Life is doubt. no where do we find certainty, not here and and not now Living is therefore an act of faith. each moment we float in this ocean, not knowing, but still here we are. this living is faith.
Be not afraid, and may peace and goodwill flow within and around all of us. Merry Christmas! On Dec 24, 2012 8:58 AM, "Joe" <[email protected]> wrote: > Bill!, > > You mention doubt. > > You know -- and I know you *DO* know this!, Bill! -- in our sect, "Doubt" > is not disbelief, nor dubiousness. It is NOT the opposite pole from Faith. > It bears no antagonism to Faith, neither cognitively nor organically: a > sane mind and healthy body may entertain them both simultaneously. Your > awakening is living proof of this! > > Instead, in Zen training as we know it, the "doubt" that we are ENCOURAGED > to rely upon -- while working on a koan, say (and especially on the first > one) -- is an intense desire to experience, ...an intense determination to > have the koan open, to dissolve and reveal treasure. > > This desire that we employ is not doubt or dubiousness, or distrust of the > sincerity of our teachers nor of our tradition nor tools. It is instead an > "intense spirit of QUESTIONING". > > > As you say, before awakening, faith and doubt, or perhaps faith and a lack > or weakness of faith, come in the dual pair just as any substantive idea > does, or even as the pair "existence" and "non-existence" does. But, > again, in our training, faith and determination are not opposites. > > At awakening and after awakening there are no categories, and names cannot > be grasped, but the flavor of things is there, as one bright display or > manifestation of the mind; nothing remains and nothing leaves any residue, > and we catch onto no snags. But let's leave that aside. ;-) Faith, > determination, doubt and disbelief do not arise. > > Now, because multiple awakenings are possible, faith can again be helpful > as a tool, a familiar one. Thus, to encourage yet again subsequent > awakenings, that faith, plus determination or a strong spirit of > questioning, coupled to a strong practice, can move illusory mountains and > put them in their proper heaven, and sink any ship you like, Yes. Torpedos > away! > > --Joe > > PS (speaking of gift-wrapped, "Feliz Navidad!", from the deep Southwest). > > > "Bill!" <BillSmart@...> wrote: > > > > Joe, > > > > What you say is true, but where you have faith you also have doubt. > They come in the same gift-wrapped, illusory dualistic set. Faith can > indeed move mountains, but doubt can sink ships. > > > > ...Bill! > > > > ------------------------------------ > > Current Book Discussion: any Zen book that you recently have read or are > reading! Talk about it today!Yahoo! Groups Links > > > >
