Egoistic 2014

In "The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying", Sogyal Rinpoche wrote about Ego, how it traps and deceives, causing us to suffer endlessly in this Samsara state. For the last 2 days in 2014, i have contemplated and came to realised how much truth there was in Rinopche's writings, chapters he touched on the subject Ego. 

Ego comes in many forms and manners, but its underlying issue stems from ourselves, how we view ourselves and the world around us. When we are not able to see past our pride, our attachments, our "self", ego has a easy time convincing us that we are "better" or "higher" in the material sense of world, giving us a false sense of inflated self. When that happens, it hinders our development, both in character and spiritually.

Earlier this year, i had a change of portfolio in work, the third in 3 years working for this department. It is not common to have a constant change of portfolio when some colleagues in the department went without much changes in their scope of work for years. I believed it was a recognition of my abilities, comparing to my peers, my bosses had a view that i will be able to undertake the tasks involved more effectively.

My pride in work and this inflated self was further boosted when my department head said during the half year review that he could not see any other who could have done it better. He needed someone strong from the team to handle the changes and he saw me as one of the senior guys (among those who held the same corporate title), making me by far the best choice.

How my pride and inflated self burst during the year end review that i was in fact compared to the "junior members" of the team who were considered to be the same generation as myself. Owing to such a comparison, my performance for 2014 was considered outstanding. Most people would have been very happy in my stead to receive such praise from their managers, saying their work was outstanding. But i felt no such thrill, no such jubilation at what i heard.

I realised the lack of joy was because my inflated ego had made me believed that there was a need for me to perform much more, at a higher standards so that i can be measured against whom i considered to be the more "senior" colleagues. At that point in time, i would have felt better receiving a lesser rating. I had such an egoistic view that a lesser rating among the "seniors" was much better than an outstanding rating among the "juniors".

As i reflected on my feelings and meditated on it, the more i realised how false this ego and self is. This "senior" and "junior" view was simply how biased and subjective i viewed the work around me, making me trying to live up to phantom standards that were not there in the first place, prompting me to recall a story about a car salesman and his index of happiness that Bhante told us during a Dhamma talk - you can read it here

I do not see this experience negatively. Rather than let this ego inflate further by false praises and expectations, hindering spiritual and character development, it is better it burst, allowing me to reconsider my priorities and expectations, walking towards a better 2015 and beyond. 

With this, i end 2014 and wish whoever is reading this post a very Happy New Year filled with much joy and happiness.

Active Laziness - Dying before Living

 

The day we were born, we are destined to die. Yet knowing so, most of us are not equipped to handle death well. We go about our lives as if we will live forever and tomorrow always come; believing our family, friends, jobs with all material possessions we hold on will be there in the future as they were yesterday and today. Death then comes as a rude shock to us when we encounter it, how we weep and wail when someone close and dear to us dies.

 

Intellectually, everyone knows that death is inevitable but majority choose to ignore it, numbing ourselves with activities that do not better ourselves or the lives of people around us. This is in stark contrast to older times when people devote time to spiritual studies, reflection and practice for actual realisation of their studies and faith. These days, we simply lose ourselves in a furry of activities, burying ourselves between work and entertainment.  

 

On page 19 of "The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying” by Sogyal Rinpoche, he wrote, “there are different species of laziness: Eastern and Western. The Eastern style is like the one practiced to perfection in India. It consists of hanging out all day in the sun, doing nothing, avoiding any kind of work or useful activity, drinking cups of tea, listening to Hindi film music blaring on the radio, and gossiping with friends. Western laziness is quite different. It consists of cramming our lives with compulsive activity, so that there is no time at all to confront the real issue.” He calls that Active Laziness.

 

I cannot agree more especially as a person living in a cosmopolitan city like Singapore, we see this sort of Active Laziness on a daily basis. We are active, constantly on the move but despite all these activities, we hardly grow in our ability to deal with death; lazy in our spiritual development. The subject is brushed aside as if it never will happen. Even on our rest days, we filled them up with things to do; places to travel and visit. If we can remind ourselves of impermanence and that life can extinguish in the next moment, we might choose to do things a little different, to be a little more mindful of ourselves and the people around us.

