We all like evidence that confirms our views, opinions, and beliefs however weak it might be. We don’t much care for disconfirming evidence, which might very well be true, but which undermines some of our strongest opinions. In fact, we often go out of our way to make sure that we give a low weight to any and all disconfirming evidence especially with regard to religious matters.
This leads me to say many who take up the study and practice of Buddhism have preexisting ideas about Buddhism that may not, in fact, be found in Buddhism. Furthermore, they elect to become Buddhists because they believe that Buddhism falls in line with their present grasp of reality which might not be the case. In fact, it is unlikely that the Buddhism found in the canon agrees with modern Buddhists, especially the canon of Mahayana Buddhism which is decisively mystical requiring cognosis.
Presently, a lot of people who call themselves Buddhists believe that Buddhism has much in common with science; also, that Buddhism is a pragmatic religion that teaches us how to live in the here and now with contentment and much less pain. This view of Buddhism reflects a number of cognitive biases the most important of which is that many take up Buddhism without really studying it, assuming that their view of it is pretty accurate. Yet, these same people may have only read one or two books by an author whose Buddhist erudition is hardly profound; whose view of Buddhism falls into the general category of pop Buddhism.
Where all this takes the unwary Buddhist, who is new to Buddhism, is not otherwise than back to their own general opinions about religion, not to mention their limited views about the meaning of existence and what to expect from life. In this respect, their core biases will forever remain unchallenged and unchanged—and this isn't good.
Buddhism wants us to see Buddhism on its own terms—not by way of our own assumptions about Buddhism which may very well lack sufficient evidence. To say the least, this demands that we invest a number of hours of rigorous study and sweat into this project. Studying what the Buddha actually said—not what he didn’t say—can’t be done in a fortnight or two, in other words. From Buddhism’s own side, we are being asked to spiritually prepare to climb the equivalent of Mount Everest if we wish to go all the way with Buddhism. Especially, when we consider the lives of Buddhist saints such as Asanga and great Zen masters and Lamas, Buddhism is a tough climb but one not without substantial rewards.
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