I Love my Faith

Emi said:

Nothing about my faith truly frustrates me.

I do wish more people conformed to my faith near me. I also wish the Book was available in hard copy.

Click to expand...

HaHa. That'll do. I got the Lotus Sutra in paperback accidently and I thought, wait, thats not what I want...now I have one hard back and beautiful. Yes, I love the sacredness of objects.

For me, its more fustrating trying to live the teachings rather than the teachings themselves. When I practiced Catholicism, it was literally the other way around.

Carlita said:

HaHa. That'll do. I got the Lotus Sutra in paperback accidently and I thought, wait, thats not what I want...now I have one hard back and beautiful. Yes, I love the sacredness of objects.

For me, its more fustrating trying toblive the teachings rather than the teachings themselves. When I practiced Catholicism, it was literally the other way around.

Click to expand...

I completely agree. It just feels so comforting and even spiritual to hold the book of one's beliefs in hand and knowing you can always read verses, etc. It makes the experience more personal.

It is indeed hard. But this is where we build ourselves. One could say he or she cares about volunteering or one could volunteer. One may say he or she is upset about illiteracy rates or one could donate books or teach children and adults how to read.
I believe that one's faith is held through actions. It can be said that one may believe in sharing materials items, but it isn't the words that will offer a man some of one's food.

Carlita said:

I dont. I am one to talk to others in "their language." Since I experienced what it is like to be with God, I thought it apropriate for you regardless of my faith.

Click to expand...

How do you experience what it is like to be with God if there isn't a God?

George-ananda said:

How do you experience what it is like to be with God if there isn't a God?

Click to expand...

Thats a good question. What I felt was through the Church sacraments. The experience of God became physical through the Eucharist. I believe in spirits and I do believe Jesus is in the Eucharist, so that is how I experienced God.

I was baptised in water many years ago before I was baptised ij the spirit. In some denomni they dont put much emphasis on sacraments so I cant "feel God" (the spirit keeping us alive). I only felt it in the Church.

Then, when I continued to feel the spirit (God) I realized that many christians believe God is an actual being. They also believe the human Jesus is perfect like God. I dont believe God is a being. Thats what I mean when I say I dont believe in God.

As for the spirit or umf that keeps us alive, I can say it is God. Christians say God gives life. I know God IS life. Thats when the christian beliefs and mine split.

In Nichiren Buddhism, the umf or life (what many call God) is called the Mystic Law. The Law is not a person who gives compassion but is compassion itself. The differences is the practices and how each religion personifies "God".

As a being, I do not believe"He" exists. As a "spirit" within (not as) Christ in thr Eucharist, that I do believe.

The Eucharist is how I experienced God.

Carlita said:

In a good way or bad way? I'd say people want to be in the flock in fellowship with like-minds. Religion is also a community who worship or so have you together in their faith or social communion. In addition to othe characteristics that make up religion, I don't see it as a bad thing.

Click to expand...

I'm not really sure what that has to do with what I said.

Carlita said:

Thats a good question. What I felt was through the Church sacraments. The experience of God became physical through the Eucharist. I believe in spirits and I do believe Jesus is in the Eucharist, so that is how I experienced God.

I was baptised in water many years ago before I was baptised ij the spirit. In some denomni they dont put much emphasis on sacraments so I cant "feel God" (the spirit keeping us alive). I only felt it in the Church.

Then, when I continued to feel the spirit (God) I realized that many christians believe God is an actual being. They also believe the human Jesus is perfect like God. I dont believe God is a being. Thats what I mean when I say I dont believe in God.

As for the spirit or umf that keeps us alive, I can say it is God. Christians say God gives life. I know God IS life. Thats when the christian beliefs and mine split.

In Nichiren Buddhism, the umf or life (what many call God) is called the Mystic Law. The Law is not a person who gives compassion but is compassion itself. The differences is the practices and how each religion personifies "God".

As a being, I do not believe"He" exists. As a "spirit" within (not as) Christ in thr Eucharist, that I do believe.

The Eucharist is how I experienced God.

Click to expand...

Carlita, after reading this and many other things you have posted I think you are giving the wrong impression to us by saying you don't believe in God. I think you should present your position differently.

George-ananda said:

Carlita, after reading this and many other things you have posted I think you are giving the wrong impression to us by saying you don't believe in God. I think you should present your position differently.

Click to expand...

I disagree. If someone says that they do not believe in a G-d, then I take them at their word for it. That being said, they cannot say that they do not believe in G-d, then say that they ''experienced'' G-d; that does not make any sense, it's a contradiction.

George-ananda said:

Carlita, after reading this and many other things you have posted I think you are giving the wrong impression to us by saying you don't believe in God. I think you should present your position differently.

Click to expand...

Hmm. I can do that. Best I can do and hopefully, it wont be too long. Edit. Sorry, this Is long.

