MURYOKO
'Infinite Light'
Journal of Shin Buddhism
John Paraskevopoulos
Scepticism
Our contemporary age seems unparalleled in its scepticism and cynicism regarding spiritual matters. It is as if modern man now considers himself fully 'adult' and therefore not in need of the 'emotional crutch' of religion. In fact, it is often an acute source of embarrassment to many people to have to admit, among their peers, that they subscribe to any kind of religious faith for fear of ridicule or scorn. We pride ourselves in having outgrown the 'pathetic superstitions' of our forefathers and of cultivating a more mature outlook that is informed by the 'verities' of scientific rationalism and the rich bounty it has provided to our lives. No more, it seems, of the benighted delusions of the past with their false attachment to a spiritual universe which has retarded the 'civilized' progress of people for thousands of years by its preference for another, higher, world to this mundane one.
Although this outlook still dominates our outlook today, fissures have already begun to appear in the seemingly impregnable fortress of the modern world with its values of materialism, scientism and reductionism. However, who would argue that people today are necessarily happier or more fulfilled ? What price has been paid in abandoning the spiritual certainties which have marked the countless lives of traditional societies throughout the ages ? We see before us a one-dimensional world stripped of all its mystery and wonder - a vale of misery which is perpetuated by false promises but where happiness is sought in all the wrong places and where real knowledge is simply equated with cleverness and cunning.
A fundamental aspect of the Buddha's teaching was the impermanent and unsatisfactory nature of human life. This much should surely be obvious to any thinking and sensitive human being. But this was not all that the Buddha taught lest his message be seen as one of unmitigated despair. However, many people today have simply resigned themselves to the reality that this is all that life is or has to offer and that we simply have to struggle to make the best of a bad situation. This is often done by distracting ourselves with the glittering fruits of modern civilization such as the captivating new advances of technology. These, while purporting to increase our comfort and leisure time, only serve to heighten anxiety and boredom by their very inability to truly satisfy our deepest need. What is this need ? The Buddha's answer to this question was: 'Infinite Light and Eternal Life'.
In speaking of such things, the Buddha was not merely indulging in unattainable abstractions. He was trying to open our weary eyes to the nature of reality - true reality - in contrast to the dream-like world we inhabit in our everyday lives; lives marked by disappointment, frustration and futility. The Buddha needed to call a 'spade a spade' when talking about life in order to shake us out of our spiritual slumber and point the way to genuine human fulfilment. 'Infinite Light and Eternal Life' refer to the highest wisdom and compassion which characterize the transcendent nature of the Buddha's reality which is also known as Nirvana - the state of perfect enlightenment and bliss. To many people, such talk must seem speculative nonsense and wishful thinking that has no bearing on the stern realities of the 'real' world. However, the Buddha extended an invitation to all people over two and a half thousand years ago that still stands today. He invites us to follow a path, to undertake a journey - often difficult, but potentially full of joy - that will eventually see us through our long, dark night of ignorance and suffering. He asks us to do so without biased preconceptions and in a spirit of trust and confidence. A spiritual path that has clearly afforded millions of people such hope, consolation and spiritual well-being surely deserves to be tried and tested rather than dismissed out of hand. Do we fear that there may be more to life than our bleak resignations ? It is never too late to take our first, albeit tentative, steps towards the Buddha's realm of light. Nobody is excluded from his invitation to a life constantly embraced by the compassion that dwells in the very heart of reality itself and which imparts its blissful joy to all who entrust themselves to its wisdom.
Once our eyes have been opened in this way, there can be no more room for scepticism or disillusionment for this very awakening is true knowledge itself which confers a certainty and happiness which cannot be shaken by the vicissitudes of the world.