Back to Balance


"Ok Doc, so what was that story all about," asked John, a younger brother of Pete, who had just joined the class. "I don't get the whole onion thing."

"You're not alone John," smiled Doc. "Most people don't get the onion at first, or at least the whole story behind it."

"You mean there's more to the onion story," asked Freddie, a younger brother of Eddie, who too had just joined the class.

"That's right Fred," said Doc. "And we'll get to that next. But right now I'd like to talk about something else. Let's get back to balance. Have you all been doing the exercise I taught you with the scales, putting different values on the pans and seeing how they weigh out?"

About half the students nodded their heads half-heartedly, while the other six just sat there, blank-faced, staring off to space.

"Now how do you guys ever expect to learn anything if you don't practice," Doc said in his firmest gentlest best. "There's only so much I can do. After that, it's all up to you."

Doc smiled at his expressionless audience, then gestured to Miles, who was visiting home from college.

"What do you think Milo," asked Doc. "Having exercised yourself on the scales for a few years, what can you tell these young people about balance?"

Miles thought for a moment as he smiled back at Doc. "Whenever I'm caught in conflict, or feeling trapped between a rock and a hard place, I put whatever it is I'm struggling with on the scales and I think of balance. For instance, the past few months I've been torn between staying in school or joining the army. I really want to stay in school because I love chemistry and someday I'd like to be a physician or scientist. But on the other hand, the war in Vietnam is escalating and I feel obligated to help out with that. My father was in World War II, plus I really love my
country, so I want to do my part. And yet something is different about this war, somehow it doesn't feel right, and I find myself questioning if we're the "good guy" in this one. I know that sounds unpatriotic, but sometimes you have to ask such questions. I mean, people have encountered this problem all along. I can only imagine how difficult the Civil War must have been when people had to fight their own countrymen. Where is patriotism then? When such conflict arises it brings to the surface the deepest of questions about what's right and wrong. After all, that's what the story of The Man in The Cave is all about. Right Doc?"

"Whatever you decide Milo," smiled Doc, "You pass my class with flying colors."

A long pause suffused the classroom as Miles story continued to sink in, many of Doc's students realizing they might soon face the same choice. The silence was finally broken with another question.

"I still need help understanding how the scales work," asked John. "How do you put values on the scales and find balance? I need a specific example."

"Sure," said Doc, scratching his head. "A few years back, when Miles was a student in my very first class like this, we put both science and faith on the balance. That is, on one pan of the scales we put science, which is a process of investigation we use to better understand our world, a process which involves both direct personal observation and what's called consensual validation, which means others can directly observe the same thing.  Now, on the other pan we put faith, which is an understanding or knowing of a different sort, a sort which requires no external evidence or proof, you simply believe it's true. Faith is like love, if not love itself. When you know you love someone, you don't need science or any other evidence to tell you whether your love is true or not, you just know it, and that's it! Does that make sense?"

After a small pause, Doc nodded his head towards a bright new student who raised her hand.

"So tell me if I'm picturing this right. On one side of the balance we put science, which is knowledge based on direct evidence we see, and on the other
side of the balance we put faith, which basically means something we just know in our hearts is true."

"You got it Rose," said Doc. "So let's take this idea and look back about 400 years ago, a time when science and faith met face to face. This was the beginning of the Enlightenment, a time when the famous investigator and thinker Galileo Galilei began to question the faith of his day, which said a number of things that were contrary to obvious facts Galileo could easily observe himself. For example, during Galileo's time it was commonly held that bigger, heavier objects fall faster than smaller, lighter objects. This belief was taught by the famous philosopher Aristotle and subsequently carried forward over the next 1,500 years. Nobody questioned or tested this belief, or if they did, they didn't tell anyone or confront whatever authority or institution that accepted the belief. In any case, Galileo did question this belief. And when he tested it, he found that objects of different weights fall at the same rate."

Freddie immediately raised his hand, but Doc raised a finger to indicate he wasn't finished yet.

