Reason
“...But
after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees
with reason, and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all,
then accept it and live up to it.”
The
Buddha
This
quote by the Buddha is preceded by a long list of what not to
believe in. It goes like this: “Do not believe in anything...
“...simply
because you have heard it.
...simply
because it is spoken and rumored by many.
...simply
because it is written in your religious books.
...merely
on the authority of your teachers and elders.
...traditional,
simply because it has been handed down for generations.”
In
other words, only believe in something to which you have given
wholehearted consideration; something you have decided is the right
thing to do, both for yourself, and for everyone involved. This
little gem of wisdom was conveyed over two-thousand years ago, and is
just as relevant today as then.
There
are whole days when I think we humans are only a little bit higher
functioning than sheep—willing to blindly follow the leader, even
if that leader jumps off a cliff. At a time when we are in desperate
need of wisdom, we seem to have given up on thinking things through
to a reasonable conclusion. Perhaps it is because the complexities of
the world today are too much for us to wrap our heads around. Maybe
it's just that we've eaten too much bar-b-que and drunk too much
beer. Maybe we're just too distracted by our phones to think at all.
The possible reasons are endless, but unless we get a grip on reality
and begin to think clearly, we're truly facing some of the most
devastating consequences in history. Asteroid-hitting-the-earth type
consequences! Ask Houston, Texas, which is underwater this morning, whether it
“believes” in climate change.
Learning
to think can be taught, but it requires, first and foremost, a
curious mind. Teachers and elders can ask questions that provoke
thought, and give assignments that require research. We can consult
scholars who give us the most recent scientific or statistical
evidence for anything we want to know, but first, we have to
formulate the questions. We have to conjure up from within ourselves
the desire to know, and to be accurately informed. We cannot leave
that up to anyone—certainly not to leaders, whether political,
corporate, or religious—who have a vested interest in the outcome.
We
have evolved with this big brain for a reason. We must put it to good
use, and decide for ourselves what is for the good and benefit of
all.
In
the Spirit,
Jane
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