Have you ever wondered why we believe in something? Does something become true just because others say so, or is our own experience the greatest proof? Centuries ego, there's a profound story from the deep question.
The Blind Man's Arguments and Buddha's Prescription
One day, Lord Buddha arrived in a village. Some villagers brought a blind man to him explaining, "He's our best friend, and we're tired of explaining to him that there's something called light. He just won't believe it! His arguments are so strong that we have to give up, even though we see the light ourselves."
The blind man spoke up, "I want to touch the light. If I can't touch it, I'll hear it. If I can't hear it, I'll taste it or smell it. You're all just talking about 'light' to fool , me!
The friends appealed to buddha, "We know that light can only be seen with the eyes, and he doesn't have eyes. Please, you explain it to him."
Buddha smiled and said, "I won't fall into this madness of explaining it to him. The greatest trouble for humanity has been caused by those who've tried to explain things that people can't see. Preachers are often like an epidemic, claiming to explain the invisible.
he continued, "I won't make this mistake, nor will I try to explain to him that light exists. You've brought him to the wrong place. Take him to a doctor who can treat his eyes. He doesn't need preaching; he needs treatment."
Buddha explained, "It's not aout your explanation or his believing what you've explained. His eyes need to be fixed. Once his eyes are fine, you won't need to explain anything to him; he'll be able to see the light on his own, he'll know it himself."
When Treatment Opened the Door to Understanding
The friends found buddha's words absolutely correnct. buddha often used to say, "i consider riligion to be a cure, not a teaching." They took the blind man to a doctor.
Fortunately, after a few months of treatment, the blind me regained his sight! buddah had moved to another village by then. The man, now with sight, went to meet Buddha. he touched his feet and bowed down, saying, "I was mistaken, Lord! The light was there, but i didn't have eyes."
buddha blessed him and said, "You were certainly mistaken, but because of your insistence that you wouldn't believe until you had eyes, your eyes could be cured. If you had just believed your friends' words, 'If you say so, it's right,' the matter would have ended there. There would have heen no question of eye treatment."
Faith vs. Discernment: Where does Your Journey Stop?
This is where Buddha made a very important point:
"Those who only believe cannot reach disce
rnment. Those who silently accept cannot reach their own experience."
just think, if that blind man had simply believed what otherrs said- that "there is light" - would his restlessness have ever ended? Would he have ever tried to cure his eyes? Probably not. His journey of knowledge would have stopped right there.
Restlessness is the Mother of Discovery
So, the next time you're asked to believe something, remember: are you just believing, or are you desperate for your own experience and discernment? Because often, blind faith can sto us from embarking on the journey that can lead us to real knowledge and profound experience.
What do you learn from this story? Do you prefer blind faith, or are you restless in the pursuit of your own experience? Let us know in the comment bellow!
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