Robert Persig, in his book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance revealed that quality happens in the moment before one consciously accepts the quality of an observation.Understanding the concept requires reaching into an area of thought without a physical realm supporting it. I can feel the moment inside, but I cannot touch it or define where it lies. For me it is rather eerie in an exciting way. It makes me feel joyful, fills me with a brief glimpse of wonder, knowledge that there is so much more to know and learn than what we detect with our five physical senses.
There is a strong parallel between the knowledge of quality and faith. Therefore, like quality, one does not need to define faith. I mean, faith is assuming that when you go to bed you will wake the following day. Faith lies beneath the surface. It is not an object, a concept, or even a definition.
While still a small boy, I learned the story of the mustard seed. Once I comprehended the meaning of the parable, I knew the truth of faith, and later declared all other attempts at defining faith to be false.
As a boy, I began questioning religion while I went about the tasks of following the teachers who seemed to contradict that knowledge. What the mustard seed taught called into question the teachings of men. The candles I carried to the altar burned brightly, shimmered gold statues, and cast wavering shadows that I thought hid something with each breath cast by speakers.
Then, I knew that no one could preach faith. Nor could one teach faith and certainly one could not use the threat of punishment as a means of enforcing faith, or forcing a nonbeliever to believe and gain faith.
Declaring that an intermediary god or God can and will lead one to a life of faith and the alleged rewards after life is completed, reminds me of a thin film of oil on still water.
Such faith shimmers under sunlight, offering rainbows of hope through an addiction of need fulfillment. However, if you desire to get a taste of true faith, you must first gently brush aside the oil, as you would do to relieve thirst. What is revealed is something profoundly intangible as is the life sustaining nourishment provided by water. Not something, that can be learned, or taught.
While we travel through life, we walk a chosen path. This is easily understood by revisiting the small seemingly unimportant events or decisions that led each of us to where we are right now. Some we could have avoided, some not.
Events as simple as walking through the wrong door and meeting a person we would not have met should we have taken the correct door fill everyday life. The question now is which was the correct door and why did I choose it?
We all have faith. We are born with it, and we will die with it, but will we use it correctly between the two ends?
If you have true faith, you do not have fear. They cannot coexist.
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