I Love my Faith

[Unveiled Artist]

I love Buddhism. I love how studying and practice makes my experience in life a bit better a little at a time. I have challenges with some aspects of my faith I don't quite understand. I am building a community to exchange fellowship and study with like-minds. Spirituality is not easy, I am sure.

We talk a lot about how wonderful our faiths are. We also talk about how we will never change your faith for anything. We put it on the highest pedestle. My question is, are there some things about your faith that you kind of get fustrated with? Not the type of fustration where doubt comes in; you believe what you believe one hundred percent. I mean more like your parent. You love your parent to death; but, there are some things that get on your nerves and you know the lessons behind those things when you get older.

I rarely meet someone who actually, how do I say, is completely satisfied with their faith. It is more, I am happy where I am, it is making me grow, and there are some things that challenge me--in my faith, practice, or so have you and that does not make me turn away regardless. It's like climbing a mountain. You may stop, look down and think "maybe I should go back" and you don't.

Have you ever had times where you "looked back" or had feelings about your faith you struggle with (which is natural and not something I'm saying is wrong)?

I honestly don't believe people can be one hundred percent comfortable with their spiritual faith because, like parenthood, we know there are some things about our children we cannot quite understand and maybe not quite love (as in behavior), but regardless, they are our children.... that's what matters.

Nam.

 

[Thief]

my faith scares the daylights out me.
sort of...

I have arrived at my collection beliefs by carefully setting one stone to another.
the foundation is going well

whether the Carpenter will assist in further construction (afterlife) remains to be seen

 

[Unveiled Artist]

I forgot to answer my own question. There are some things about my faith that kind of fustrates me. For example, I find it hard to find the lessons taught in the Buddha's older teachings. There is a lot, I mean a lot, of simile and metaphors he uses to let his disciples and readers understand enlightenment in a way best suited for that believer. They are beautiful, and I wonder how people actually apply the stories to their lives? I mean, we can say things of abstract nature..they give us security, love, faith, wisdom, and so forth. We can say things like "I meditate and that's how I am at One with my nature" etc. However, when you are at work, and you want to apply the Buddha's (or Christ or Vishnu or Allah) teachings in your life, in a more concrete way, what do you do to do this?

A lot of religions have a good support community whether its a group, say Judaism or a Church, say Catholicism. However, Buddhism has many schools and they are spread out everywhere. Another fustration is like-minded community. The schools are so different (especially with Nichiren Buddhism which is part from Tendai) that its hard to find in my area.

We have a lot of challenges we overcome in our faiths. I thought this would help see what we can work on within our given beliefs.

To those without religious faith, there is still morals that we sometimes struggle with. You can expand on things that frustrate you. Mostly, this is for the religious.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

my faith scares the daylights out me.
sort of...

I have arrived at my collection beliefs by carefully setting one stone to another.
the foundation is going well

whether the Carpenter will assist in further construction (afterlife) remains to be seen

Why does it scare you? I'm sure the Carpenter assists you, most definitely. It's probably a little fustrating that it's not completely a direct way of assisting as we are used to when we fall and someone actually lends a hand to pick us up. However, we have faith nontheless.

 

[Quintessence]

Frustration is the catalyst for positive change. ​

It's something that happened to me more when I was earlier on the path. Not so much now. Maybe because I recognize the above. I'm about mid-way through the Bardic training with OBOD, and I do at times find myself struggling with certain material. But I always view that as an opportunity to be learned from. Whatever frustration there is readily dissolves into inquisitive exploration. A guide I've had on the path helps me explore the struggles, bring them into clarity. That clarity might be realizing there's something new and beautiful to be doing, or recognizing where my boundaries are and where to put my foot down. It's been observed by others who have studied the gwers that it provides just enough structure to create some resistance And in the tension of resistance, beautiful things happen.

