Pure spirituality is pure science, and this is why: the goal of both is to discern what is real, and to understand how all of life operates. But, in order to seek truth in any form, one has to set aside personal bias. Otherwise, one’s perception will put a slant on the way we observe. Personal bias is the very nature of how our egos operate, so as long as ego is intact, one can’t help but view what one sees in a distorted way. With this mentality, one can never see beyond what one currently views as real or true. Science truly requires unbiased research, without expectations; and therefore, a true scientist must operate egolessly. The very essence of spirituality is to relinquish all bias to view all things as they truly are.
In life, everybody seems to have a different opinion about what is real and what is not, what is acceptable, and what is not acceptable. In this sea of conflicting ideas, it can be very difficult to discern opinion from truth, or a wise course of action from an unwise one. This is how the Buddhist path is relevant. It begins with a person’s honest admission that despite everything they’ve ever been told, they sense that
there is more to life. The perfect example of this would be the story of the founder of historical Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama, also known as
Sakyamuni.
Sakyamuni’s
story reads like an epic triumph but at its core
is a message that is relevant to everyone. It
could really be anyone’s story.
Siddhartha Gautama was born 2,500 years ago into a noble family. He was the beloved crown prince, and materially, he had everything he could ever want, but he was also secluded from the harsh realities of his society. Siddhartha was kept from seeing how people actually lived outside of his lavish palaces, until his late 20s. When he eventually did witness the suffering that most people endured, it was such a stark contrast to everything he’d ever known that it shook him to his core.
Siddhartha was well known as a kind and gentle person; it was not in his nature to disregard what he had seen. He was determined to understand the cause of suffering and find a means to alleviate it. In his search for truth, he cast off his wealth, comfort, and everything he’d ever known, and set out on his own.
Through his own experience, Siddhartha tested out various means to understand why life was full of suffering. He was so determined to attain genuine realization that he took nothing for granted. He persevered for years with exceptional self-discipline and resolve. It wasn’t until he gave up
striving for an answer, and he let go of all
attachment to pain or pleasure that he found what he was looking for. This realization formed the basis of the first Teachings that he would impart to people.
Fortunately, for everyone else, Sakyamuni proved that going to physical and emotional extremes were experiences that led to no worthwhile understanding of life. Extremism begets suffering, and suffering does not beget realization.
It is the middle way between extremes, whereby one doesn’t struggle to hold onto or push away aspects of life, where genuine realization is found. Continued...
