Because I looked at all other fields of knowledge and found that none of them could answer the most fundemantal questions of life (such as the existence of suffering, or the arising ans fading away of phenomena). That's what made me turn to metaphysics.
You can infer certain things about a person's wisdom by their manner of speaking and their way of conducting themselves.
There are also instituions like the church or the sangha that can guide you to an authentic teacher. However most of them have become defunct in modern times; only the eastern orthodox church is still reliable in this respect.
The ultimate validation comes from realizimg these truths within yourself. There is a great Sutta about this in the Pali Canon called 'the shorter discourse on the simili of the elephant's footprint'.
Yes.
No.
No.
Because I looked at all other fields of knowledge and found that none of them could answer the most fundemantal questions of life (such as the existence of suffering, or the arising ans fading away of phenomena). That's what made me turn to metaphysics.
Evolution has quite good of an answer for suffering imo. physical pain signals harm or potential dangar, prompting organisms to avoid threats, emotional suffering, can motivate behaviors that can enhance survival, such as avoiding predators or maintaining social bonds. Evolution favors traits that increase survival and reproduction, so it's outcome doesn't necessarily focus on yourhappiness. It's a byproduct of systems prioritizing survival not a good life.
I couldn't understand what you mean by arising and fading away of phenomena tho. Are you asking why time exists? Why things seem to fleeting and temporary maybe? I don't think everything needs a reason to happen. Because for every question if you continuously keep asking why, you quickly realize the meaninglessness of everything. Theism has a good defense against this, every question eventually points towards 'because god intended so', and asking why about god's machinations is considered blasphemy... but sill let us consider why would god create us? For his amusement? Why does he needs to be amused? Because he is lonely maybe? Why does he feel lonely? Because he as no one other than himself? Why is he the only one out there? Because....? even the most kindest of the priest would stop after this and asks us to not ask any more stupid questions. That is why I believe there is no such thing as ultimate omni creator as even the existence of such a being is ultimately meaningless, at the cosmic scale everything is meaningless. Everything that has some meaning to us is at a small rock, at some corner of the universe.
You can infer certain things about a person's wisdom by their manner of speaking and their way of conducting themselves.
Things like? I would personally infer only one thing, they are really good with thier words and would make a good sales person or con artist. Personally I would never give and individual such a reverence that I follow every word he says (as religious people tend to do for their prophet). I understand giving limited power over oneself to someone, like a team leader during some kind of project, but never your absolute being upon someone's word. Power corrputs people and absolute power corrupts absolutly. I would rather have my life guided around by loosely by an ideology, a set of self impose rules you never break. That's why people perfer constitutions over dictators.
Why no for Joseph Smith but yes for Muhammad?
