“Why Buddhism is True”

Despite reflections and personal meditations, Robert Wright’s comment sparked insight into the pervasiveness of cognitive biases in our daily life. As a Freemason, these cognitive biases are many and present themselves differently depending on the context and person in question. We’ve all had moments where a tired mind has made us say or do things that we wouldn’t otherwise have done while being alert. It is these biases within our minds that linger from our evolutionary past. The rough edges of being that we must constantly work to chisel off with intent and purpose.

Within our Lodge rooms, we are taught about controlling our passions and desires within bounds. Yet I wonder if the imagery focuses more on the spectrum of our emotional sates or actions rather than the underlying cognitive biases or mental blocks that prevent us from appraising the situation accurately and responding accordingly? According to Wright, Buddhism’s interpretation of the human mind—including our propensity for selfish goals and the transient nature of pleasure—acknowledge that our minds have a remarkable ability to not only think, but delude ourselves based upon our limited sensory perceptions. A fundamental principle of Buddhism implies that our perception of a fixed self is a delusion, and acknowledging this might assist us in letting go of our attachment to experiences and desires.

The idea of delusions accurately reflects my professional experience in practicing medicine. Whether it is the physical appearance, speech, or mannerisms of the patient as well as my own emotional state and medical system I operate in, these factors have been shown to have significant influence on the decisions made my doctors and other medical staff. When ignored or dismissed, these biases spiral and grow larger and larger, often leading to medical errors, unnecessary treatments or misunderstandings. I would argue that when it comes to subduing our passions, a large part of the practice is more a self-understanding of the triggers, situations and states that cause ourselves to stumble and delude ourselves into having an assessment of a situation.

Wright’s book frames these cognitive biases as evolutionary baggage from our collective pasts. Rather than seeing our biases as personal flaws, his book assess them as part of our human nature that we are still working to manage, contain, and, hopefully, let go as we progress. Within the Craft, the process of keeping these biases or passions within bounds is the art of inward reflection or meditation. Beyond the ritual work and business of the Lodge, to be a Mason is the art of understanding our consciousness, including our imperfections. Through working together as a fraternity, those imperfections become seeds of understanding and opportunities to practice managing our tendencies towards something better. Removing the emotive element of our imperfections allows for a greater willingness to address those imperfections with a gentle spirit towards ourselves and others, regardless of our respective religious traditions.

As Robert Wright referenced in Why Buddhism is True, “The Dalai Lama has said, ‘Don’t try to use what you learn from Buddhism to be a better Buddhist; use it to be a better whatever-you-already-are.'”