My old friend the Dharma bum Uncle Weasel recently wrote a note to me where he addressed the subject of authority and authoritarianism.
On one side, I fully agree with your sentiments, but on the other, I think you underrepresent the degree to which we depend on authority for our thinking. This is something I am currently trying to explore in a general treatment of belief, very slowly being written. Science is supposed to be based on observation and experiment, but even scientists take most of their scientific opinions outside their own small area of expertise on the authority of other scientists. The validity of most of our so-called knowledge depends on how good the criteria by which we select our authorities are. And yes, we again meet in agreement at the place where ideas and opinions fall away.
There is no doubt authority is a complex thing as it relates to the human mind. And the unraveling of it is a massive undertaking. Nowhere is this more obvious than as we confront the truth claims of various religions. Reminds me of Alexander confronting the Gordian knot. But only in one sense, if a very important sense…
Distinctions must be made. Life is filled with choices and we are foolish if we don’t make decisions from the best information we can get. And, as you suggest, the fact is we can’t investigate everything for ourselves.
The good news in this is that we don’t have to, we need not reinvent everything by ourselves, learn everything by ourselves. Absolutely, we rely upon the assertions of various authorities for most everything we know. Although the word “know” should be shown in quotes. Our brains are in fact ragbags of information picked up in classroom and the gutter. I do believe what we get in the classroom is generally a more reliable source. At least there has been some attempt at vetting getting there. Although this assertion in favor of authority should only be a rule of thumb, in life I’ve run across too many exceptions to the rule…
Still we need to notice how much we rely upon others for our various truths. And be humble about it, and grateful. And while being grateful, I also advocate as a bottom line a generally skeptical stance to information as for the most part the most healthy stance.
Point one.
And…
As regards the fundamental matter, the deep question of life and death I am suggesting a spiritual position that is similar to, but different than that skeptical stance I’ve just alluded to.
Beyond the assertions of spiritual or religious truth which should be engaged critically, skeptically, I am trying to point to something deeper yet. Which, I know, Uncle Weasel knows.
Or, rather doesn’t know…
In the matter of seeking deepest wisdom we do need to let go of everything, at some point absolutely everything, including the truth statements of our teachers and guides. There is a gate separating two worlds. Of course there’s a spiritual irony in these words, several, actually. For one we usually get to that gate following those teachers. Back to that humble and grateful thing. And there is a deeper sense in which there are no separate sides and there is no gate.
But there is an action, a shift…
It is like that lovely anecdote from the Verba Senoirum, where the elder declares I read in the book that I should sell all I have and give the money away to the poor, so I sold the book and gave the proceeds away…
The authorities can help us get to that doorway between idea and reality.
And this is my claim, which can be tested by others, should they care to try.
We, you and I, must, if we wish to fulfill the promise of our birth, step through that doorway. Which we can only do by ourselves.
And the method is easy as pie.
Just surrender the ideas.
Let go of authorities.
Including, most essentially, those that live within our brains and hearts.
Only don’t know.
At that point we pass through the gateless gate and cut the knot…
And then we discover for ourselves, what another authority describes.
The Way is neither two nor three.
With form that is no-form,
Going and coming, we are never astray,
With thought that is no-thought,
Singing and dancing are the voice of the Law.
Boundless and free is the sky of Samádhi!
Bright the full moon of wisdom!
Truly, is anything missing now?
Nirvana is right here, before our eyes,
This very place is the Lotus Land,
This very body, the Buddha…
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