Question everything
That’s it. That’s the whole thing.
One last story before you go. Villagers once came to the Buddha with a complaint. Every teacher passing through swore his teaching was the truth and the rest were frauds. So who should they believe? The Buddha said: don’t believe anything, no matter where you read it or who said it, even if I said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense. Don’t believe something just because it’s tradition, or because it’s in a book, or because someone smart or famous said so. Test it the way you test food. Does it taste good? Is it good for you? Does it make you freer, or more dependent?
The menu is not the meal. You can compare teachings forever and never taste one. You test it on yourself. It’s like learning to swim: sooner or later you have to get in the water. Think, try, watch what works.
I tried it. Turned out there was nothing to believe.
You are not your character. You carry the whole world around on your head, and there is no difference between you and the world.
Same with the joyful path. Don’t take what I say on faith. Try it yourself.
Now question all of it, including this. Take what works, leave what doesn’t. The only test that matters is whether your day gets better.
Stop lying. Live your life as the final copy, no rough drafts: no regrets, full of gratitude. Live for the fun of it and help others live. And see what happens.
Want to argue? Come find me.
This book opened with a question. It leaves you with the same one.