Belief

By Dhammacaro

Belief is something which obstructs learning, investigation, or questioning. When people believe in something, they just put their wholeheartedness into that thing without learning, investigation, or questioning. In Buddhism, there is also belief, but it is the very first step towards bringing its followers to learn and investigate more fully. The Buddha, however, did not teach the world to believe in anything: even in himself. He just challenged people to learn and investigate his teachings as he had taught the Kalama people, “….Therefore, Kalamas, do not go upon what has been acquired by repeated hearing; nor upon tradition; nor upon rumour; nor upon what is in a scripture; nor upon surmise; nor upon an axiom; nor upon specious reasoning; nor upon a bias towards a notion that has been pondered over; nor upon another’s seeming ability; nor upon the consideration: ‘The monk is our teacher’. Kalamas, when you yourselves know that these things are bad, that these things are blameable, that these things are censured by the wise, that if undertaken and observed, these things will lead to harm and ill, then abandon them.” This teaching is very good advice for all who say they want to believe in something. This is also reminiscent of a Zen story that illustrates this point equally well.  Here is the story:

There was once a king, who very much enjoyed eating shell fish, so his people had to cook shell fish for him every day. One day a cook found a coin of Boddhisattava Guanyin amongst the shell fish. He presented it to the king.  The king was so happy to receive this coin and worshipped it faithfully.

Some time later, the king asked his men about the presence of the coin of Boddhisattava Guanyin, “It is peculiar that the coin appeared in our kingdom and was presented to me. Do you think it is a good, or bad sign?” All of his men replied, “It is beyond our ability to know, Sire. We should call a Zen Master, who has lived on the Tahwa Mountain, and ask him about this.”

So then the Master was called in and asked about this matter.  He said to the king’s assembly, “Nothing is peculiar. The presence of the coin is all about belief.  If you believe faithfully, Buddhisattava Guanyin will appear before  you and teach you.” The king argued with the Zen Master, saying, “But I have never heard any such teachings since I have been in possession of the coin.” The Master asked the king, “Your majesty, do you believe that Buddhisattava Guanyin can appear from the coin?” He confirmed his belief by saying, “Yes absolutely I do.” “Then your belief explains it in full”, replied the Zen Master and then remained silent.

The story teaches us that if people believe in something, it is pointless and has nothing to do with learning, investigation, and questioning. They just believe so, as in the story of the king believing in the Buddhisattava Guanyin. There is no need for the Zen Master to explain anything to him, because he basically believes what he believes.  Belief has two paths which lead, firstly to learning, investigation and questioning, and secondly to more belief which means learning investigation and questioning stop.

Which path are you going to take? I shall leave you to choose. For myself, I have already picked my path.