In speaking of religion we hear the phrase “blind faith”. Having your eyes closed, being deluded, is certainly not a desirable thing. But do we see our own “blind faith”? Our faith in the material world, the faith we place in what we are taught about achieving happiness in it: the blind simplicity of things we believe.
The Dharma points to our blindness. It speaks to us and says “in your analysis, in your beliefs, have you included the fact that everything changes, that you will grow old and sick and die. That you will lose all you love and that all your explanations for this truth have no foundation or proof whatsoever.
It is for this reason that we must strive to awaken.
photo credit: Wonderlane
The moment the thought comes up, that maybe all we believe in is without substance, just an illusion and when we realize that we can’t avoid to get ill and die, the first reaction is fear. What is left without our concepts? Does this life make any sense at all?
It is the easiest way to turn around again and dive into our familiar believe system again and it takes a lot of courage to go further, to overcome this fear without knowing where this might lead to. This needs faith and, as you always remind us of, the heart of a warrior.
Thanks so much for this post!
Thank you Annette. I think you are speaking for the experience of many people and yes the heart of a warrior – the desire to transcend fear.
I have experienced a lot of suffering because of my own “blind faith”. Because of this, I think I have continued to awaken whether I like it or not. Annette mentioned fear of growing old, sick and dying. Perhaps we are so afraid because we associate those stages as times of pain and suffering. On the same token, there is nothing we can do to change the inevitable truth of going through old age, sickness and death. We all know the Buddha proclaimed that life is suffering. This was one of his first insights and one of his first teachings. I think it leads us back to the ones we are experiencing now- the presence of fear and the necessity to overcome it for our own benefit and for the sake of others. May we all have the heart of a warrior! ~Peedee
THanks Peedee. Your comments are always so good – please practice.
My blindness feels so normal and so familiar. I’m usually blind enough that I don’t even notice that I’m blind. This makes me I act as if death can’t find me when I just close my eyes and pretend I’m not here.Thank you for being there, Sensei, and for having the patience and kindness to point at these blind spots over and over again, like in this post.
In the times of Boeddha a man had 2 sheeps. A monk came to him and asked for some food. The man gave him an empty plate. The monk thanked heartfully and walked forward.
The next year the monk passed by and saw the same man with 100 scheeps. With a grattitude he gave the plate back filled with rice to the man and walked forward.
The third year the monk passed again and saw the man standing with one scheep.
While asking for some food gave the man the monk his sheep and walked away.