Happy weekend everybody. This gives me a smile since I don't know if anybody has gotten onto my Blog yet, so maybe I should address it to, Anybody, huh?
Easter Wisdom:.... "In all the affairs of life, at every moment, we have a choice".
Being an old hand at life and religion, I have had to ponder the meaning and usage, or misusage, of the word, FAITH, many times.
We are often asked "What is your faith", asking of course, your preference of religious denomination. Then you might be asked "How strong is your faith"? In christianity, it could mean, in your religion or in God? If asked about your faith, you might reply, "I have faith in God". Your religion choice, of course being the vehicle that you use to express your spirituality publicly.
And, that so called, faith, is very comforting day by day, week by week, etc. BUT, how strong is that faith when troubles arise, which they are bound to do, as part of living life? Ah, yes, here is where Prayer comes in, and just not that every day, "Now I lay me down to sleep and so on." you remember that, don't you?
This time it is serious. Great expectations that this God will provide all the answers needed to resolve the problem(s) at hand. Maybe the problem gets resolved OR maybe NOT. What happens to that faith, when it is, maybe not? Do you beg? Do you make promises? Do you start to doubt? Oh no, my faith is strong. Oh really. You've heard about people doubting by wailing " why me?", when their prayers seemed to be unanswered.
I have found in general, so called 'religious people' pray as sort of a habit, maybe daily or maybe only on sunday. But when trouble sticks it's head in the way, the prayers increase substantially depending on the seriousness of the problem. Expectations are strong, probably in most cases, stronger that the faith turns out to be.
Faith to me, is one that is consistantly there, no matter how serious the problem gets, and without a shred of doubt.
When I was a so called Christian, I of course prayed many, many times. Sure I asked this God to lend a hand and see that my problem was resolved. Many times, it wasn't. But, yeah, you got to have faith, it is said. Yeah, but how do you keep doubts out of that picture.??
When I became a Buddhist, I got the answer to this Faith question. Christians look to this God who is in human form to help them by reason of their prayers asking, and beseeching for same. Great when problems are taken care of, but not so great when not.
In Buddism, we pray to a Great Spiritual Power, but that power is within us and in all, and by praying to the power within, which in effect, we ourselves have the power, and it is available only to the extent of our Faith. And only after, the Universal Law of Cause and Effect has had its way.
No depending on this someone who looks like Jesus, a human person, who gives and selects, maybe not to give, depending on His deeming your worthiness. You this way, are a dependent on such whims. Thankfully we, in Buddhism, do not have to deal with that. Oh what HAPPINESS that gives us.
O.K., you can have you say now, so, go ahead and respond. Sure disagree if you want but please give the reasons why. Cheerio. CJ
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