But to speak briefly of things that frustrated me early on in my path, by far the biggest challenge was that word "god." I struggled damn hard with that for my first couple years exploring Neopaganism. Back then, I still had a plethora of silly notions about what that word "god" meant. I did not understand at first that I needed to unlearn what I had been taught by my culture, until I read a particular book that just blew open the doors for me. Related to that, I struggled with that word "religion" as well and for similar reasons: I had a plethora of silly notions about that word meant. There wasn't a eureka moment with reframing how I thought about religion, though. That happened as I began studying the topic more seriously, and was forced to recognize that my previous understanding was rubbish. These past struggles are probably part of why I tend to challenge simplistic perspectives on theism and religion across RF.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Frustration is the catalyst for positive change. ​

It's something that happened to me more when I was earlier on the path. Not so much now. Maybe because I recognize the above. I'm about mid-way through the Bardic training with OBOD, and I do at times find myself struggling with certain material. But I always view that as an opportunity to be learned from. Whatever frustration there is readily dissolves into inquisitive exploration. A guide I've had on the path helps me explore the struggles, bring them into clarity. That clarity might be realizing there's something new and beautiful to be doing, or recognizing where my boundaries are and where to put my foot down. It's been observed by others who have studied the gwers that it provides just enough structure to create some resistance And in the tension of resistance, beautiful things happen.

But to speak briefly of things that frustrated me early on in my path, by far the biggest challenge was that word "god." I struggled damn hard with that for my first couple years exploring Neopaganism. Back then, I still had a plethora of silly notions about what that word "god" meant. I did not understand at first that I needed to unlearn what I had been taught by my culture, until I read a particular book that just blew open the doors for me. Related to that, I struggled with that word "religion" as well and for similar reasons: I had a plethora of silly notions about that word meant. There wasn't a eureka moment with reframing how I thought about religion, though. That happened as I began studying the topic more seriously, and was forced to recognize that my previous understanding was rubbish. These past struggles are probably part of why I tend to challenge simplistic perspectives on theism and religion across RF.

I actually think that's one of the biggest stumbling points when it comes to evolving in a faith you connect with. It is trying to disconnect with the faith you are not connected with. I haven't experienced that; and, I do agree that the word "God" can get a little annoying when first starting out.

How is your OBOD training coming along?

 

[wizanda]

Faith isn't a religion, it is a feeling from the heart..... It really scares me that you're using it in the same context as Paul, about Buddhism....Buddhism isn't a faith, it is a conscious expansion.

You don't have faith in the Buddha, like Christianity uses to bastardize the meaning, you have faith in the middle line or nothingness, which then defeats the object of using the word faith in the first place.

Hope you know i've got great faith/expectations from some of your questioning posts @Carlita, so please understand my corrections are to try to help lead you to a deeper understanding.

 

[MARCELLO]

I also love my faith for which I cannot put a name. Let's name it as marcelloism,if we are desperate for denominations.

Here in East Africa,I help poor Africans to have basic solar energy units ( costing roughly 300 usd per a house) so that they can watch tv and charge their mbile phones or keep a small fridge at home to get cold water . It is 65 degrees Celsius at noon.

I am so happy to serve my help,driver,security guards pizza,that's unknown to them....you must see them how they enjoy pizza as the only nutrition they get everyday is not more than plain sort of macaroni.

Due to extreme sunlight rays which is very bad for eyes,as this is very common in Africa I pay for their cataract (eye curtain) medicine bills which is roughly 150 usd per a human who has beautiful brown eyes. The social security and health system here in Africa only pays for accidents,nothing else.

I teach my help how to dress a table,iron shirts,etc. so that she could get a fat salary from a rich NGO house or perhaps from an embassy residence in case I would be posted somewhere else.

I love the faith in me,yet I am an atheist.

 

[Robert.Evans]

I love Buddhism. I love how studying and practice makes my experience in life a bit better a little at a time. I have challenges with some aspects of my faith I don't quite understand. I am building a community to exchange fellowship and study with like-minds. Spirituality is not easy, I am sure.

I am pleased it makes your life better.

We talk a lot about how wonderful our faiths are. We also talk about how we will never change your faith for anything. We put it on the highest pedestle. My question is, are there some things about your faith that you kind of get fustrated with? Not the type of fustration where doubt comes in; you believe what you believe one hundred percent. I mean more like your parent. You love your parent to death; but, there are some things that get on your nerves and you know the lessons behind those things when you get older.

