About a year ago my then
eight-year-old philosopher son asked me why the sky was blue. I thought to myself, “What a wonderful
teaching opportunity, time for some physics.” so I explained that light has
different wave lengths and that our eyes pick up the blue light better than
other colors. Not a good explanation because
he repeated his question, “But why?”. So
I told to myself, “Well this kid is bright, he needs a more complete
explanation.” so I proceeded to explain the Rayleigh scattering model that
shows that the intensity of scattered light varies inversely with the fourth
power of its wavelength and that blue and violet, because they have shorter
wave lengths, scatter more than red light at the other end of the spectrum. I thought that it was a pretty good
answer. He didn’t.
“But dad, tell me why the
sky is blue.” So I responded once again,
well it’s not really blue. It’s just
that the cones, all five million of them, are sensitive to different colors but
that their color sensitivity overlaps so they are more sensitive to some colors
like blue than to others, like violet.
It became evident that I wasn’t getting anywhere because he repeated his
question yet again. I decided to try
another approach. This time I responded
by telling him, “Well son, the real reason that the sky is blue is because that
is the Goddess’ favorite color.” and he
replied, “Thanks dad, I knew you would know why.”
I was really proud of my
young philosopher because he never gave up, he kept asking why. All too often our desire to question gets
socialized out of us and we quit asking why questions and then we quit thinking
and just become receptive sponges that accept whatever comes along; always
jumping from one idea or belief to another.
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| Kesariya Stupa where The Buddha gave the Kalamas Sutta |
This reminds me of The
Buddha and the Kalamas. The Kalamas were
a lot like us. They had a variety of
spiritual teachers and each one was probably saying, “I know the way. My way is
the right way and everyone else is wrong.
Follow me, not them.” The Buddha
wandered into this mess and was asked by the Kalamas what they should do. To everyone’s surprise he didn’t respond by
telling them, “I’m right, they are wrong, follow me.” His reply is recorded as the Kalamas Sutta. In his first reply to the Kalamas he said:
"So, as I said, Kalamas: 'Don't go by reports, by legends,
by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies,
by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, ‘This
contemplative is our teacher.’ When you
know for yourselves that, ‘These qualities are unskillful; these qualities are
blameworthy; these qualities are criticized by the wise; these qualities, when
adopted and carried out, lead to harm and to suffering’ — then you should
abandon them.' Thus was it said. And in reference to this was it said.” [Emphasis mine]
After
providing a list of reasons for not blindly accepting a teaching he explains
that if the results of the teaching, when put into practice, are negative then
abandon them. That path is not
good. He then repeated the same short
list of “why not” reasons and then explained how to tell if a path is a good
path:
"Now,
Kalamas, don't go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by
logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering
views, by probability, or by the thought, 'This contemplative is our teacher.' When you know for yourselves that, 'These
qualities are skillful; these qualities are blameless; these qualities are
praised by the wise; these qualities, when adopted and carried out, lead to
welfare and to happiness' — then you should enter and remain in them.” [Emphasis mine]
He told
the Kalamas to test a path, try it out and see what results from following the path. If the results are good, lead to welfare and
happiness, then enter the path and stay on the path.
I have
tested my path and found, that for me at
least, it leads to welfare and happiness.
I feel spiritually alive on this path and feel that by following the
path I am a better person. To learn this
I have had to assiduously avoid the academic track of just seeking
knowledge. After all I’m good at
that. I've been a college professor for thirty years and that’s what I do. However, on a spiritual path knowledge isn't enough. I need experience, and I bet you
do too.
To test
the path that I follow I had to actually get on the path and walk it. Academic knowledge about the path didn't show
me that it was a path that leads to welfare and to happiness. Living it did. It doesn't matter if you call yourself an Atheist, a Buddhist, a Christian, a Hindu, a Jew, a Muslim, a Pagan, a Wiccan, learning about your path isn't the key. Living your path is.
So, what’s
my point in all of this? First, question
everything. Don’t follow blindly. I climbed Huyana Potosi in Bolivia once and
there isn't anything more uninspiring than walking behind someone and looking
at their butt for hours as you and they struggle up a mountain . . . that’s
what happens to followers. Second, to see if you path leads to welfare and happiness you must live your path. There isn't any other way.
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| Huyana Potosi from the Bolivian Altiplano |
Hope to
see you along the path.
Peace,
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