Ancient Scientists

It seems that since the first appearance of mankind, we have been wondering about everything around us.  Early man did not wait for the development of the scientific method to begin considering how the world was formed and what it all meant.  Although modern science has discovered much about the composition and function of our world and the universe that surrounds it, it is incapable of answering the lingering question, “Where did all of this stuff come from?”

Early efforts to figure everything out are grossly undervalued.  Every generation is on the cutting edge of knowledge and technology, but those accomplishments are built upon the discoveries and insights of previous generations.  Hindsight truly is 20/20, and from our vantage point, it is tempting to discount ancient concepts as primitive and ignorant.  However, we need to keep in mind that they were often forming their opinions with little or no preceding information.

Early man was doing exactly the same thing that scientists do today, observing, analyzing and making educated guesses.  To them it apparently seemed obvious that the world had been designed, thus implying the involvement of a master designer.  Consequently, much of the early “scientific” conclusions were coupled with theological explanations and overtones.  This is clearly seen in one of the earliest scientific fields, astronomy and its related component astrology.

It was this process that probably led to some of the early myths.  The story of Lot’s wife being turned to a pillar of salt was most likely an attempt to explain the existence of salt columns that surround the Dead Sea even today.  Anthropologists who study the origin of myths have traced many of the stories to locations where there are numerous prehistoric fossils.  For example, it is thought that the origin of the belief in the existence of the Cyclops probably resulted from the ancient discovery of the skull of an extinct dwarf elephant that once inhabited the European continent. 

The use of mythical explanations for material observations has generally led to a total dismissal of ancient scriptures as having any credible value for our current society.  However, what is truly amazing is the fact that some of the concepts developed by our ancestors were incredibly insightful and often relatively accurate.  The creation story contained in the book of Genesis conveys bits of information that closely parallel much of the current scientific theories of cosmology and evolution.  The heavens were formed before the earth.  In the early development of the earth, it is said to have been “without form and void,” an incredibly apt description.  Vegetation preceded animal forms, and when animals did appear, they were first created in the water and later on the land.  Certainly concurrent is the idea that mankind was the last and most complex creature to be formed.

Furthermore, Hindu and Buddhist traditions have taught that everything is one and that the duality that we perceive is an illusion.  We may debate the latter part of that statement, but beginning in the early 1900s the field of quantum physics has gradually proven the unity of all matter.  One of the prevalent unified field theories (string theory) postulates that minute strings of energy vibrate within a pervasive multidimensional energy field and form the subatomic particles that ultimately comprise the visible matter in our phenomenal world.  In other words, all is one.  How did those early yogis know that?  Their awareness came through deep meditation and insight.

Over the millennia we have seen a huge swing of the philosophical pendulum from a position of assigning a supernatural explanation to everything to the current scientific approach which totally excludes the involvement of any cosmic consciousness whatsoever.   It would be my hope that someday we might be able to take a more balanced and truly scientific approach in considering the possibility that there may be a pervasive creative force at work in the universe.  At present, it seems that modern science can offer very little regarding the deeper questions that still remain about the existence of God, the path to ideal human relations, or the purpose of mankind.  As we search for direction regarding these issues, the insights and admonitions presented in ancient scriptures deserve our respectful consideration because those who wrote them were not afraid to sit quietly and listen to “the still small voice.”

15

The ancient Masters were profound and subtle.
Their wisdom was unfathomable.
There is no way to describe it;
all we can describe is their appearance.

They were careful
as someone crossing an iced-over stream.
Alert as a warrior in enemy territory.
Courteous as a guest.
Fluid as melting ice.
Shapable as a block of wood.
Receptive as a valley.
Clear as a glass of water.

Do you have the patience to wait
till your mud settles and the water is clear?
Can you remain unmoving
till the right action arises by itself?

The Master doesn't seek fulfillment.
Not seeking, not expecting,
she is present, and can welcome all things.

Tao Te Ching

It's OK Not To Know

Not-knowing is true knowledge.

Presuming to know is a disease.

First realize that you are sick;

then you can move toward health.

The Master is her own physician.

She has healed herself of all knowing.

Thus she is truly whole.