I rarely meet someone who actually, how do I say, is completely satisfied with their faith. It is more, I am happy where I am, it is making me grow, and there are some things that challenge me--in my faith, practice, or so have you and that does not make me turn away regardless. It's like climbing a mountain. You may stop, look down and think "maybe I should go back" and you don't.

I will probably disapoint you then. I have no problem with reality, as that is what it is to me. I don't consider it to be an empty faith or a blind-faith. I think it is backed up in various ways, but it depends on the mind-set of course.
Problem with me however, now that's another thing. The flesh is weak, so from a human perspective, I do the best I can to travel through life. I wish I knew people like you to discuss things wit face to face, but I don't.

Have you ever had times where you "looked back" or had feelings about your faith you struggle with (which is natural and not something I'm saying is wrong)?

No

I honestly don't believe people can be one hundred percent comfortable with their spiritual faith because, like parenthood, we know there are some things about our children we cannot quite understand and maybe not quite love (as in behavior), but regardless, they are our children.... that's what matters.

Nam.

I understand it well I think. Perhaps that is the difference. People who believe things that are not fully understood show that there is something wrong. I don't have that. Sounds arrogant, eh? haha.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

I am pleased it makes your life better.

I will probably disapoint you then. I have no problem with reality, as that is what it is to me. I don't consider it to be an empty faith or a blind-faith. I think it is backed up in various ways, but it depends on the mind-set of course.
Problem with me however, now that's another thing. The flesh is weak, so from a human perspective, I do the best I can to travel through life. I wish I knew people like you to discuss things wit face to face, but I don't.

No

I understand it well I think. Perhaps that is the difference. People who believe things that are not fully understood show that there is something wrong. I don't have that. Sounds arrogant, eh? haha.

Thank you. Naw. Its more, by traveling in your faith, your reality, there are some things that might of fustrate you. Not to doubt or anything like that. Its more because you are growing spiritually. Who can say they are not? What spiritual faith the believer doesnt consider has no bumps in the road? A christian may not quite be comfortable with the chour during Mass. Yet, his faith isnt faltered just annoyed a hit. Maybe he doesnt quite like the priest and everyone drinking from the same chalice. Annoying? Yeah but that doesnt change his reality.

Thats what Im asking.

 

[Thief]

Why does it scare you? I'm sure the Carpenter assists you, most definitely. It's probably a little fustrating that it's not completely a direct way of assisting as we are used to when we fall and someone actually lends a hand to pick us up. However, we have faith nontheless.

I have a different view of consequence.
I don't fear God and heaven as some dominating Force I can't deal with.

I consider the consequence I have to deal with.

I believe my presence in heaven will be conditional....if allowed.

I suspect Hierarchy with greater disciplines than I have done so far.

I do believe heaven does assist.
I would already be dead, otherwise. (nde)

I do believe heaven will continue to assist.
but at some point I know not when, a judgment call will be mine to make.

then my true self will show.
if you understand.....then you know what real fear is.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Faith isn't a religion, it is a feeling from the heart..... It really scares me that you're using it in the same context as Paul, about Buddhism....Buddhism isn't a faith, it is a conscious expansion.

You don't have faith in the Buddha, like Christianity uses to bastardize the meaning, you have faith in the middle line or nothingness, which then defeats the object of using the word faith in the first place.

Hope you know i've got great faith/expectations from some of your questioning posts @Carlita, so please understand my corrections are to try to help lead you to a deeper understanding.

Thank you. How I see it is religions Is faith. In our religion or perspective in life with practices we live by, we do say we have faith. Nichiren Shonin says when chant we see into ourselves. That faith (that Trust) in ourselves, our nature, the Gonhonzon is what we need to continue on.

Since faith is trust and within it, blossoms religion (our practices of our faith), we see life differently.

Buddhism is a religion. As a religion, we have morals, beliefs, and practices that makeup our worldview. Some schools are more "organized" than others. Religion also has culture. Who can not see the culture that strengths ones faith in Buddhism?