 

It is important to find some time for quiet moments to self reflect, be in touch with our true nature. In addition it is just as important to touch the lives of others around us positively. It can be as simple as spending a few more minutes with our family, sharing precious silent moments, simply knowing we are there for each other. For a friend or a colleague, a simple gesture to bring them a little more joy or lend a listening ear when they need them. No matter how many places we visited, no matter how much material possessions or titles we amassed, there is nothing more real than the here and now, to be mindful of the living and stop the buzzing laziness so prevalent in us who live in this city state, Singapore that we call home.

Sam & Sara

The Daily Enlightenment has recently launched a comic book. Using the Buddhist term Samsara, they have artfully split up the word and created 2 personalities - Sam & Sara. The 2 ventures into modern living and gets into various amusing situations that both you and i will find most familiar.

In the book, there are about 100 strips to read from and you can read them in random as each strip is a little story by itself. I like the way it is being presented - very interactive, down to earth and yet the messages behind them are not lost on the reader. These little adventures drawn comes not only with perceptive wisdom, they are presented with a sense of witty humour that is very appealing to me. Like they said, its "Zenny" and quirky.

I like it very much and most definitely recommend it for both young and old. So, have you got your copy? You can get a copy via this link - Sam & Sara - Get Yours Here

We Off To See The Wizard Of Oz

Marvel just did a most marvellous job! They released The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in graphic novel form and I got my copy at Kinokuniya Orchard on Sunday! =)

It's of my favourite films as a kid and do you know that film itself is already 70 years old. Yes, it was made in 1939 =) Nice colours for a film this old, isn't it? Considering it is one of the first full length films to be produced. And another well known fact, the popular classic song Over the Rainbow was written for this movie, and won itself the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

This graphic novel adaptaion is done by award winning scribe Eric Shanower and fan favorite artist Skottie Young. I loved the way its being presented, the way how it brings out a sense of joy and simplicity. Oh, the colours are just lovely, they bring out the exact moods required for each illustrated scene.

By the way, there's a cool sample sketchbook at Marvel for a preview Wizard Of Oz Sketchbook #1

Let's hum and sing along, ♪We're off to see the Wizard, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz!♪ and join Dorothy, Toto, Lion, Tinman and Scarecrow on their magical adventure in the land of Oz =)

David Eddings ( 7th July 1931 – 2th June 2009)

While Googling for some novels under genre Fantasy, I happened to chance upon the news of David Eddings passing away in June 2009 at the age of 77. It came as a pity to me, for someone who started reading his novels during my teenage years and still continue to revisit his books every now and then till this date with tons of laughter and enjoyment.

What can i say about him? He definitely writes a most excellent read and in his stories, he is able to breathe life into the main characters, making them so seemingly alive that you almost believe that you can simply turn around and hold a conversation with them. Looking across the room, i can see Sorceress Polgara bickering with her grumpy dad Belgarath, calling him Old Wolf repeatedly. In another corner, there is the thundering mad Sparhawk crushing into a fight with his boyish childhood friend Kalten alongside his no nonsense squire Kurik, aided by the other church knight champions Ulath, Tynian, Bevier and Berit against Otha and his hordes .

Of course, not forgetting that rat looking prince, Silk bargaining hard with other merchants, cutting hard deals and sweeping them off their feet with his "charming" ways. Did i forget to mention how Talen, the thief turned squire, becomes the future husband target of Flute, Princess Danae, Child Goddess Aphrael (they are the one and the same, afterall a Goddess should have supernatural abilities and that is to split herself up! And that she did!) and he is still trying very very hard to run away from that possibility. Oh oh, there he is, scampering across the room!

What is most truly invaluable about his style of writing? Its his sense of humour that exudes a sense of quick, dry wittiness. He creates conversations and dialogues between characters with a dry humour that often brings out a smile or laughter from me. It allows them to become alive, to become endearing to any person who reads it. Afterall, what do family and friends do amongst one another? We hold conversations and we communicate and through it, we feel alive with each other. That is why i remember the characters so vividly ~ their lively dialogues, it brings them to life =)

May he be at peace and always be well and happy. May all his fans like me continue to find love and joy through the works that he left us.

Marley and Me (not me, but john grogan)

Finished the read more than a week ago but its only today that i really managed some time to write a quick review on this lovely title.

I have to admit that this is probably one of the books that i would never have imagine picking up at full price from our usual bookstores and i didn't ~ got it at about near 50% off during the MPH warehouse at Expo couple of weeks back.

It's sometimes how wondrous things worked out. My usual genre of reads are along the lines of fantasy or buddhist philosophies and you can see that this was way out ~ its non-fiction.

