Faith/Trust – Buddhism is a Religion

Phew! I have just spent quite a lot of time writing a post for the Field of Merit website. I’m linking to the article here because our getting charitable status means a huge amount to me personally and to the project itself. There maybe something of interest and help in the article too. I’m talking about how on earth one proceeds with ones life, the details of ones life, in such a way that one keeps true to ones basic spiritual intention which is based on faith. Not a word that some people go for. Why not try the word trust instead.

There is a line in the commentary to the Kyojukaimon (The Giving and Receiving of the Precepts) that goes, *The Buddha lacks for nothing, yet needs something. The Buddha that is the Field of Merit lacks for nothing and all of us who are engaged with this initiative lack for nothing. All that is needed is present right now. Nonetheless here we are poised and ready to step forward having been awarded charitable status. In our hands is a piece of paper with our charity number on it and between now and the opening of a hermitage door for our first guest is uncharted territory or empty space. It would seem obvious that we now leap forward and ‘fund-raise’ in order to fill that space with the necessary funds. And in a very real and practical sense that is indeed the effort that is called for. The something the Buddha needs. However the way that is approached and implemented is crucial to the spiritual integrity of the project. Now, later and much later.

Taken from Unfolding the Buddhas Teaching – Field of Merit.

**See note at the bottom of the Field of Merit post for the correct version of the quote. I’d remembered wrongly however the point still holds true.

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