Within the reach of wisdom

Practicing Dharma is a search for the truth.

It is a path of inquiry, trying to understand who we are and the nature of the world around us. It is not about finding the answers, but of learning to ask better questions.

The Buddhist path is based on a tradition of skepticism, criticism, and doubt. The practitioner is encouraged to test out the teachings, to investigate their utility and significance.

O bhikshus and wise men, just as a goldsmith would test his gold by burning, cutting, and rubbing it, so you must examine my words and accept them, but not merely out of reverence for me.
–  Buddha, Ghanavyuha sutra

Following the path of Dharma is a process of developing a better understanding of our own nature. It is a process of familiarizing ourselves with better explanations, but not fixating on those as being the 'right answer.'

Right understanding leads to wisdom, an understanding of the nature of the self and the intricate web of dependence between our environment and others that shapes who we are.

Good explanations have reach, they reach beyond the person and our limited situation, to extend out to others in far off corners of the world in which we have no interaction.

Wisdom illuminates the darkness of bad explanations, shining a light on the inconsistencies and the holes in our understanding of the world and our place in it.

The whole point of Dharma isn't to find out what is right, it is to walk the path of wisdom that seeks out better understanding.