Thoughts on Plato's Cave

The first time I read the allegory of the cave, the underlying thought that kept popping up in my head was, “how do the prisoners even stay alive without food/water?” Reading it the second time, I tried to think about the story a bit more carefully. My impression after a fair amount of thinking is that the cave must represent the universe. Talking to Alexandra, it occurred to me, maybe the cave represents not so much the universe, but our life. It represents our life and what we see around us, and escaping the cave means that we realize something wrong, and then start moving in a new direction because we find something wrong, or a veil of ignorance is lifted from our eyes. Though there is something about this interpretation that bothers me. It’s the idea that while we escape from one cave, and get out, the next area might be outside, but it’s just a bigger cave. This interpretation seems a bit more in line with the interpretations offered in class, but still feels somewhat artificial to me, unlike my initial impression.

If the cave represents the universe, then there is a slight flaw because then escaping the cave might literally mean escaping the universe which would be weird. However after some contemplation, being out of the cave and under the sun might instead mean enlightenment. As Shakyamuni (also known as Siddhatha the first Buddha) became enlightened, escaping would be the journey he took to become enlightened, and seeing the outside of the cave would be the full enlightenment that he had obtained. Going back to talk to the others would be similar to how after he became enlightened he took on students to try to enlighten them. It's interesting though because one of the images in Buddhism that is painted is that we are all asleep. We see, but we do not because our eyes have not truly opened, but when we become truly aware of our senses is when we have awakened and have reached enlightenment. This is rather similar to the images that are painted by the allegory, the idea of the prisoners being unable to perceive beyond the shadows. Though this might be a narrow view, and also doesn’t account for some certain points given in the allegory. There are Bodhisattvas who, after reaching enlightenment, don’t move on to nirvana (or heaven) they choose to stay here with us on earth to guide others. It is a huge sacrifice and it also goes against Plato’s assumption that the escaped prisoner would reject their old way of life to never want to return. The Bodhisattvas specifically return and reject the outside of the cave to guide others along the way and not necessarily because they pity them.

It also occurred to me that maybe more encompassing would be the view that escaping the cave would be like following the steps of the first immortal (translated as immortal or fairy though immortal isn't quite correct), Lao Zi. With this view, then escaping the cave doesn't become quite enlightenment but actual escape from the world, so to speak, because being in the sun would be becoming a god and going to heaven. The escape process would then be the long period that one would train to become a god, slowly attaining the different steps until the final step is made. Being out of the cave would be when one has finally reached the end of their path and have finally attained godhood, and able to finally ascend to heaven. However then after being able to ascend they can choose to stay in heaven or leave as they please.

One thing that I’ve come to realize is that Plato describes the prisoner as eventually accepting the outside of the cave. Though what’s interesting is that if you look at most people, and put them in a place they’ve never been before initially there’s the reaction of fascination and awe. Later however they reject it, and want to go back the way things were. An example, well fictional one I guess, is John the Savage from Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. John at first is taken by the Utopia, and he learns about them. Ultimately however, John the Savage rejects his new state of enlightenment and commits suicide. This point also makes me think of Muad Dib, the Kwisatz Haderach, in Frank Herbert’s Dune. Paul Atreides (Muad Dib’s original name) says “The Sleeper has awakened” and he’s referring to his new perception, in the story he changes so that he’s able to see the past present and future at the same time wherever her walks. However at first he sees the future and he feels he can change things. By the second book, he starts to realize he can’t change it, and instead by the end of it rejects the reality he created, and the future he sees. His response is that he exiles himself.