The Story
Some students of the Baal Shem Tov came to him one day with a question: "Every year we travel here to learn from you. Nothing could make us stop doing that. But we have learned of a man in our own town who claims to be a tzaddik, a righteous one. We would love to profit from his wisdom. But how will we know if he is genuine? Perhaps he is a fake?"
The Baal Shem Tov looked at his earnest students. "You must test him by asking him a question," he said.
The Baal Shem Tov paused for a while, and then asked his students: "You have had difficulty with stray thoughts during prayer?"
"Yes!" The Hasidim answered eagerly. "We try to think only of our holy intentions as we pray, but other thoughts come into our minds. We have tried many methods not to be troubled by them, but nothing seems to work for any length of time."
"Good," said the Baal Shem Tov. "Ask this tzaddik the way to stop such thoughts from entering your minds."
"And if he has an answer he is genuine?" asked the Hasidim. The Baal Shem Tov smiled. "If he has an answer, he is a fake."
Understanding The Story
We generally embark upon a spiritual path feeling called by something beautiful that holds the promise of release, happiness, purity, unity, or whatever other words may suit our individual tendencies.
We may be trying to cultivate holy intention by communing with God through prayer or study. We may be sitting in meditation adamantly watching our breath while trying to stay in the Here and Now, we may be chanting devotional songs to Shiva, reading scriptures, or whirling in ecstasy as practiced by the Sufi religion of love.
Sometimes There's A Difference Between Intention And Achievement
Whatever our practice, we are trying to align ourselves with some noble truth that our being is moving towards with longing.
And yet, as we engage in our noble practice, most often one of the first things that becomes glaringly obvious is how far we are from being able to fully embody our beautiful ideal (or idea) of truth.
As we begin turning our attention inwards, all the demons and distracting desires that inhabit the caves of our soul, will generally slither up to confront us.
If we are trying to be loving and compassionate, our selfish tendencies may stare rudely in our face. For instance, when concentrating on our breath or attempting to meditate on God, we may find ourselves engrossed in an angry argument that took place two weeks ago.
How ever hard we try we may not be able to rid ourselves from all those oh so human tendencies and traits that make up the fabric of our personality, and furthermore it may seem utterly impossible to stop the torrent of thoughts our minds create without any consideration for the huge effort we are putting in to stop the mental chatter.
We may be able to try to eradicate those distractions that - so it seems - appear to put a barrier between us and our longed for communion with truth. As the Hasidim in the story say: "we try to think only of our holy intentions as we pray, but other thoughts come into our minds. We have tried many methods not to be troubled by them, but nothing seems to work for any length of time."
Seeking The Answer
From time to time we may meet someone - teacher, guru, rabbi, therapist of some kind or other, who will say: "I can help you".
Longingly we grasp on to the possibility of redemption, and this is where the tricky part comes in, for there appears to something in the makeup of our sense of self that latches on to any possibility of "knowing the answer."
Something in us wishes to grasp on to any person who might offer a concrete solution to our malady and further more, the moment we are graced with a taste of 'success' like moments of meditative stillness, deep absorption in prayer, or a delightful sense of heart opening, something in us jumps up triumphantly to say: "I've got it!" And what's more that same something within us will joyfully announce: "now I know how it's done!"
And yet it seems that truth is much too subtle and elusive as to be put into any kind of clear equation or framework, which is perhaps why the Baal Shem Tov tells his students that if the teacher they are approaching tells them the way to stop distracting thoughts from entering their minds, he is a fake.
What Is Truth?
What's more, it would seem that perhaps true wisdom is pointing us towards the understanding that it is not really necessary to "stop our thoughts" or "get rid" of all our so called defilements so as to be able to know truth.
Paradoxically enough, it might be that only with the embracing of whatever it is that is running through our system, only when we agree to stop resisting the gap between who we are and what we wish to be, that truth will suddenly reveal itself with illuminating beauty.
How do we know what we are doing is leading to truth? How do we know if a teacher, path or practice is genuine?
Perhaps all we can do is listen for those voices, whether coming from within or without, that try to tell us they know the way with an emphasis on the 'the.'
Perhaps we can learn to be slightly wary of those voices that insist they know the way to eradicate parts of us that may appear to be a distraction or hindrance to truth; the voices that refuse to acknowledge with love the wholeness of who we are.
And perhaps it is only when relaxing into the uncertainty of not knowing, allowing ourselves to meet each experience or person with the freshness of new eyes…perhaps it is only then, that true knowing can arise.