Thirty days and counting four weeks and two days of the Omer — Gevurah of Hod

Awe and Humility. Awe and Surrender.

Just as one of the facets of Netzach is Victory, one facet of Hod is Surrender. Another is Humility. On this day of Gevurah of Hod, I would like to consider the quality of Awe in Gevurah as opposed to Discipline or Structure.

The ability to feel awe is in direct relationship to one's ability to feel humility. When one has an encounter with the truly awesome, humility and surrender are natural responses. So is terror. Let's remember that awe full and awful share some things. And certainly an experience of the Divine in the guise of Gevurah can be both those things since another of its facets is Law, Judgement.

When we are in a place of true humility we do not judge. But this is humility and surrender in the face of the Divine. What about humility and surrender to a human teacher — a guru for example.

The is where another facet of Gevurah of Hod must come forward, that is using discriminating intellgence before surrendering to a teacher. While we must surrender the ego on the path, we don't do so indiscriminately. So for this day's Omer count, I turn to the Buddha's words when speaking on the subject of using disciplined thinking and discriminating intelligence born of real experience in evaluating human teachers:

THE PEOPLE of the small town Kalama complained that they were confused by contradictions they discovered in what they heard from various teachers who praised their own doctrines. They asked Buddha, who was staying in the town then, who to believe out of all who, like himself, passed through their town:
      "Venerable Sir, some recluses and brahmins visited this town and praised only their own doctrines, but condemned and despised those of others. And it is common that they do so. Sir, who among them told the truth and who told falsehood?"
      Buddha advised them, saying, "Kalama people, it is proper for you to doubt and to have perplexity [under such circumstances, when [great] doubt has arisen in a doubtful matter."
      He went on to instruct that it is wise to make a proper examination before committing. He said this was to be applied to his own teachings as well. The benefit is: not being too bound by unverifiable propositions, hopefully.
      In Pali, Buddha's reply is recorded thus:

Ma anussavena.
  Do not believe something just because it has been passed along and retold for many generations. [Simpler: Do not be led by what you are told.]

Ma paramparaya.
  Do not believe something merely because it has become a traditional practice. [Do not be led by whatever has been handed down from past generations.]

Ma itikiraya.
  Do not believe something simply because it is well-known everywhere. [Do not be led by hearsay or common opinion.]

Ma Pitakasampadanena.
  Do not believe something just because it is cited in a text. [Do not be led by what the scriptures say]

Ma takkahetu.
  Do not believe something solely on the grounds of logical reasoning. [Do not be led by mere logic.]

Ma nayahetu.
  Do not believe something merely because it accords with your philosophy. [Do not be led by mere deduction or inference.]

Ma akaraparivitakkena.
  Do not believe something because it appeals to "common sense". [Do not be led by considering only outward appearance.]

Ma ditthinijjhanakkhantiya.
  Do not believe something just because you like the idea. [Do not be led by preconceived notions (and the theory reflected as an approval)]

Ma bhabbarupataya.
  Do not believe something because the speaker seems trustworthy. [Do not be led by what seems acceptable; do not be led by what some seeming believable one says.]

Ma samano no garu ti.
  Do not believe something thinking, "This is what our teacher says". [Do not be led by what your teacher tells you is so.]

Kalamas, when you yourselves directly know, "This is [these things are] unwholesome, this is blameworthy, this is condemned or censured by the wise, these things when accepted and practised lead to poverty and harm and suffering," then you should give them up.
      Kalamas, when you yourselves directly know, "These things are wholesome, blameless, praised by the wise; when adopted and carried out they lead to well-being, prosperity and happiness," then you should accept and practise them."

Gautama Buddha, Kesaputti Sutta, 5th sutta (sutra) in the Book of Threes (Mahavagga) in the Gradual Sayings (Tika Nipata).

The Pali text runs like this: "Etha tumhe Kalama. Ma anussavena, ma paramparaya, ma itikiraya, ma pitasampadanena, ma takkahetu, ma nayahetu, ma akaraparivitakkena, nid ditthinijjhanakkhantiya, ma bhabbarupataya, ma samanro no garu ti." [Bht 284]