Why Does a Bird Sing?

During private interviews, I sometimes get asked for guidance on whether one should do this or that. On occasion, I respond by saying, “If it’s your karma to do something, you’ll do it. I don’t really care.” Of course, I care about the person, but ultimately it’s their responsibility to direct the course of their existence. This is one of the most challenging aspects of Buddhism: it demands personal responsibility in all aspects of life—and deep reflection.

Buddha emphasized that we all have natural wisdom, and the practice is to listen to what we already know. So, we are free to explore life and find out if the things we choose to do are beneficial for us and others. This is how we grow up and grow in loving-kindness. This cannot be dictated by anything other than our own understanding. Buddha said, “Believe nothing, no matter where you read it or who has said it, not even if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.”

The Buddhist path may offer some touchstones, like generating bodhicitta, which serve as a link to our innate wisdom. However, everyone has to find their own way. The best teachers encourage us to follow our natural instincts in this regard. There’s an old proverb popular in India that goes something like this: “Why does a bird sing? Because it has a song.” Imagine a bird going to a local avian music center to learn how to sing. That’s silly. Birds just sing.

So it is with our own ability to love. We just need to get over being deaf to our natural compassion and sing our love as a blessing for all beings. We sing for everyone, including those who may not be able to listen right now, because the echo will repeat until everyone has the opportunity to hear.