"Now in doing his tests Galileo had to consider air resistance. That is, he couldn't compare a lead ball with a feather because air itself has weight that pushes back against falling objects. That's why birds and cottony seeds can fly, the resistance of air pushes back, or gives lift, to such things with wings. However, when you compare a small marble and a big lead ball, air resistance makes little difference, and they will hit the ground at basically the same instant. Freddie did you have a question?"

"So if there was no air, the objects would hit at exactly the same time?"

"Yes, that's right, if they were dropped from the exact same starting point. You can learn more about that in physics. But the point of this discussion is that Galileo used direct observation to question and dispute a supposed fact that had been held true by leaders and believed by the populace for hundreds of years. Yet the simple test that Galileo did, anyone could have done. It was a test using direct observation. And it was a test open to verification by others. It was a test of science."

"So the scales tip in favor of science 'ey Doc?" said Freddie. "Faith is for the foolish."

"It might appear that way at first glance Freddie," said Doc, "But the scales are about balance. And in that light, I suggest that Galileo's test was just as much a test of faith as it was of science. That is, it was a test of Galileo's faith in himself, faith in what his own eyes and mind were telling him, despite what hundreds of years of tradition and authority and popularity had been saying was true."

At this point, Doc gave a knowing glance to Miles. To which Miles responded, "Doc, the story of Galileo reminds me of our discussion years ago about rebels, outlaws and heroes."

"A rebel flying on a telescope instead of a motorbike," Doc laughed, tossing the comment to his audience. After a thoughtful pause, a hand went into the air. Doc gave a nod to Rose.

"So when we put science on one side of the scales and faith on the other, they should somehow balance out."

"Something like that," said Doc. "Now let's move on and put faith on each side of the scales. Only this time, it is not faith itself we are weighing here, but where we place our faith. So on one side of the scales we place our faith in authority and/or popular opinion. And on the other side of the scales we place faith in our self, in what we believe is true, regardless of what others may think. How do the scales balance now? What do you see happening if the scales go to either extreme? What do you think John?"

John thought about his answer for a moment, his eyes gazed to the side, as if imagining what would happen. Then he carefully said, "I can see how either extreme might lead you astray. Most of the time you would want some sort of balance between the beliefs of your society and the beliefs you hold for yourself. In general, the beliefs of society and self should agree. On the other hand, as with Galileo, I can see that sometimes, when society does not agree with what your own eyes see, the scales will tip, and you have to have complete faith in yourself, that is, at least until others help you test which belief is valid."

"Thanks John," nodded Doc. "I think that gives us plenty to think about for now. So until next week..."

"Doc, one more question please," interrupted another new student, bringing the dismissal to a halt. "I'm still unclear about the purpose of the scales and keeping these things, or ideas, or values, or whatever you call them, in balance. What's the point?"

"Let me put it this way," said Doc. "Looking all around us this clear warm morning---with its crystal blue skies and green grass, its rainbow painted flowers and beautiful bright birds---we can see that the world presents itself in rich full color. Truly, this is life in all its wonderful glory. Now if we were out at night, under a full moon, the world would look mostly black and white with many shades of gray in between. And in another way, this too is glorious life. So, just as our TV sets today are moving from black and white to color programming, exercising with the scales of balance helps us do the same thing. In effect, they open our eyes in the light of the Sun, allowing us to see our world in richer fuller color. And yet balance of the scales allows the joys of black and white too, as in a long walk under the full moon, or watching a scary movie like Cat People or a romantic tear-jerker like Casablanca, where the grayscale of light and shadow feel completely natural. In this way, the scales of balance help open your eyes to the richness and diversity of life. Balance plants your onion and allows healthy growth."

"Oh yeah, what about the onion Doc," said Freddie, as everyone started getting up and walking towards the door.

"We'll learn about that next time," said Doc, "when we sit At the Foot of Bodhisativa."

Ding.