In every human endeavor,
be it spiritual
or be it secular
the majority
tend towards fundamentalism:
rigid, aggressive, frightened
and authoritarianistic;
but that is NOT
what the Buddha endorsed.
Where the liberals
take truth
as the source
of authority
fundamentalists
tend to take authority
as the source of truth;
sometimes uttering,
“It’s true,
because I said so!
or a subtly more indirect,
“it is true,
because he said so.”
The proof of the pudding
is NOT in the recommendations of others;
the proof of the pudding
is in the tasting!
What if the test
of any philosophy
or any technique
was simply the effects generated
in one’s body and mind
after a week or two
of practicing it
every morning
and every evening?
For if a philosophy
or a technique
be well practiced
yet remain impotent
to liberate us
from the tyranny
of our rage,
or terror,
or despair,
then what good
is it?
The Buddha’s life story
be it literal
or merely allegoric
demonstrates
the seekers journey
from authoritarianism
to experimentalism;
from blindly trusting teachers
to rigorously testing the instructions
in the laboratory
of our bodies
and our minds.
Come,
let us follow
the example
of the Buddha.
Let us conclude
with a simple
call to action
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