When I first came on RF, I said "God" does not give life; God IS life. I dont like using the word God, though. I dont see other faiths' source of worship as defined as "God" (upper G) only the abrahamic God. God is seen as a being, who gives compassion, created the earth and humans, and so forth(in general). That, I do not believe.

When I experienced "God" in the Eucharist it was more of the spirit of Christ not a being. Catholics believe Christ is God; so, by their logic, I have experienced God. I do believe everyone has a spirit and Christ is no exception. I knew Him through communion, Mass, sacraments, and fellowsship. The experience of God was not Him alone (since I dont believe in Himnas a being) but through Christ (the Eucharist).

When I say God, I am refering to a being not a force (for lack of better words) or spirit that Is life.

-

Taking out the word God, I will replace that 'unf' with the Mystic Law. This and the word spirit makes more sense when describing my belief in the umf that Is life in all living and Is the spirit within nature which "creates" itself. Its not an outside force (eh. Panthiesm?) but inside.

Using Mystic Law is not too comparable to "God" because it is not a spirit (which I do believe exists) and it is not a being nor force outside ourselves. It is our true nature, Who we are that makes us, us. It Is life. "Mystic" is refering to the life as a mystery/unseen/difficult to understand. "Law" is the noun its talking about. Our True nature. Our Buddhanature. Th Buddhas teachings; and we are the Dharma.

I would not say the Mystic Law is God because the word God in abrahamic faith and some other theistic and polytheistic as a force our being or so have you "outside" oneself.

In worldviews, I am an animist and pantheist. I believe that spirits are in everything and one. I also believe the Mystic Law (explained above), which is life, is in every thing and one living. Ten tai Buddhism (Which Nichiren Buddhism kind of stems from), I believe, also says the living also have the Mystic Law not just human . I agree.

I am an atheist because God (a noun for a being and spirit) who "gives" life does not exist. I honestly believe that it is a human way of adapting to the unknown. Christ is a perfect and more concrete example of this need. I dont believe a God gives life. I feel that is a human way of defining who created everything. I never asked that question before. It wasnt part of my train of thinking until I came on RF and thought of it objectively.

If God is the mystic law, I believe the Law exists in us. If God is a being or spirit outside ourselves, That, I dont believe.

EDIT: Also think of the trinity. Catholics believe Jesus is God and Holy Spirit and Father. I believe in spirits, so I experienced that. I experienced the spirit of Christ. As a result: I experienced the Father (God).

It depends on the definition and context of the word. If God means spirit and not being, yes I do believe the spirit (not him or her) exists. If God means the spirit of life (the Law) that I do believe and have experienced. As the Father in Abrahamic faith, being in many theists (mono and poly) faiths, and gods 0of hinduism (unless they are archetypes like Buddhism?) I dont believe.

Atheism is a disbelief in gods. I wouldnt consider the spirits of my grandmothers god. I do believe the spirits exist; that doesnt mean Im a theist since they are not gods.

Understand?


@wizanda
@q konn

Long story short: No I have not experienced God the being. I dont believe he or she exists. Yes, I believe the spirit of Christ. Catholics believe Christ is God. So, I experienced God, through Christ in the Eucharist.

Please dont bypass whats in the rest of my post. It took awhile to get that out.

Carlita said:

I rarely meet someone who actually, how do I say, is completely satisfied with their faith.

Click to expand...

Pleased to meet you Carlita!

Saint_of_Me said:

Also, I have a question regarding Reincarnation. What the Buddhists call the cycle of Samsara.




Where are all the new souls coming from? LOL.





By that I mean, since there are billions more people on the planet now, from when Siddartha Gautama became Enlightened after 40 days under the Bodhi Tree some 2500 years ago, how are the new babies supplied with souls if there were less way back then. The Buddhists say that we die, and in the Bardo state between death and life, our past life is reviewed and necessary lessons to learn are acquired, so our soul--like a flame passing form candle to candle--is passed on to the next life so we can learn it. And then we are re-incarnated, with yet another chance to learn our life lesson, and escape the Wheel of Samsara, and ascend to Nirvana.

But there are billions more people now than when the Buddha lived. So there would need to be a new infusion of souls, as the original supply is not enough. Right?

Where do they come from? To me this a a big problem with the logistics of reincarnation.

Click to expand...

It's why reincarnation is not a Buddhist tenent. Neither rebirth for that manner as much as I'm privy to that notion. Souls too. All that is dropped as well as it should be.

arthra said:

Pleased to meet you Carlita!

Click to expand...

Please to meet you too. Hm. Let me ask nicely. Since you are completely satisfied in your faith, are there things in your beliefs that challenge your faith and as a result make your faith stronger because of it?

For example, I struggle with accepting Nichiren Shonin's harsh views of the other Buddhist sects. I admire all sects that I have practiced. Yet, his view made me see how Japan, according to him, was in struggling and at wars. He says that they needed faith in the Law in order to come to peace and acceptence with life and death or renge kyo. He challenged individuals who came up to him and asked him about Zen, Pure Land, and former teachings of the Buddha. He dismissed them all.