During the sale, i couldn't help but remembered David's recommendation (with Pearlyn's seconding it) on how good the film was (oh yes, there was a recent film adapted from this book starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston). So much so that i decided why not, go ahead and give it a try, it may surprise me. A book in most respects, is usually more detailed than the film and if a film is already so enjoyable, the book shouldn't be a disappointment.

Surprise it did. You don't need to be a dog lover to fall in love with the book. Afterall, its not a book just about the life of Marley. It's more than that. It's about the connections and the events that Marley shared with John and his family. The connections between them were so strong that Marley is a more a family member than just an ordinary pet. This is despite Marley providing them with so much issues and problems throughout his living years.

But it is through accepting each other's faults and issues that we endear to one another because with the faults comes along the love and joy shared. Like what we often hear but do not realise ~ It comes in a package =) So, go ahead, try this package and feel the connections with Marley, John, Jenny and their 3 lovely children.

MPH Warehouse Sale

Reading has always been an integral part of my life. Yes, i love books and more than that, i love to share the joy of reading with my friends and the little ones in my life. A good read is often more satisfying than just playing with toys or electronic games and i'm a strong believer in that. That's one of the reasons why i do not own a handheld electronic gameset such as PSP or Nintendo DS List; i rather hold a good read in my hands anytime.

I also strongly believe that good reading habits has to be cultivated from young and children should try to spend more time reading rather than playing games. It helps them to develop a better command of the language and also increase the creativity of their minds when they start to picture what the author is trying to describe through words.

I'm not against playing games especially if they are educational ones that allows development both internally and externally. Instead, most of the times, children are often seen with games that does not help in developing love, kindness or intellectually. That's the main reason why i usually buy the little ones, novels and books rather than toys or games once they reach a certain age.

There's a MPH Warehouse Sale over the weekend, lots of good bargains and i came home satisfied with 2 full bags of books. Among them, i have Chronicles of Narnia, Marley & Me, Transformers - The Veiled Threat and Heroes - Saving Charlie. The rest are children's reads that i intend to give to the little ones such as High School Musical 3, Winnie the Pooh, O'clock Stories by Enid Blyton. There's also some colouring and fun activity books for the really "little" ones. =)

Remains, Revisits and Recalls

Remains - It's already the end of February 2009 and i still have another 4 days of leave brought forward from last year that needs to be cleared by March. Now that both 2008 year end reporting and Jan 2009 month end reporting are over, i will have to try clear them mid March lest they are forfeited. But it still remains to be seen if my leave application will be successful or not for the dates i'm trying for.

Revisits - This must be the 5th or 6th time i read Incarnations of Immortality and it is still so refreshing. Within these 7 books, Piers Anthony created a world where science and magic were at their peak with Death (Thanatos), Time (Chronos), Fate (Clotho, Lachesis, Atropos), War (Mars), Nature (Gaea), Evil (Satan) and Good (God) being offices of immortals that are being held by different people from time to time. A highly recommended read for fantansy fans.

Recalls - Reading the series where Immortals (yes even God and Satan) are offices that changed hands every few decades or centuries, i recall the wise teachings of Buddha on impermanence. No matter how a phenomena seems permanent, it is still an illusion since all phenomenon are in a state of constant flux even if they are not evident to us, to the naked eye. Like mother Earth where the land was whole billions of years ago and yet now, it is separated into several major continents. There is no mistake here what we believe is so ever unchanging in nature, is in truth so ever impermanent, no matter how slow and invisible the change is.

Xanth - Pure Fantasy

Bought the first nine Xanth novels in early march and i completed them today! and now waiting for san bookstore to call me up to pick up the tenth when its ready.

The first book, A Spell for Chameleon was published in 1977 and it won the August Derleth Fantasy Award for best novel of year. Just when we think that we know how far imagination and fantasy can go... Piers Anthony brought it to another level with his totally wild imagination. Simply beyond my wildest dreams and that's what makes it so satisfying to read his novels.

A world where love springs exist to cause whom ever to drink it to immediately fall in love with first opposite sex creature he or she met.. (that's how your crossbreeds such as griffins and centaurs came about). A world where storks do the actual delivery of babies (ladies get pregnant as part of the signal package for summoning the stork), black mares known as night mares that travel during the night to deliver bad dreams. Nickelpedes and dollarpedes exist instead of just centipedes. Place where monsters under the bed do exist to grab ankles till the children grow up and no longer believe in them. And so much more, simply a world beyond anyone's imagination but Piers Anthony.. so much fun to read. =)

Haha, cant wait to get my hands on that tenth book...