When we say we have faith/trust in the Buddha, it is not quite similar to the Lotus Sutra and other sutras where followerers literally bow to the Buddha's feet. It means we have faith in the Buddha (we trust the one who gives us the Dharma), the Dharma (we trust the Law of life, the cycle of birth and death, cause and affect, the lotus), we trust in the Sangha, our friends and like minded people who are at one with the Buddha (as the Buddha says there is no distinction between him and someone else.)

Jesus taught a similar concept, except we dont have a "Jesus nature" until we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. (Outside in)

I dont see the relation to Paul and dont quite agree with your interpretation of my faith. I also dont see why people dont see Buddhism as a religion. Unless they have different definitions that mirror their experiences in "organized" religion. I love organized religion. It helps me grow. I love non organized religion. It lets me free to live life free spirited. Why is the word religion so wrong to people like the plague?


Nam.

 

[Robert.Evans]

Thank you. Naw. Its more, by traveling in your faith, your reality, there are some things that might of fustrate you. Not to doubt or anything like that. Its more because you are growing spiritually. Who can say they are not? What spiritual faith the believer doesnt consider has no bumps in the road? A christian may not quite be comfortable with the chour during Mass. Yet, his faith isnt faltered just annoyed a hit. Maybe he doesnt quite like the priest and everyone drinking from the same chalice. Annoying? Yeah but that doesnt change his reality.

Thats what Im asking.

Okay. Though I don't think i change my position. I do not go to a group, church etc, so none of that annoys me, or I suppose it would, but only because I don't consider my theology as theirs, and, that is the reason I don't go.

So i have no problem with my believe. It answers everything for me. It asks me to do nothing that I don't want to do. It changes the ''want'' within you, not that it was that far off to start with.
Everything is to do with realities, realms of truth. We all have one. We all sit somewhere within our own world of belief. Any problems I have, as I have said, is more to do with me and life in general. Nothing to do with my belief. Quite the contrary, if I stop to think about it, I can get good reasons why things happen as they do. That does not help that much in reality because life just is what it is.

So it is complete for me.... 'the yoke of the lord is light and ease of burden'..... and that is good, as he is. Now you see, writing that makes me feel good.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Okay. Though I don't think i change my position. I do not go to a group, church etc, so none of that annoys me, or I suppose it would, but only because I don't consider my theology as theirs, and, that is the reason I don't go.

So i have no problem with my believe. It answers everything for me. It asks me to do nothing that I don't want to do. It changes the ''want'' within you, not that it was that far off to start with.
Everything is to do with realities, realms of truth. We all have one. We all sit somewhere within our own world of belief. Any problems I have, as I have said, is more to do with me and life in general. Nothing to do with my belief. Quite the contrary, if I stop to think about it, I can get good reasons why things happen as they do. That does not help that much in reality because life just is what it is.

So it is complete for me.... 'the yoke of the lord is light and ease of burden'..... and that is good, as he is. Now you see, writing that makes me feel good.

In other word, are you challenged in your belief or is it free sailing with no observationd of what you may feel about a give situation and what in your belief do you find helpful to overcome that challenge no matter what it is (organized religion aside).

Who is not somewhat challenged by their reality? Helps us grow.

 

[wizanda]

Jesus taught a similar concept, except we dont have a "Jesus nature" until we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. (Outside in)

That is the point, Yeshua didn't teach such a thing; Paul did.... Just like Buddha wasn't saying to have faith in him; yet the complete opposite... Religious leaders make people have faith in people, as a way to capitalize on it; where as enlightened beings try to show you the opposite.

How I see it is religions Is faith.
Since faith is trust

See this is why we should reestablish the word faith, to have its original meaning 'to trust'; as due to Paul bastardizing the word, people commonly switch the words, and thus resulting that 'religion' means 'to trust'.... Which a religion doesn't mean either, it is only 'a group of people with a fundamental belief'.... In fact faith isn't even required to have a religion.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

That is the point, Yeshua didn't teach such a thing; Paul did.... Just like Buddha wasn't saying to have faith in him; yet the complete opposite... Religious leaders make people have faith in people, as a way to capitalize on it; where as enlightened beings try to show you the opposite.

