do we make judgment?
What is happiness?
What is suffering?
What is the real cause of suffering?
How do we overcome suffering?
What makes someone "evil"?
What is the nature of all conflict?
How can we create a better world?
What does an ideal life look like and how can we attain it?
What is the "ultimate success" and how can we achieve it?
We shall explore these, and many other questions throughout the entire Answers series which
itself is divided into several Books and each Book is organized into different Volumes.
There are four main subjects we will try to understand together: reality, ourselves, society, and
success. Hence, there are four main Books in the Answers series. The four main Books are: Aware,
Awake, Arise and Ascend. Each Book is further divided into different Volumes to keep their
thickness "practical".
In Answers: Aware—Realizing the Truth, we will begin by embarking on a quest to discover
our true place in the cosmos; from that place, we will be better able to understand the nature of
reality, including Truth and what is keeping us away from it.
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