Who Ordered This Truckload of Dung?

I'm not crazy but Ajahn Brahm sure made me giggled a lot these few days during my train rides! He sure lived up to his name being the Sienfield of Dhamma. =)

Just a little intro on Ajahn Brahm, he was born in 1951 in London and obtained his degree Theoretical Physics from the Cambridge University. After teaching for a year, he traveled to Thailand and was ordained as a forest monk. Now, he's residing as the abbot of a forest monastery in Perth, Western Australia.

In this book, Ajahn Brahm relates to the readers profound wisdom of daily lives through story-telling, which he believe is the most effective way of communicating. Some of his stories are hilarious while some are touching, all of them serve one common purpose, to inspire the readers in their daily dealings. Instead of trying to relate to you how good he is, here are two stories for you to read: ~

Commitment

My view of relationships and marriage is this: when the couple are going out, they are merely involved; when they are engaged, they are still only involved, maybe more deeply; when they publicly exchange marriage vow, that is commitment.

The meaning of the marriage ceremony is the commitment, During a ceremony, to drive home the meaning in a way people usually remember for the rest of their lives, I explain that the difference between involvement and commitment is the same as the difference between bacon and eggs.

At this point, the in-laws and friends start to pay attention. They begin to wonder, "What has bacon and eggs got to do with marriage?" I continue.

"With bacon and eggs, the chicken is only involved, but the pig is committed. Let this be a pig marriage."

Laughing At Yourself

One of the best peices of advice i received as a young school teacher was that when you make a mistake and your class starts laughing, then you laugh too. That way, your students are never laughing at you, but with you.

Many years later, as a teaching monk in Perth, i would be invited to high schools to give lessons on Buddhism. The teenage Western school kids would often test me out by trying to embarrass me. Once i asked for questions from the class, at the end of my description of Buddhist culture, a fourteen year old school girl raised her hand and asked, "Do girls turn you on, then?"

Fortunately, the other girls in the class came to my rescue and scolded the young girl for embarrassing them all. As for me, i laughed and noted the incident down as material for my next talk.
On another occasion, i was walking along a main city street when some school girls approached me, "Hi!" they said in the most friendly of manners, "Do you remember us? You came to give a talk at our school a short time ago."

"I am flattered that you remembered me," i replied.

"We'll never forget you," said one of the girls, "How can we ever forget a monk named 'Bra'!"

If that wasn't funny, what is? (^-^)

Old Path White Clouds - Walking In The Footsteps Of The Buddha

Old Path White Clouds presents the life and teachings of Gautama Buddha. Drawn directly from 24 Pali, Sanskrit and Chinese sources. Retold by Thay Thich Nhat Hanh at his inimitably beautiful style, the book traces the Buddha's life slowly and gently over the course of 80 years, partly through the eyes of Svasti (buffalo boy who was later admitted in the order of the Sangha) and partly through the eyes of the Buddha himself.

"I have not avoided including the various difficulties the Buddha encountered, both from his disciples and in relation to the wider society. If the Buddha appears in this book as a man close to us, it is partly due to the recounting of these difficulties." ~ Thay Thich Nhat Hanh

An immensely beautifully written book about the Buddha's life and teachings. Nothing written in the book was overly mystical or supernatural but it was whole-hearted attempt by Thay to bring the Buddha across as a human being that lived among us. A human who faced difficulties not so unlike those that we face today and how he overcame it with wisdom and compassion.

Although it's more than 500 pages in length but the book simply does not bore (i speak from my experience as i've read it twice). Written in a very simple and humble way, the book will be an easy read for most people. For those who seek to have a basic but clear understanding of the Buddha's life and teachings, this is a highly recommended book.

Many a times, i've found myself with moist eyes. Filled with a simple sense of joy and wonder as i read situations in the book describing how the people are transformed with love and compassion. Like myself, i'm sure it will touch most readers as they read this book, a book of the human ability to love and empathise. =)

The Art Of Happiness

A book where the east meets west, combining Dalai Lama's eastern spiritual tradition with psychiatrist Dr. Howard C. Cutler's western perspective.

