Reference: The Happiness Rundown
17-1 . Look
See what you see, not what someone tells you that you see.
What you observe is what you observe. Look at things and life and others directly, not through any cloud of prejudice, curtain of fear or the interpretation of another.
Instead of arguing with others, get them to look. The most flagrant lies can be punctured, the greatest pretenses can be exposed, the most intricate puzzles can be resolved and the most remarkable revelations can occur simply by gently insisting that someone look.
When another finds things almost too confusing and difficult to bear, when his or her wits are going around and around, get the person to just stand back and look.
What they find is usually very obvious when they see it. Then they can go on and handle things. But if they don’t see it themselves, observe it for themselves, it may have little reality for them and all the directives and orders and punishment in the world will not resolve their muddle.
While one can indicate what direction to look and suggest that they do look, the conclusions are up to them.
A child or adult sees what he himself sees and that is reality for him.
True competence is based on one’s own ability to observe. With that as reality, only then can one be deft and sure.
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Exercise
0. Make sure you have completed the exercise section at Happiness: Precept 17. Study the precept above.
1. Check the responses to the following questions for false data (see false data steps at Happiness: Prologue).
(a) “Have you been told or taught not to look for yourself?”
(b) “Do you have any rules or ideas contrary to seeing what you see?”
(c) “Have you been led to believe that you shouldn’t look for yourself?”
(d) “Do you know of anything that conflicts with looking for yourself?”
(e) “Do you have any false data about looking and seeing what you see?”
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2. Go over each of the following questions repetitively, until there are no more answers:
(a) “How have others transgressed against the precept: ‘Look. See what you see, not what someone tells you that you see’?”
(b) “How have you transgressed against the precept: ‘Look. See what you see, not what someone tells you that you see’?”
Do a quick review to see if you did not miss any answers on this step. You should be feeling good about this step.
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3. See if the following question definitely brings up some name you know of:
“Is there any specific person in your past who really transgressed against the precept: ‘Look. See what you see, not what someone tells you that you see’?”
If no name comes up then go to step 4. if a name has come up, then continue with step 3 as follows:
“Can you recall an exact moment when you observed ___(name)___ transgressing this precept?”
If there is a realization, go to step 4. Otherwise, continue contemplating as follows, until there is some realization.
“Is there any time when you wanted to be like ___(name)___ ?”
“Is there any time when you decided that seeing what someone told you that you saw, was a good thing?”
“Did you ever do anything bad to ___(name)___ ? (Get all possible answers)
“Are there any differences between ___(name)___ and yourself?”
“Are there any similarities between ___(name)___ and yourself?”
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4. Handle any anomalies that come up on the following question by looking at the anomaly more closely.
”Do you have any reservations about looking and seeing what you see and not what someone tells you that you see?”
If the anomaly does not resolve then review the precept as well as all the exercise steps above to see if anything was missed. Then do step 4 again. When there is no anomaly go to step 5.
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5. Contemplate on the following question.
“Do you have any reservations about getting someone else to see what they see and not what they are told they see?”
If any reservation comes up, then consider the following:
“How would that be a problem?”
Get answers to this question until there are no reservations.
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