Is blind faith right faith?

[shivsomashekhar]

Ok maybe it is strange of me to ask this question but.

Is blind faith right faith? Even if we cultivate a spiritual teaching, would it not be wise of us to think somewhat for our self?

Can we gain any wisdom from the teaching if all we do is blindly believe it, without asking our self ( not others) about the teaching?

Personally when I read the teaching I cultivate I ask my self many questions, because I can not know for sure what our teacher meant in every word. That is a part of the cultuvation. It's a part of the way to go from novice to wise.

And yes in the process of discussing with others I might say wrong, because I did not memorize or understand my self fully the teaching.

But if you blindly believe, have you learned anything to make you a wise person?

All faith is blind - by definition. Once you start reasoning, it is no longer faith and you enter the realm of logic (perception, inference, etc). Ancient Indians were clear on the difference between Sabda (faith based systems) vs. Anvikshiki (logic based systems), while medieval India mixed things up.

 

[Spirit of Light]

All faith is blind - by definition. Once you start reasoning, it is no longer faith and you enter the realm of logic (perception, inference, etc). Ancient Indians were clear on the difference between Sabda (faith based systems) vs. Anvikshiki (logic based systems), while medieval India mixed things up.

Yes I agree with you.
A very good explanation thank you for sharing it.

 

[McBell]

Because my faith is only relevant to me I have my own understanding of what is right or wrong action, speech and thoughts, but if you spoke with others who follow same teaching, they could see it differently then I do, due to what level of wisdom they have attained from the teaching.

following this logic to its end, this thread is rather pointless, right?

 

[McBell]

Evidence.

you seem to either not understand the question or are assuming things NOT in evidence.

 

[TransmutingSoul]

But if you blindly believe, have you learned anything to make you a wise person?

We are all blind in one way or another Amanaki, to what it is we have Faith in.

Regards Tony

 

[Spirit of Light]

following this logic to its end, this thread is rather pointless, right?

Why? It is not blind faith to say that my faith only relate to me, because it is a personal path. Blind faith is to say, " I believe everything in this religious book" but not asking one self, why it was written the way it was.
Personally I ask my self a lot of questions about my own faith, and about my own way of practicing the teaching.if I find I am not up to the standard needed to realize more truth, I am the one who must change my way of practicing.

 

[McBell]

Why? It is not blind faith to say that my faith only relate to me, because it is a personal path. Blind faith is to say, " I believe everything in this religious book" but not asking one self, why it was written the way it was.
Personally I ask my self a lot of questions about my own faith, and about my own way of practicing the teaching.if I find I am not up to the standard needed to realize more truth, I am the one who must change my way of practicing.

My apologies.
I misunderstood your previous post.

 

[Spirit of Light]

We are all blind in one way or another Amanaki, to what it is we have Faith in.

Regards Tony

Yes we are often blinded by our own ego when we practicing, that I can agree about.
But is that practicing blindly faith? I mean if we know where we lack wisdom, so we change our way of thinking, then is it still blind faith?

 

[Spirit of Light]

My apologies.
I misunderstood your previous post.

No problem @Mestemia

 

[TransmutingSoul]

Yes we are often blinded by our own ego when we practicing, that I can agree about.
But is that practicing blindly faith? I mean if we know where we lack wisdom, so we change our way of thinking, then is it still blind faith?

When do we know that we have subdued our ego?

For instance in the Abrahamic line of Faiths, if Jesus, Muhammad and the Bab and Baha'u'llah are who they say they are, what does the imply to the sight of the Jew, Christian and Muslim?

You could likewise offer, with your chosen Faith, that others are blind to the Truths contained within. That their faith does not contain all that can be seen.

On the other hand blind Faith could be all that is man made and not of God. Faith with vision, could be seeing all that is of God.

Regards Tony

 

[Spirit of Light]

When do we know that we have subdued our ego?

For instance in the Abrahamic line of Faiths, if Jesus, Muhammad and the Bab and Baha'u'llah are who they say they are, what does the imply to the sight of the Jew, Christian and Muslim?

You could likewise offer, with your chosen Faith, that others are blind to the Truths contained within. That their faith does not contain all that can be seen.

On the other hand blind Faith could be all that is man made and not of God. Faith with vision, could be seeing all that is of God.

Regards Tony

Of the religions and religious teachers you mentioned , I see them as true teaching and true teachers, just as I see my teacher as a true teacher.
They told truth in different ways, but the also come from different spiritual background.
I do not mix the teachings of the great masters, I keep my cultivation to only one teaching at the time but that is how I have understood to do it, so if others do differently that is not something I want or try to change.
My faith is in the teachings of Li Hongzhi. But those who follow an other teaching should put their faith in that they chose to follow

 

[TransmutingSoul]

Of the religions and religious teachers you mansion, I see them as true teaching and true teachers, just as I see my teacher as a true teacher.
They told truth in different ways, but the also come from different spiritual background.
I do not mix the teachings of the great masters, I keep my cultivation to only one teaching at the time but that is how I have understood to do it, so if others do differently that is not something I want or try to change.
My faith is in the teachings of Li Hongzhi. But those who follow an other teaching should put their faith in that they chose to follow

I would ask if we look at only one path, do we not blind ourselves to the potential contained in all paths?