It covers most areas of our human experience with the application of Tibetan Buddhism to everyday problems and how one can achieve peace and harmony. It is further augmented by Dr Howard's own observations and commentary.

As the basis of the book was on the numerous meetings that Dr Howard had with Dalai Lama, the book virtually comes to life as Dr Howard recounts their dialogs. It gives the reader a feeling that he or she was in the very room acting as a third party observer.

In the book, one underlying principle of the Dalai Lama was constantly stressed upon ~ that all of us have the innate desire to be happy. We know that people only hurt us because they want to be happy but due to their igorance, they have instead caused hurt. Knowing everyone around you shares the same innate desire to be happy, it makes it easier for us to forgive one another since we are all same in this fundamental manner. =)

One point in the book struck me ~ the subject of self-hatred. A well-known sickness of the mind in the field of psychiatric. Quite unknown to Dalai Lama at the time when this was first brought to his attention. As the book progressed, Dr Howard realised that self-hatred has its roots in our innate desire to be happy, to self-love. Acts of committing suicides, abusing themselves are the ignorant ways of people to escape suffering, to be happy.

Thus it is important that we understand love must come hand in hand with wisdom for us to lead a loving and meaningful lives that will benefit both ourselves and the people around. Think i'll stop here and sincerely wish that all of us will proceed with our lives with self-love and wisdom. =)

An Open Heart

A book by Dalai Lama, one of the leading spiritual teachers of our time. In this book, he invites the reader regardless of their background, race & religion to open their compassionate and kind hearts.

He stresses on the fact that we are very much born similar, similar in our innate desire to be happy and without suffering. That all of us have the very same underlying potential to enjoy blissful peace and a calm mind.

With such an understanding in mind, we open our hearts to the people around us, to see them as equals and to start on a path of kindness. In the book, he also prescribed some techniques used in the Tibetan Buddhism to cultivate a lasting compassion for all beings.

More than often, we are caught up in the whirls of this material world. Sometimes so caught up in it that we become unmindful of the present moment. Instead, we keep going backward or forward in search. During the process, we hurt ourselves and others, be it knowingly or unknowingly. All these stems from our fundamental ignorance.

Ignorance of what? ~ ignorance of the treasures we already have in life. The treasures includes your family, friends and everything, even the trees around that provides us with shelter and oxygen. Ignorant that we have no true self and that all are dependant on one another.

This is because that is. We cannot be here in this very moment if conditions did not exist right for us. Example, a tree cannot be here if there is no sun, no water, no earth. All conditions had to exist before it can transform from a seed into a tree. Looking deeply like this, we can see that the whole cosmos exist within us. Every single factor has to be just right in order for us to be here in this exact moment. Isn't it wonderful just to be alive? =)

Why not open the heart to embrace and treasure this moment, the people and all things that is already surrounding us? Don't look elsewhere, all we need is already here and now. We just need to open our kind hearts. =)

The Hidden Messages in Water

A book by Jap scientist Masaru Emoto to introduce the reader to his revolutionary works. Through years of research and experiments, he found out water molecules are affected by our thoughts, words and feelings.

Making use of high speed photography, he discovered that crystals formed in frozen water reveal changes when specific, concentrated thoughts are directed toward them. Water from clear springs and water that has been exposed to loving words formed brilliant, complex snowflake patterns. However, water from polluted sources or water exposed to negative thoughts formed incomplete, asymmetrical patterns.

Click here to see various breath-taking crystals formed with exposure to words of love, peace and happiness.

Armed with such a wonderful discovery, Masaru Emoto constantly spreads his messages of love and gratitude through published works and seminars over the world. He believes as humans are made up of 70% water, if we can constantly generate good thoughts, we can better ourselves and our surroundings. =)

It's an easy read with a good number of the crystals pics shown within the book. Thumbs up for the pics! =)

There Is No Suffering

A Commentary on the Heart Sutta by Chan (Zen) Master Sheng-Yen.

Just finished reading couple days back for the second time. Definitely a whole new experience all over again. Nothing like the first time.

How should i describe my first time reading the book? It most intellectually simulating and Master struck me as a most profoundly wise person with a very deep understanding of Zen. He is sharp, clear and concise in his commentary. A person more than worthy to be called a Master and a scholar of the Zen lineage.

Before i go on any further, let me relate what the Heart Sutta is and why it is one of the suttas held in the highest regards by practitioners around the world. Heart Sutta is just over a page long but it distills the teachings of the Buddha (where Zen has it roots stem from) to their purest form.