            ---- Tao Te Ching chapter 71

Last year I turned 60.  It seems like for 50 of those years I have pondered eternal issues in varying degrees of intensity.  For about half of that time I was a devout fundamentalist Christian with periodic questions and a growing awareness that there was more to know than what was presented in the Bible.  At times, I anguished over my desire to know “the truth” and my lack of direction.  Then, I had a realization that freed me from that anxiety.  It probably occurred over a period of time because I do not remember a specific “Eureka” moment.  It was a recognition of the immensity of the universe and my finite place within it. 

I am awed by the enormity of the universe.  Every time I watch the accompanying videos, I am confronted with my inability to grasp the concept of infinity.  After all, we live in a finite world with limitations and boundaries.  So, trying to envision the universe expanding forever is truly mind-blowing.  For example, in 1995 for a period of 11 days, the Hubble telescope was focused on an apparently empty region of space.  During this time, researchers detected an additional 3,500 previously unknown galaxies.  A similar deep space probe was conducted in 2003 after Hubble had been equipped with new optics.  This time, it remained focused on a single point for approximately three weeks.  This resulted in the discovery of an additional 10,000 galaxies.  We are talking about galaxies, not individual stars.

Let’s see if an analogy can bring this vastness into focus.  Imagine that we lived on the surface of an electron (earth) orbiting the nucleus of an atom (the sun) which was part of a DNA molecule (our galaxy) in a cell (our local cluster of galaxies) in the brain of a gigantic human (the universe).  Would we be able to fully recognize the total reality?  Would we recognize that we were part of an enormous living being?  Absolutely not.  Our perception would be much as it is now.  We would be able to scan as far as our technology would allow, but it is impossible to believe that we would ever comprehend the big picture. 

As I have considered this perspective, I have come to the conclusion that neither I, nor any other human, will ever be able to completely understand God, the Source, the cosmos because it is just too vast and our comprehension is so incredibly limited.  I doubt that everyone will understand the magnitude of this revelation.  Many people are not particularly interested in cosmic contemplation anyway.  They are quite satisfied with focusing on the day-to-day issues of their lives.  Many more are content to place their absolute trust in ancient scriptures and believe that everything we need to know about God is contained there. 

For those who are actively seeking a deeper revelation, the idea of not being able to know the “ultimate truth” may be unsettling or depressing.  Personally I find it incredibly liberating.  For me, accepting the reality of this limitation has allowed me to thoroughly cherish what I do learn and understand.  I recognize that every effort to perceive God will always be partial, no matter how insightful.  This offers the freedom to consider a variety of sources, gleaning what seems true, and rejecting what seems erroneous.  I have yet to find any teachings that I feel compelled to fully embrace (although I thoroughly enjoy the Tao Te Ch’ing).

Does this mean that we should give up the search altogether?  Of course not!  If someone offers me a piece of cake, I don’t refuse it because I’m not allowed to eat the whole cake.  I gratefully accept the portion that is offered.  If I am among friends, I may ask for a second piece, and if someone suggests that I take some home, you can count on me gladly accepting the offer.  I feel the same way about enlightenment.

I think we all just need to take a deep breath, relax, and enjoy the process of discovering what we can about the cosmos and our place in it.  I have discovered a great freedom and joy in merely following a path of illumination as it is presented to me.  There is an old Buddhist saying, “When the student is ready, the teacher will come.”

We Just Want To Know

Humans have three seemingly inseparable characteristics that both amaze and baffle me.  I am amazed by our insatiable desire to know everything that could possibly be known about virtually anything.  Of course, curiosity is not limited to humans.  Anyone who has ever been owned by a cat has witnessed unbridled curiosity.  Especially as kittens, they can spend hours exploring and investigating the world around them.  This tendency appears in the young of most animals to one degree or another and is probably related to some sort of survival instinct.  Humans, however, have this characteristic in spades.  This is aided by our ability to conceptualize what we want to know and communicate to others what we have learned. 

The results of these abilities are incredible.  At this point, we have pointed the Hubble telescope into the heavens and seen galaxies billions of light years away.  We have developed viable theories about quantum physics and appear to understand the very essence of the phenomenal world.  We have developed marvelous technology that enables doctors to work miracles and the average person to instantly communicate with someone on the other side of the planet.  Our potential to learn and apply that knowledge in practical ways seems limitless.

