Appeal to Authority

Recently a reader took me to task for my criticism of appeal to revelation in Christianity, asking somewhat rhetorically if Buddhists don’t also have authoritative texts.

I thought my point was moderately clear, but I’m too often mistaken about such things, and once again it appears to be the case that I wasn’t near as clear as I thought…

Let me try to be clearer here.

I believe the only measures of authenticity, of our spiritual quest are those found here and now in this body and with this mind and this heart. And that authentic appears only when we let go of our ideas… I’ll unpack this in a moment.

Do I believe sacred texts are of use? Yes. But that they are alleged to have been dictated by God or the Buddha or any other special authority carries limited weight with me. I find they are useful to the degree they represent the collective wisdom of people, and as they point us, that is you and me, to this moment.

And this moment is the teacher, the only teacher.

Let me open my mouth and show my innards.

This is my faith.

As we let go of what we know, of all appeals to authority, every blessed one of them, including that most seductive of them all, the revelations of “my” ego, the assertions that are “my” idea, sometimes something precious and beautiful appears.

Doesn’t mean there aren’t things to do.

On this way it is helpful to sit down and shut up.

It is very helpful to pay attention.

But life will take us where we need to go, if we’re willing to let it teach.

If we’re willing to surrender into curiosity, into not knowing.

Eventually, eventually…

From a stance of not knowing.

We find we actually do let go…

A blessed moment.

We, that is you and I, really can not know.

Just this.

Not knowing.

Only not knowing.

Just this…

From this moment, this place, this stance, we are given the eyes to see and the ears to hear.

Back to authority figures. While only assistants to the real teacher, they can be enormously helpful. And sometimes are essential. Both on the way to this place and once we’ve arrived, good friends are undoubtedly useful. They sometimes are found in books, but more generally useful are actual breathing living friends who’ve walked the way before us. We do need checking along the way. It is so easy to be seduced by our thoughts, mistaking them for the moment to which I’m actually trying to point.

But even here, the final judgment must come from the moment, the place, the stance.

And…

It is my experience this moment, this place, this stance, disappears near as quickly as it manifests.

Our ideas are seductive things. Actually I think they’re unavoidable. Certainly they have utility, and shouldn’t be despised…

But, if we don’t enshrine our ideas, and particularly if we don’t enshrine our memories of our deep experiences of the moment, don’t then make that reconstruction the spiritual authority, then we are given a passport that allows our return.

Every now and again.

And, from that place, we discover we can make our way

with a little grace

and some genuine usefulness…

Living a life that matters.

This is my faith.