If we have one piece of the puzzle and do not try to put the entire puzzle together, do we not blind ourselves to the bigger picture?

Have we not by that very action chosen blind faith?

Regards Tony

 

[Spirit of Light]

I would ask if we look at only one path, do we not blind ourselves to the potential contained in all paths?

If we have one piece of the puzzle and do not try to put the entire puzzle together, do we not blind ourselves to the bigger picture?

Have we not by that very action chosen blind faith?

Regards Tony

I look at it this way. If you study in college you use books for college, but if you try to use college books in University all you do is study college level of study.
Same in spiritual practice, the scripture or teaching that was taught in that one practice will only work in that practice, if you take the Bible and try to cultivate the wisdom of Islam with use of the Bible, that will not lead you anywhere, you would need the Quran and other teachings from Islam to realize the truth of Islam.

If you use Quran to cultivate the teaching of Judaism you get same problem.
Bible for Christians (new testament)
Torah for Judaism
Quran for Islam
Zhuan Falun for falun gong

But again, this is my understanding, if this does not fit your belief or faith, then you should follow how you have realized it to be

 

[TransmutingSoul]

I look at it this way. If you study in college you use books for college, but if you try to use college books in University all you do is study college level of study.
Same in spiritual practice, the scripture or teaching that was taught in that one practice will only work in that practice, if you take the Bible and try to cultivate the wisdom of Islam with use of the Bible, that will not lead you anywhere, you would need the Quran and other teachings from Islam to realize the truth of Islam.

If you use Quran to cultivate the teaching of Judaism you get same problem.
Bible for Christians (new testament)
Torah for Judaism
Quran for Islam
Zhuan Falun for falun gong

But again, this is my understanding, if this does not fit your belief or faith, then you should follow how you have realized it to be

I see one would have an issue if all the books are progessivly teaching us to understand the same lessons.

One never forgets the basic teachings, but must build on them to understand the greater lessons to come.

In the ends it depends upon the motivation we each put forward, which builds on the ability of the student.

This I found is a good meditation

"..... O friends! that the favor is complete, the argument fulfilled, the proof manifest and the evidence established. Let it now be seen what your endeavors in the path of detachment will reveal. In this wise hath the divine favor been fully vouchsafed unto you and unto them that are in heaven and on earth. All praise to God, the Lord of all Worlds.... "

Regards Tony

 

[tayla]

Is blind faith right faith?

I doubt faith can be blind. Our rational mind must always judge the source and content of what we choose to believe.

Perhaps the phrase "blind faith" means that a person has chosen to believe every truth claim presented from a certain source and therefore they don't verify each and every statement.

If the truth claim is false, having faith in it is not "right faith".

 

[Spirit of Light]

I doubt faith can be blind. Our rational mind must always judge the source and content of what we choose to believe.

Perhaps the phrase "blind faith" means that a person has chosen to believe every truth claim presented from a certain source and therefore they don't verify each and every statement.

If the truth claim is false, having faith in it is not "right faith".

I think you are touching on to the reason for my OP
Some people read one of the religious scripture, and when asked later about something, they answer for example the scripture say this and then it must be true, if others say differently, they are wrong.
In my understanding this can be seen as blind faith in a scripture. They stopped asking them self questions.

 

[tayla]

Some people read one of the religious scripture, and when asked later about something, they answer for example the scripture say this and then it must be true, if others say differently, they are wrong.

They have become convinced it's true in all it says.

They stopped asking them self questions.

Once they believe it's true, they don't have to reconsider the question again.

 

[Native]

Is blind faith right faith? Even if we cultivate a spiritual teaching, would it not be wise of us to think somewhat for our self?

Yes, it would be wise to think for our self. Much of the modern western religious dogmatism certainly needs thinking for our selves as this heritage is disconnected to its mytho-cosmological origine.

The noble art of self thinking is also needed in the modern cosmology where "blind beliefs" also rules to a large extend - they just call it "cosmological hypothesis", based on assumptions.

 

[stvdv]

Ok maybe it is strange of me to ask this question but.

Is blind faith right faith?

Yes, it's kind of a strange question, I agree on this.

Faith is in essence "blind" anyway, otherwise it would be called "wisdom" or "knowledge"

 

[Spirit of Light]

Yes, it's kind of a strange question, I agree on this.

Faith is in essence "blind" anyway, otherwise it would be called "wisdom" or "knowledge"

My understanding is also that wisdom grow out from faith