Nevertheless, what absolutely baffles me are the two evil step-sisters of our desire to know, a need to be “in the know” and a need to be “right” about everything.  Hundreds of years ago it seems that the desire to be in the know was typically concentrated in the village busy-body/gossip.  As technology grew, this tendency broadened.  No doubt the day after the printing press was invented the local newspaper was printed sporting a brand new gossip column.  When cell phones became prevalent, people could be seen all over the place with a phone glued to their ear.  Now we have the social networks providing voluminous information about the minute details of people’s lives. 

I think that the social networks can be a wonderful tool.  In fact, I have a Facebook account.  But please, do we really need to know that your dog just pooped on the rug, or that you are dying to have a Dr. Pepper, or what color shoes you just bought?  For those who want to be in the know, this is a golden age.  However, I suspect that before long we will be hearing about a new condition requiring professional therapy, social network obsessive disorder (SNOD).  Its chief symptoms will be a failure to perform normal daily activities due to excessive use of the computer and an inability to relate to other humans in a face-to-face setting.

Although satisfying the desire to be in the know can consume a great deal of time and energy, it is relatively harmless.  The same cannot be said about the other step-sister.  Those who always want to be right range from merely being abrasive to being lethal.  The root of the problem is that too frequently people are unable to distinguish between fact, belief and opinion.  While it may be possible for someone to be right about facts, right or wrong, people are entitled to their own beliefs and opinions unless they lead to behavior that infringes on the rights of someone else.  Yet beliefs and opinions are the areas that generally cause the greatest conflicts.

An insistence on being right runs the gamut of our social relationships.  At the personal level, this tendency can strain or even sever friendships and family ties.  Within a society, it can lead to the thought police insisting that we be PC in our speech.  At the governmental level, it can lead to oppression and even war.  Even a casual review of history and current events will produce an inordinate list of conflicts related to this inclination.

It seems to me that this problem is related to some sort of personal insecurity.  Is it possible that people like this need others to agree with them in order to establish their sense of worth?  Or, is their concept of the world so rigid and fragile that conflicting opinions will cause their house of cards to tumble?  It’s hard to tell what the underlying cause is, but the phenomenon is ubiquitous.

It would be wonderful if we could pass a law that prevented people from insisting on being right about everything, but we would have to convince the majority of the legislators that we were right about passing the law, and implementing it would be a nightmare.  That just sounds like way too much work.  So, as I share my observations, I’m just going to look out for that tendency in myself and not insist that I am right.  This is merely an invitation to consider what is presented here. 

I’m pretty sure that I’m right about that.

In the Beginning

The name of this blog reflects an ancient parable that originated in India.  Over the years it has taken on many forms, but basically it goes like this.

Several blind men were once brought to encounter an elephant for the first time.  As they approached, the first man began to examine the elephant’s trunk and declared that an elephant is like a great snake.  The next encountered the tusk and proclaimed that an elephant is like a wonderful spear.  As one man examined the ear, the elephant was determined to be like a large leathery blanket.  The one who grasped the leg assured his companions that an elephant was, in fact, like a great tree.  The next passed his hands over the enormous side of the elephant and insisted that it was like a great wall.  The last man took hold of the elephant’s tail and was certain that an elephant was like a rope.

Each of the men insisted that his perception was the right one and declared the others to be absolutely wrong.  The debate grew into a heated argument with each man growing louder and more insistent about the truth of his opinion and the error of the others.  Finally, the elephant grew tired of the tumult and wandered off, leaving the blind men to argue about the nature of an elephant.

Initially, this parable was probably intended to illustrate the foolishness of debating various religious persuasions.  However, this analogy could just as easily be applied to any complex issue where there are differing opinions.  Too often limited perspective, huge egos, and a need to be “right” override dialog, cooperation, and humility. 

I would like to rewrite the end of this parable like this:

As the elephant turned to walk off, the men were all exposed to a different part of the elephant and realized that their initial assumptions were limited.  With a genuine desire to learn from one another, they all began sharing what they each knew about the elephant, and before long, each one had a complete understanding of what an elephant is really like.

I am just naïve enough to believe that open and honest dialog can resolve the majority of our conflicts, lead to a more complete understanding of reality, and possibly enable us to develop a sustainable planet.  It is my intention to share my perceptions as I hang on to my little part of the elephant.