Buddha and the Enlightenment Seeker - Part 2

Seeker:
I saw the video that you asked me to see.

Buddha:
Great! What happened?

Seeker:
I saw the gorilla. But not the curtain change.

Buddha:
Great. Most people do not even see the Gorilla.

Seeker:
Well, you had mentioned that it demonstrates how “blind” I am. So, I guess I was extra vigilant.

Buddha:
Ha ha.

The point was I wanted to make was simple. I wanted to erode your confidence that you are actually looking at the things in front of you. That you are actually noticing what is going on.

Would you agree that you feel like that is a possibility?

Seeker:
Hmmm. It could be. It could also be that the video was some optical illusion. I don’t know.

Buddha:
Great. “It could be” is all I wanted.

Let us explore that idea of “mind pollution”. Which prevents you from seeing reality. We talked about this last time.

Seeker:
Sure. What is this “mind pollution”?

Buddha:
So, before we start, let us play a little game.

The way it works is that I have to describe something to you. But, without using the word that is normally used to name that thing.

Do you know this game? Have you played it?

Seeker:
Yeah. I have once. It’s called “Tabu”.

Buddha:
Great. Let us begin. I am going to start now:

This thing has taken over the world. It erupts from the ground. The eruption is usually brown in color. And on this brown color eruption, there are sometimes these green color things. Sometimes this thing is large and sometimes it’s small. Sometimes on this thing, there are very colorful…

Seeker:
It’s a tree. Sorry for interrupting but I knew the answer.

Buddha:
Yes, it is. Now, here I want you to notice something. My description was 55 words long. Yet, the utterance of the word “tree” was good enough.

Words are a “compression” technology. We use them to compress information.

So, let me ask you, why do we compress information in words?

Seeker:
Because it would be very tedious to use 55 words when one is enough.

Buddha:
Correct. We are saving time and energy. But, now, let me ask you something else. Is this compression accurate? As in, can you go from the compressed word “tree” back to the whole detailed description?

Seeker:
I guess.

Buddha:
Is it? Look at these different trees…

If we both started at “tree” and tried to expand on the description, would your description and mine be the same? Consider that both of us were talking about different trees.

Seeker:
Starting from the word “tree”, no. Without talking about a “specific tree”, I would be talking about some “tree” that I picked. It will not be the “tree” you picked.

Buddha:
Correct. So, then tell me, is the compression that words like “tree” give us accurate or inaccurate?

Seeker:
I guess it is inaccurate. But still, I would not say that it’s “bad” for that reason.

Buddha:
Yes. I am not attacking words. I am only asking you to notice that words are a very “lossy” form of compression. A lot of the detail gets lost by using words.

Seeker:
Yes. I see. But what has this got to do with the “mind pollution”.

Buddha:
Yes, we are getting there. First, I only want you to see that there are some problems with words.

Seeker:
Okay. I am starting to see that.

Buddha:
Let me show you something else you might not have noticed about words. I want you to look at the word below and tell me what kind of feelings arise within you.

Seeker:
Hmm. Cholesterol. Some feelings about health. Eating fatty foods or something. Something about getting heart attacks etc. Stuff like that I suppose.

Buddha:
Yes. If you look up what “cholesterol” is according to the scientists, you get something like this…

Cholesterol is biosynthesized by all animal cells and is an essential structural component of animal cell membranes.

Let me re-state the important part: “is an essential structural component”

All the feelings that came up in your mind were scary. But it turns out that all animal cells need it. It’s essential.

What I am asking you to notice here is that the word “cholesterol” has in some way been “demonized” in your mind. It is not only a word compressing an idea that would take many words.

It has strong negative feelings associated with it. You have some aversion to it. You feel that aversion when you see the word. Only the word evoked all this. Not even the word in the context of a video about heart disease.

Does it not seem like the “compression” has gone wrong somewhere?

Seeker:
Ohh. Okay. It could be.

Buddha:
And if you can see that much then you can start to reflect on the feelings you have about other words.

Here are some loaded words: “Hindu”, “Muslim”, “Fat”, “Skinny”, “Rich”, “Poor”.

As you read these words think about the feelings that pop up in your mind about each of them.

And as those feelings show up, think about how those feelings got there. Did you put them there? Did somebody else put them there?

Seeker (after moments of reflection):
Okay. I see. Yes, many words are loaded with “feelings”.

Buddha:
Yes. But let me reiterate what you have observed so far. Words compress ideas. That compression is usually missing out on a lot of detail.

Words also have feelings associated with them. And as I showed you: Some of the feelings are not even accurate.

Would you agree with me so far?

Seeker:
Yes. I guess.

Buddha:
Tell me, how do you think? In what language?

Seeker:
Ahh. English I guess.

Buddha:
So, if you use words to think, then do you feel like all these flaws of words also creep into your thinking?

Seeker:
Ahhh…. I guess.

Buddha:
Well then that is some of that “mind pollution” I was talking about.

Seeker:
Wait how does all this come in the way of me seeing clearly? These are only words.

Yes, I think “tree”. And that means I let go of a lot of detail for the sake of speed. But, what has this got to do with seeing?

Buddha:
Great question. Tell me. How do you feel about “dogs”?

Seeker:
Dogs? Hmm. I don’t know. I guess I don’t like dogs. I am afraid of them.

Buddha:
What does it mean that you are afraid of them?

Seeker:
I guess if I see a dog as I am walking on the road, I will stay away.

Buddha:
I see. There you have it. This is how everything we have discussed affects how you see the world.

Seeker:
What do you mean?

Buddha:
I asked you about “dogs”. You said you do not like them. This is your perception of a whole species of animal. You have not met all dogs in the world. Yet, you have decided you do not like them all.

What is more, you have a “judgment” and “aversion” and “negative feelings” about all dogs. All this prevents you from interacting with the whole species. As you said you avoid them on the road.

I would say that because you have a “judgment” already made, you close your mind to the possibilities. You conclude even without interacting with a particular dog that it’s not a good idea to even try.

You have compressed millions of dogs into one word “dogs”. Then you have judged them. And this prevents you from seeing reality for what it is.

Seeker:
Okay, I see what you are saying. But, I am scared of dogs because I had a dog case me when I was a kid. It was very scary. So, my judgment is also my learning. If I did not judge, I would not be learning.

Are you saying that we should give up learning from our experiences? If that was the case then I would get chased again. That does not seem like a good solution.

Buddha:
No. I am not asking you to give up on learning or even judging. I am not asking you to do anything actually. What you do is up to you.

I am only asking you to notice that your perceptions might be biased. The conceptual categories you use to interact with the world might be too broad. It seems to be the case for “dogs” for example. What else is this the case for? Do you know? If you feel that you do not, I am asking you to investigate by looking inwards.

I only want you to see that this is how your mind works. If you do that, your “judgments” might loosen. You might start to see the world more clearly for what it really is like.

And if you do all that… your mind might be a little freer from your baggage and more engaged in what is actually in front of you.

The end goal is far away. But, do you see the path?

Seeker:
I do. What can I do to make some progress with all this?

Buddha:
That is a great question. But, there is another benefit of enlighement I want to share with you first. Let’s talk about that next time.

Seeker:
Okay.