All The Way Down

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 A shard of genius from Josh Russell:

There’s a popular, origins-unknown story about a scientist telling a room full of people about astrological theory, the moon revolving around the earth revolving around the sun revolving around the centre of the galaxy and possibly all of that revolving around the centre of the universe. Possibly. An old woman stood up and said, “This is hogwash!” The scientist, obviously, was amused by her incredulity. “What then, madam do you propose?” The old woman, not diminishing even the tiniest bit replied, “Its a flat world on the back of a giant turtle!” Sir Scientist, ever amused by those who lay claims without instrumentally-backed evidence, said to her (in an attempt to finish the conversation swiftly): “Then what is holding up the turtle?” She replied, just as confidently: “Its turtles all the way down!”

Wasn’t the Buddha a turtle once? There are plenty of creation stories that say we live on the back of a turtle or several turtles… or a raven or elephant…

What’s the point? I’m glad you asked. I read a lot, and sometimes I feel I am certain of what to believe about the world or faith or people or “nature”… but then something happens that shakes that foundation. Someone tells me its actually turtles all the way down, or worse, there’s nothing there. As a kid I learned that it was Jesus and angels all the way… my life is my own and I am accountable for every action and inaction in my life. Then I was a science student and I became an atheist. Then I became interested in education and I started to become a Buddhist.

Now? I’m not sure… the child in me that’s still afraid of eternal consequence arises from time to time, but I am much more comfortable in that idea of a messy, always partial interpretation or experience of the cosmos. I mean, its the cosmos, its HUGE. Obviously we don’t know it all. There’s different types of knowledge, all swirling out there in the billions of galaxies in deep space images and each only paints part of the picture. While ideas and interpretations and politics can be and should be challenged, I try my best to take a “yes, and” approach (at least initially) rather than a “either, or” approach. I try to integrate integrate integrate as long as I can before I am politically or ethically convinced that a particular view fits or enhances the messy image in my head. Or it doesn’t.

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Perpetual uncertainty is a condition of human understanding. The sooner we assimilate that reality into our conceptual worlds the more humble, inquisitive and wise we will become.