See this is why we should reestablish the word faith, to have its original meaning 'to trust'; as due to Paul bastardizing the word, people commonly switch the words, and thus resulting that 'religion' means 'to trust'.... Which a religion doesn't mean either, it is only 'a group of people with a fundamental belief'.... In fact faith isn't even required to have a religion.

I dont have problems with Paul's interpretation of Jesus teachings. I just know faith means trust. We trust the Buddha for his teachings. We trust the Dharma, our nature to live his (our) teachings. We practice as a sangha his teachings together.

When I say the Buddha's teachings I am refering to who said it and pur Buddha nature, the teaching itselfu. Its not like Jesus who Is the teachings and chritians follow Jesus to follow Hid Dharma.. Take out the middle man. In my faith We are the Dharma.

Still, the word religion is not a bad word.

 

[Robert.Evans]

In other word, are you challenged in your belief or is it free sailing with no observationd of what you may feel about a give situation and what in your belief do you find helpful to overcome that challenge no matter what it is (organized religion aside).

Who is not somewhat challenged by their reality? Helps us grow.

Hmmm.... I don't quite know what you mean. To me, there is the true reality and then the world. I am in the world and so have to deal with it as anyone else. The true reality is not really an answer to that. For ex, gravity works for me as for the atheist. Nothing is different in that sense. I have things now (since my conversion) I do or don't do, but it is so much a part of me I don't see it as different. (is that contradictory?)

 

[Saint_of_Me]

I actually think that's one of the biggest stumbling points when it comes to evolving in a faith you connect with. It is trying to disconnect with the faith you are not connected with. I haven't experienced that; and, I do agree that the word "God" can get a little annoying when first starting out.

How is your OBOD training coming along?

But is Buddhism really a "Faith?" Per se?

I always thought it to be more of a guidelines for living. What with the 8-Fold Path. And the Four Noble Truths. And the non-worship of any gods.

A great Buddhist sage once said, "If you meet the Buddha on the side of the road, kill him."

Do you know why he said that? What his meaning was?

To worship nobody? Have "faith" in nobody. Or nothing. To work on yourself and find your own Path. Learn your own Way.

Faith is usually defined as a belief in something for which there is no proof.

How does this apply yo you calling Buddhism a Faith?

I ask this because I am fairly well-acquainted with Buddhism, I like it more than other so-called religions. And I usually see a red flag when I hear the word "faith." To me it smacks of religious fundamentalists and their superstitious beliefs in sky gods and Jewish carpenters who rise from the dead after three days. LOL. Total turn-off.

Thanks!

http://www.religioustolerance.org/buddhism8.htm

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Hmmm.... I don't quite know what you mean. To me, there is the true reality and then the world. I am in the world and so have to deal with it as anyone else. The true reality is not really an answer to that. For ex, gravity works for me as for the atheist. Nothing is different in that sense. I have things now (since my conversion) I do or don't do, but it is so much a part of me I don't see it as different. (is that contradictory?)

Ill use me as an example.

My belief and reality (not seperate) is there is such thing as a cycle of birth and death. We live it to different degrees all the time. What I struggle with in his part of my reality is when I face issues like my health issues I have to remember that thats part of life. I cant change it. What I do to help with this challenge is to chant and pray. That is my reality, devotion to life. Learning the cycle of birth and death can get a bit annoying. I really want to know why i was going blind for a year and why i keep having eye spells. But i have to understand the ten worlds we go through: that is also my reality. It is fustrating to really understand this. Just because i call it my reality doesnt mean there are some things i get annoyed by it.

Thats my question. Are there some things thats part of youe reality (devotion, living, practice, et ) that you struggle with? Or is it smooth sailing with no challenges to your faith to make it strong.?

 

[Desert Snake]

I love Buddhism. I love how studying and practice makes my experience in life a bit better a little at a time. I have challenges with some aspects of my faith I don't quite understand. I am building a community to exchange fellowship and study with like-minds. Spirituality is not easy, I am sure.

We talk a lot about how wonderful our faiths are. We also talk about how we will never change your faith for anything.

Is that the best approach to religion, do you think? This is an aspect of religion that might be at times, part of ''keeping people in the flock'?