Belief vs Knowledge
The distinction between belief and knowledge is crucial on the path. Knowledge is the inter-relation among experiences, structured logically and consistently in the memory. It is acquired only through two valid means of knowledge: direct experience and logic. Belief, on the other hand, is accepted without verification it is an invalid means of knowledge.A belief may accidentally coincide with truth, but this does not make it knowledge. It remains a belief until it is verified through one's own experience. As long as something is merely believed, it occupies the same category as ignorance, because the person holding it cannot distinguish it from a delusion.
How beliefs are acquired
Beliefs are not born with us we are born innocent, without knowledge or ignorance. Beliefs are acquired through:- Indoctrination: Whatever was told to us as children by parents, family, community is the most deep-rooted and dangerous source of beliefs. The child's mind is like wet clay; it accepts everything without question because survival depends on following the elders.
- Social conditioning: The people around us, the society, the culture all impose their beliefs on us. If many people repeat something, we tend to accept it as true. This is the democratic knowledge bias.
- Authority: Books, scriptures, leaders, institutions their statements are often accepted uncritically simply because of the reputation or power of the source.
- Fear: The root cause of most beliefs is survival. People hold beliefs because questioning them feels dangerous they fear being outcast, punished, or left alone.
Beliefs as obstacles
Beliefs are a primary obstacles on the path of knowledge. A closed-minded person has a wall of beliefs guarding the mind against any new knowledge. Such a person cannot hear anything that opposes the already installed beliefs even sitting for five minutes with a contrary idea becomes impossible.The seeker must examine every belief critically: is this my direct experience, or is it something I was told? If it is merely told, it is information at best, ignorance at worst. Most of what we think is knowledge turns out to be blind beliefs gathered from here and there.
Destroying beliefs
The path of knowledge aims to destroy all beliefs not to replace them with better beliefs, but to arrive at direct, undeniable knowledge. Nothing needs to be believed on this path. In fact, we are going to destroy all beliefs. The goal is knowledge, not a refined set of assumptions.If your beliefs are founded on knowledge and direct experience, they will not be destroyed by inquiry they will be confirmed. Only the unfounded beliefs will crumble. Knowledge is very simple; the difficult part is getting rid of the blind beliefs.
See also: blind belief, ignorance, knowledge, indoctrination, means of knowledge, critical thinking, belief systems.