Personally, I experience myself as living within a cosmos..........rather than a chaos. Ultimately all things have significance. This seems instinctive to me, and perhaps I have my parents to thank - not via any particular belief they had themselves which was passed on to me, more in their love and total acceptance that they demonstrated in so may ways as I grew up. Anyway, beyond this I seem to have no "belief"....and even struggle to understand the concept.
Maybe this is one of the reasons that I have gravitated towards Pure Land (Shin) Buddhism................where each individual seems left alone to decide whether the stories of Amida - and his vows - are understood as mythic or taken literally. Understood as being in a certain sense the "story of everyone" who begins a path of understanding - or the story of another that has significance for ourselves. Whatever.................
"Belief"
A case in point. On many a Buddhist forum I have argued against the need to "believe" in rebirth..........even karma. (And often been told that in is necessary, even obligatory.........that the dharma cannot be understood without such things) My own arguments have centered around the way belief as such acts as a sedative to true experience. Another human being is seen to suffer. Another human being is blown up by a bomb. Another human being is diagnosed with cancer. And..........."well, this is their karma". Almost as if they deserve it in some way. All is explained!
This is repugnent to me. It just seems to involve "judgement"...and the "explanation" itself seems to deaden a true response that needs to come from sheer human empathy for the suffering of another........a living response of action and commitment.
How do others here understand "belief"?
Does it deaden a living response to circumstances.......or help in understanding? And what is the difference between belief and faith? To me, "belief" seems more a "clinging to"............faith more a "letting go" (and perhaps, "letting God" - or Amida!)
And the famous words from the gospels..........the King James version.........in the response to the words of Jesus that all things are possible for those who believe.........the words of the father who said "Lord I believe. Help thou my unbelief" ! (Just how existential and "real" can you get?)
I would appreciate the thoughts of others, from whatever angle, from whatever faith - and never mind any drift in the thread towards other thoughts.......
Thank you
Derek
Maybe this is one of the reasons that I have gravitated towards Pure Land (Shin) Buddhism................where each individual seems left alone to decide whether the stories of Amida - and his vows - are understood as mythic or taken literally. Understood as being in a certain sense the "story of everyone" who begins a path of understanding - or the story of another that has significance for ourselves. Whatever.................
"Belief"
A case in point. On many a Buddhist forum I have argued against the need to "believe" in rebirth..........even karma. (And often been told that in is necessary, even obligatory.........that the dharma cannot be understood without such things) My own arguments have centered around the way belief as such acts as a sedative to true experience. Another human being is seen to suffer. Another human being is blown up by a bomb. Another human being is diagnosed with cancer. And..........."well, this is their karma". Almost as if they deserve it in some way. All is explained!
This is repugnent to me. It just seems to involve "judgement"...and the "explanation" itself seems to deaden a true response that needs to come from sheer human empathy for the suffering of another........a living response of action and commitment.
How do others here understand "belief"?
Does it deaden a living response to circumstances.......or help in understanding? And what is the difference between belief and faith? To me, "belief" seems more a "clinging to"............faith more a "letting go" (and perhaps, "letting God" - or Amida!)
And the famous words from the gospels..........the King James version.........in the response to the words of Jesus that all things are possible for those who believe.........the words of the father who said "Lord I believe. Help thou my unbelief" ! (Just how existential and "real" can you get?)
I would appreciate the thoughts of others, from whatever angle, from whatever faith - and never mind any drift in the thread towards other thoughts.......
Thank you
Derek