The Trouble with History
Posted: September 12, 2010 | Author: Doug | Filed under: Buddhism, General, Theravada | 3 Comments »It occurred to me recently after reading this comic and this comic that much of our interest in history is a best-guess at most. This happens in movies quite a bit that present themselves as historical dramas (usually with emphasis on “drama”), where things are skewed a little for drama. Fellow blogger and avid historian Tornadoes28 has a great blog post about the myth of samurai cavalry in film, where the horses and style of cavalry used are not what actually happened during combat.
Even when talking about religious history, a popular subject here, we’re often looking through a tiny lens to a time and place that was far more complex than we can understand. Books can tell us something, but it’s helpful to bear in mind that we’re seeing through a tiny, foggy lens provided by someone else, who presumably learned how to make that lens from someone else, and so on.
None of this is intended to negate the value of history, but does help to put things into perspective. To get on my Buddhist soapbox, the only reality is now, and either we see it occur, or we miss out on it. I am reminded of one of my favorite sutras in the Theravada Pali Canon, the Aggi-Vacchagotta Sutta (MN 72):
“A ‘position,’ Vaccha, is something that a Tathagata [the Buddha] has done away with. What a Tathagata sees is this: ‘Such is form, such its origin, such its disappearance; such is feeling, such its origin, such its disappearance; such is perception… such are mental fabrications… such is consciousness, such its origin, such its disappearance.’ Because of this, I say, a Tathagata — with the ending, fading out, cessation, renunciation, and relinquishment of all construings, all excogitations, all I-making and mine-making and obsession with conceit — is, through lack of clinging/sustenance, released [e.g. Nirvana].”
Another quote on the subject, from Frank Herbert’s Dune series for your consideration too. 
P.S. Moved back to 3 posts / week schedule (Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday). JLPT is coming in a couple of months, and I am also transitioning to a new position at work, so time is pretty limited now.
Hello, this blog is about my life as a father, Buddhist and Japanophile. Any useful information I can pass along will hopefully make the 
Thank you for your kind comment. I agree with your view on the complexity of religion. It is far to complex to learn solely through books. It requires a certain type of effort although even I am not sure exactly what type of effort that is.
Very nice post!
All history is lies and fabrications, isn’t it? They might be well meaning, but they are distortions at best. I’m very interested in all history, not just Japanese but everywhere, but I am oft reminded of how silly it is to take it too seriously — it is all just a story and any of it may be “proven” wrong tomorrow as new evidence comes to light.
Indeed, the only real is… (I’d include a sound of a chime — or gong, or meditation bowl… whatever you call it — if I could here)
Hi guys:
Tornado28: Yeah, more and more, the effort part is becoming important to me too as I’ve essentially exhausted my efforts reading books. :p
JapanDave: Welcome to the JLR! I wouldn’t go so far as to call them lies and fabrications, but distortions most certainly. Memory is such a fickle thing, and even with the best of intentions, reality is nothing more than what interpret of it. That’s what I’ve learned studying Hosso Buddhism (Yogacara school) as of late.
The ‘chime’ was a nice touch by the way.