It's easy being BioBuddha. All you gotta do is point out what should be obvious. -- BioBuddha
Becoming BioBuddha was not something that happened overnight. Nor was it the result of a profound epiphany that occurred at some mysterious juncture in the river of time. Rather, it was an evolutionary process that is still going on today.
I was born into a family on the coast of Oregon, a descendant of pioneers that traveled the Oregon Trail and claimed free land that was offered by an ancestor of our modern institution of the United States of America. Perhaps there is a profound metaphor there that speaks to the foundation of my own journey through this world.
I grew up in a family that was self-reliant as a result of local environment and culture. Consequently, I also took on self-reliance and independence as a prominent part of my lifestyle. Despite the idea of inter-dependence being promulgated as an ideal lifestyle today, dependence is never a good thing. Nature itself teaches us that growth means that we evolve out of a child's dependence on parents, both biological and otherwise.
Growing up, I was schooled in the system of public education, rising to the profession of molecular biologist, doctor, and scientist. My scientific specialty is in the field of vision. Some might say that's a profound metaphor, but others might say it's irony. I say that it's both, but I fear that a concise statement of my view on that will detract from this biography.
Mark Twain once quipped that (paraphrasing) 'When I got to be 21, my parents got smarter.' BioBuddha has a cognate saying: “I could tell you all that I know, but I don't want to lose my mind.”
As a budding scientist, I became a true professional, steeped in the orthodoxy of the day. I fully believed and worshiped science as the way to save humankind.
Today, I refer to myself as a “recovering scientist”. It isn't easy on the mind and heart to have lost your religion. And yes, science is indeed religion. Firstly, devotion and worship are certainly present. If you don't believe me, find your nearest professional scientist and casually ask what they are researching. Then put on you poker face and carefully observe the response. Pay particular attention to the eyes.
So, what's the next step in my evolutionary path? That is, what's after this experience of being the self-named BioBuddha? I can honestly say that I don't know, but I am anticipating it with enthusiasm and patience.
BioBuddha
September, 2015
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