Here is a sentence from a conversation I had with one of my seniors some time ago now. Since we were on the telephone I was able to write it down and preserve it. The other day while going through my mountain of notes this snippit sifted to the top of the pile. Here it is for you:
When we meditate we facilitate a process within ourselves,
It takes great faith to simply allow this to happen.
I’m tempted to go on and talk more about what this is all about, my understanding of this piece of teaching. However; no.
It is enough.
This reminded me a bit of a quote by Carl Sandburg, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Sandburg, he said, “I’m an idealist. I don’t know where I’m going but I’m on the way.” I would change it a bit and say, I’m training everyday, and don’t know where I’m going, but I’m on the Way. In other words, no need to storm the gates of heaven.
Reflecting on the words with regard to my own training, I am a bit puzzled by “it takes great faith”; because I don’t know if I have that faith and the question arises in me: do I require that faith?
If I translate ‘faith’ in ‘entrusting to’ the process, than it feels closer (to my training) and I can’t call it great or small, because its ‘the doing that does it’ so to speak; it feels to me as though the meditating itself ís the process of “allowing it to happen” too.
I find your description of faith helpful, wick. Those times when I have wondered whether I have faith, or strong enough faith, have not been helpful. It doesn’t seem to be a question of whether I have faith, but whether I allow faith to have me. I think that your comment captures this “allowing faith to arise” very well.
In gassho, Jim