Accept and reject are false opposites; i.e. accept is not really the opposite of reject, and vice versa. The Buddha never expected us to accept anything which he taught us. That doesn’t mean he wants us to reject everything or anything which he taught. He was selflessly sharing his knowledge with us, for the happiness of ourselves. He is selfless and unmoved by anything; his emotion is unmoved regardless of whether we accept or reject his teaching. In a way, he doesn’t care about what we think or do, although this is not the accurate description of what he thinks. He wants us to learn his way, attain virtue, equanimity and wisdom, and become unmoved by whatever happens (Eight Winds: gain and loss, honor and disrepute, praise and blame, pleasure and pain) in the outer world, like the Buddha. We will feel happy (aka no suffering) under any circumstances. The Buddha loves us; he loves everybody, but he has no attachment to anybody. Love means: “I want you to be happy”. Attachment means: “I want you to make me happy.” So, love and attachment are completely different things; although ordinary people tend to have both or none. The Buddha wants us to gain appreciation of the ideas, goes beyond belief, committed to practice the ideas in daily life, personally feel the wholesomeness, achieve awakening to the truths, organizing our ways of living accordingly to make them into positive habits, and be seen and characterized as a happy, calm and respectable person.
Not accepting an idea is not equal to rejecting. Not rejecting an idea is not equal to accepting. Accept and reject are not binary logic. Dualistic ways of thinking often set a limit to our freedom of thoughts. The Universe is not a straight line, or 2-dimensional, or even 3-dimensional but could possibly be multi-dimensional. Only people like Einstein and Richard Feynman can see the infinite possibility of time and space. Schrodinger’s cat can be alive and dead at the same time. What I don’t know or don’t understand does not necessarily mean it is wrong or untrue. The Buddha was probably the best scientist.
“Questioning based on preconceived views, you’re confused by what you have grasped.
And so you are unable to glimpse even the slightest notion of the real truth.
That’s why you mistook the truth as nonsense.
Whoever construes ‘equal’, ‘superior’ or ‘inferior’, by that he’d dispute;
whereas to one unmoved by these three,
‘equal’ or ‘superior’ does not exist.
With whom would the true man argue ‘this is true’ or ‘this is false’?
He in whom there is no ‘equal’ or ‘unequal’, with whom would he join another in dispute?”
– SNp 4.9 Magandiya Sutta
I don’t accept all the teachings of the Buddha, because the Buddha taught me never to accept any idea. I also don’t reject all the teachings of the Buddha, because the Buddha taught me never to reject any idea. Accept and reject are the two extremes which are equally bad. I will practice anything and everything which will lead to cessation of suffering, i.e. perpetual happiness. I will walk the path to perfect my virtue, equanimity and wisdom. I don’t even have awakening to the truths, leave alone attainment of the truths. I can only confirm the Buddha’s teaching as the truths when I attain Nibbana; i.e. direct and personal knowledge of the truths. Until then, I am just not in the position to accept or reject any idea.
RESILIENT KID 