Many religions will tell you that to believe something in canon, despite lack of evidence, or substantial evidence to the contrary of that belief, is Faith. So, one might say that Faith is a matter of belief, without evidence. Or is it?
I've turned this question over in my mind so many times that my skull feels like a hamster wheel sometimes. The question is this: Is it possible to be a good Buddhist, and still maintain my skeptical point of view? I'm not sure I have the final answer, but I do think I'm coming close to some kind of resolution. Here's why.
Buddhism, in part, is based on the idea that it's premises are testable. In one story, the Buddha is said to have told a popular orator called Upali that before converting to Buddhism, he should "Make a proper investigation first. Proper investigation is good for a man like yourself." In other words, (and this is my interpretation, now), the Buddha was telling Upali that he should critically examine the tenets of Buddhism before making the decision to join this new religion.
This is a vote of confidence for a skeptical viewpoint, in my mind. Proper investigation of anything, done in a controlled, careful manner, is good for just about anything, whether its picking out produce at the grocery store, or choosing a religion for the rest of your life.
However, Buddhism is a religion and religion is based on Faith. Faith in what, though?
The story goes that the Buddha's mother who was a virgin, was gently prodded in the ribs by the tusk of a white elephant, and nine months later gave birth to the Buddha. (What, you thought the Christians came up with the whole 'virgin birth' thing first?) Belief in that would be entirely predicated on Faith. An important question, however, is how does belief in that single event affect the religion as a whole? Another, similar take on this question of Faith might be, if Jesus had not been born from a virgin mother, would the message of, "Love your neighbor as yourself.", be less significant?
So here, we get to the heart of why I think it is possible to commingle Buddhism and Skepticism. In making a 'proper investigation', I think it is important to determine what kind of Faith you are looking for. In this case, there are two kinds of Faith. Faith in the teachings, and Faith in the legend, for lack of a better term. Faith in the legend does nothing to improve the human condition, or to lend credence to a mystical religion, based in what is to the untrained observer, a practical world. The untrained observer is me, by the way.
Faith in the Legend means you believe in virgin birth, miracles, people who radiate their own light, feed multitudes with five loaves and two fish, and are showered with flowers from heaven as they meditate. OK, so what does this do to make you a better person? Which, I am told, is ostensibly the goal of any religion. In a phrase, not too darn much.
However, Faith in the Teachings is another matter entirely. The Golden Rule, The Five Precepts, The Ten Commandments, The Dhammapada, The Beatitudes, The Eight-Fold Path... These are things I can put faith in. These are concrete, real ideas that can make a person more than they are, and this last point is the most important, these stand up to investigation and testing. While I prefer the Buddhist take on adherence far more than the Christian one, how many people would like to point out the differences between "Thou shalt not steal." and "Refrain from taking what is not freely given to you." Where two or more religions agree, there must be some semblance of universal truth going on. I think that's a good test.
I have faith that given the choice, a person would rather be good than bad. Some of this is based on evidence, some is not. I have had plenty of experiences in my life that have shown me both sides of the coin, both good and bad, and from where I stand, the good far outweighs the bad. Is this a bit of data selection on my part? Counting the hits and ignoring the misses? I don't know. I do know that many times, I have been allowed to go in front of someone else in line, while I can count only a few times that someone has forced their way in front of me. Anecdotal evidence? Sure. But, gathered over years of research, it's statistically significant, and remember, I'm doing the research for me, not for you. You've got to pick your own faith.
So as I rant on about faith-based this, blind belief in that, or general religions silliness, remember, there is a place at which the two roads of religion and skepticality can meet. And that place is the practicality of faith in teachings. Get your own data, and test it for yourself.
Later.
-D.
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