Then I thought, although it bothers me that he is like this, it was his time and era. What I learned from him is the differences between his school (the one I practice) and others. I can see how this school fits me the most. I also have the choice of not being very blunt about other schools given I loved them when I practiced.

That's what annoyed me about my faith and I am comfortable with it.

Are there things that challenge you in your faith, and, as a result, makes your faith stronger because of it?

Nam.

Carlita said:

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.

Click to expand...

I am 100% comfortable relying on the scriptures, because it provides answers to the hardest questions in life. Other than battling my own imperfect nature I really love being a follower of christ.

Paul Chavez said:

I am 100% comfortable relying on the scriptures, because it provides answers to the hardest questions in life. Other than battling my own imperfect nature I really love being a follower of christ.

Click to expand...

I'm more asking what I asked arthera on post 51. We are comfortable with our faiths, yes. Do we have challenges within our faith (maybe how we see some things in it) that we want to or should overcome so that our faith grows. I gave an example in that post.

Other than that, it doesn't mean one isnt one hundred percent comfortable with their faith, just means are there some things in your faith that may bother you and because it does it makes you stronger not weaker.

Nowhere Man said:

It's why reincarnation is not a Buddhist tenent. Neither rebirth for that manner as much as I'm privy to that notion. Souls too. All that is dropped as well as it should be.

Click to expand...

Really? You're claiming reincarnation and Samsara, the cycle of death and rebirth is not part of Buddhist belief?

What are you smoking?

LOL.

Surely not lotus blossoms.

LOL

Here ya go....hope this helps....http://www.dalailama.com/messages/s...nzin-gyatso-on-the-issue-of-his-reincarnation

Saint_of_Me said:

Really? You're claiming reincarnation and Samsara, the cycle of death and rebirth is not part of Buddhist belief?

What are you smoking?

LOL.

Surely not lotus blossoms.

LOL

Here ya go....hope this helps....http://www.dalailama.com/messages/s...nzin-gyatso-on-the-issue-of-his-reincarnation

Click to expand...

I don't practice Tibetan. Nor harbor belief which as such has nothing to do with engaged Buddhism. Just added on smoke by monastic traditions chasing after thoughts.

Carlita said:

Are there things that challenge you in your faith, and, as a result, makes your faith stronger because of it?

Click to expand...

Carlita,

Not really... I cannot honestly say for me there has been anything in my faith that I couldn't agree with wholeheartedly from the beginning!

arthra said:

Carlita,

Not really... I cannot honestly say for me there has been anything in my faith that I couldn't agree with wholeheartedly from the beginning!

Click to expand...

I kind of dont understand that. Im not saying is there anything you disagree with. Im asking if there are some parts of your faith that challenges you and as a result makes your faitb stronger?

Kind of like me and writing.

I love to write. Its my life. That and reading. I do get annoyed when I catch a mispelling too late. Then that challenges me to be more observant of what I saw, and in turn, I write better. That challenge made me like writing more. Im fully intuned with it even in its thins.

Im sure religions have their sour points too. It just takes us to recognize if our faith challenges us to be better people. If its smooth sailing, I dont understand how one can grow.

q konn said:

That isn't any part of the religions that you are using the words for, though. It would be like someone saying, they are Buddhists because to them Buddha is their tennis shoes. What is confusing is why you are you using other peoples words for their deities/religious beliefs, etc, in order to describe things and ideas that aren't those.

Click to expand...

Because I used to be Catholic and I grown in in a Christian environment. So any words that are "spiritual" I equate to words like God, Trinity, Creator. When I practiced Catholicism, I had a right to use those words.

Thats like asking me not to call my mother, mom after I found out she adopted me and didnt tell me. I still love her. Just not the same connection as my biological mother (example only)

It would be different if I used Ordin or Vishnu. I have no personal connections to Wiccan or Hindu.

EDIT

I dont understand the tennis shoes part. I had to reread it.

q konn said:

Ok, I just wonder why you use those words even though you don't practice the religions, or believe in the Deity, etc. I don't know how one could call a non-deity, a deity name, because they think it's similar? That's all.

Click to expand...

Oh. No. Its also habit. If I was raised Buddhist or so have you, my vocab would be different. I have a tendency to use langauge others will understand. Like trying to translate Buddhanature to something a Christian may understand. I get close but not one hundred percent.

Ive always wanted to be a spiritual adviser, ASL intepreter, and learn all the languages, cultures, and religions of the world. Thats, well, a childhood goal. Dont think it weared off.

Carlita said:

Oh. No. Its also habit. If I was raised Buddhist or so have you, my vocab would be different. I have a tendency to use langauge others will understand. Like trying to translate Buddhanature to something a Christian may understand. I get close but not one hundred percent.

Ive always wanted to be a spiritual adviser, ASL intepreter, and learn all the languages, cultures, and religions of the world. Thats, well, a childhood goal. Dont think it weared off.

Click to expand...

I don't care either way, just curious.