In Zen, one is encouraged to cultivate a beginner's mind. To constantly see things anew, with equanimity. This second read was definitely a whole new feeling. As i read the commentary, it felt as if it was the first time. The commentary opened up to me in a different light.

Saw it more than an intellectual read, it resonated with my daily affairs ~ how i think and act. It became something of a reflective and contemplation medium. To see things as they truly are, past our six senses, past our consciousness, the non-duality nature of all phenomena.

Four Noble Truths ~ "There is suffering, cause of suffering, cessation of suffering, path to cessation of suffering."

In the Heart Sutta ~ "There is no suffering, no cause of suffering, no cessation of suffering, and no path. There is no wisdom, there is no attainment."

Amazing isn't it? =)

Sophie's World

Just started on this book, Sophie's World recently. Read about 70 odd pages or so out of slightly over 500 pages. Most probably i'll need a fair bit on time to finish this up.

As far as i've read, it's about a 14 year old gal, Sophie, who reached home after school to find a mysterious mail addressed to her. In it written, "Who are you? and Where does the world come from?". From that point onwards, she starts upon a course of philosophy and its history guided by the sender of this mysterious mail. From ancient Greek philosophers to Socrates, Plato and many more.

I'm sure everyone of us, at some point, would have asked those two questions in our lifetime. Invariably, some of us will choose to probe further relentlessly, leading to more questions. And it is certain that there are some who choose to totally ignore it. Of course, there is no doubt that some of us tend to act in between these extremes.

Everyone has their answers within and i'm still looking for answers. Since more answers only lead to more questions but it is only when there are more questions will more answers surface. Meantime, i'll continue to venture with Sophie and see what more questions and answers will surface for her. :)

Discover Your Destiny

It's one of the books from the series "The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari". Maybe some of you might find it familiar since it's pretty much found in most of the major retail bookstores here.

There's a particular chapter in the book that reminded me about one of the dicussions i had with C before. Yup, that's rite, C's the same person i had mentioned in my first blog entry "Coffee Talk".

We had this particular talk at the cafe that's rite in front of CK Tangs quite a couple months back. It's about life and what is it. C said life is a learning process cos we are always on the learning track till the day we pass on from this world.

As a child, we learn to eat, to walk, to play. When we get to school, we learn to study, to participate in group activites, to live through exams. By the time we reach adulthood and step into our working life, we learn to cope with people, to work with our colleageues. By the time we get married and have kids, we learn to be a spouse, a parent. Guess you more or less get the idea.. (",)

As usual, i'm pretty much in agreement with what C said but i added on just a little more. Life is also a process where we learn to remember who we truly are.

As a child, our minds are free from prejudices, judgements and we readily accept everything with an open heart. As we get older, we judge, we assume and our hearts becomes tighter. By the time, we hit our 70s or 80s, we learn to let go (in chinese Kan Kai Le) if we are fortunate enough. We become a child once more, accepting things with an open heart, the diff, with wisdom. :)

Learn to remember, to rediscover the purest and the fearless self that we all once were when we were just born is the major theme in the book. Let's us all be the child we truly are in our hearts. :)

Current Reading

Currently reading up a book titled "faith - trusting your own deepest experience" and i'm almost done with it. Most likely i'll finish it before end of the day.

It's kinda of easy reading type of book where the author shares her own personal opinions and experiences. Really love the way the book is being titled - very down to earth, practical yet mesmerizing in its own way. Guess it struck a chord in me since i believe that true faith must always be from within, not without.

So, what is faith then? Let me qoute something from the book and maybe you too, can see what true faith is all about and why i'm in agreement with the author. (",)

"Faith does not require a belief system, and it is not necessarily connected to a deity or God, though it doesn't deny one. This faith is not a commodity we either have or don't have - it is an inner quality that unfolds as we learn to trust our own deepest experience.

Faith is the beginning of all good things. No matter what we encounter in life, it is faith that enables us to try again, to trust again, to love again. Even in times of immense suffering , it is faith that enables us to relate to the present moment in such a way that we can go on, we can move forward, instead of becoming lost in resignation or despair. Faith links our present day experience, whether wonderful or terrible, to the underlying pulse of life itself.

A capacity for this type of faith is inherent in every human being. We might not recognise it or know how to nuture it, but we can learn to do both."