It occurs to me that “faith” is another lovely paradox.

If we take the dualistic pair “belief – doubt” then both rely on a mental fixation, or something I “know”.

However, if I look at faith, I do not really find an opposite. Faith is relying on the unknown. It is a sense and it is the pre-requisite to self-reliance. I cannot have faith for anyone else. Nobody can teach me faith. It is coming to me – I am waking up to faith, as I am waking up to life.

Faith has to be stronger than my own survival instinct. It is my rod walking on this journey. I think I got it now…

Even though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil;
for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

–Excerpt Psalm 23 —

Faith is what enables us to be relentlessly honest with ourselves.

Why is this necessary ? Because we fool ourselves all the time.

Enlightenment is about letting go of everything we imagine to be true.

That includes suffering and control….just in case you are not clear about it.