There was a beginning.
There was a beginning before that beginning.
There was a beginning previous to that beginning before there was the beginning.

There was existence; there had been no existence.

There was no existence before the beginning of that no existence.
There was no existence previous to the no existence before there was the beginning of the no existence. If suddenly there was nonexistence, we do not know whether it was really anything existing, or really not existing.

Now I have said what I have said,
but I do not know whether what I have said
be really anything to the point or not.

–Zhuangzi, chapt 2, Discussion On Making All Things Equal, trans. By James Legge

Ah language, that symbol system, meanings conveyed by a symbol code, agreed upon and shared.  Symbol/semantic put together much as a child assembles the contents of a container of Tinker Toys.  There are infinite possibilities inscribed by the syntax, the grammar of English, Japanese, Chinese, or.,…

And yet, and yet there’s the nagging doubt whether there is a point.  Or there ought to be a doubt.

There’s room for doubt, the possibility that what was just said is nonsense, pointing to nothing-at-all.

Especially when speaking of things most personal, such a religion…   Or matters of public policy, the distribution of power certain to affect the destiny, the fate of millions…

The launch pad of discourse: G/god.  The splash down of our linguistic orbit: politics.

Reminder to self: take care of what you say and of how it’s said.