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Faith, Doubt and Certainty

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Namaste All,

 

God isn't dead, he just moved house.

 

What happened in the 19th.C. to persuade Nietzche that God was dead? We had

the de-

mythologisers, the rise of science, scientific scholarship and scrutiny of the

Old Testament.

Certainty was knocked on the head. The Bible was seen for what it was, a human

document, and

above all the theory of evolution ran counter to the story of origins. In the

style of

Nietzsche I might say: Ye Brahmans smirk not for the same drama is coming to a

theatre near

you.

 

I mentioned to Adima that certainty was not the same as faith. The level of

certainty is the

level of evidence and rationality - perception, inference, logic, etc. Faith

is another realm.

'Love my uncertainty' says a teacher I know. Does evidence have a role to play

in faith? If

your faith is tied to evidence are you in danger of having it exploded if the

evidence is

revealed to be dubious.

 

One reaction to the scrutiny of science is to withdraw into the rebartivive

reaction of

fundamentalism eg. It says right here in the Bible, Koran, Vedas, smrti. As

the psycho babble

has it, this is a coping strategy that no culture or tradition is immune from.

 

The other strategy is to drop the whole thing, God is dead, long live mammon.

Or: eschew

certainty, accept that your dialogue with the divine is a continually unfolding

one and that

your subjective assurance moves through doubt and dryness or ananda deficit.

It's all good!

 

Best Wishes, Michael.

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Michaelji

 

Namashkar!

 

Yes !!!

 

Did i hear you mention MIETZSCHE ?

 

well, Nietrzsche is Dead!

 

and the Bible ?

 

THat is still there - all versions of it !!! smiles!!

 

But seriously ,

 

Would I rather be a Nihilist ?

 

or

 

A half-baked vedanti ?

 

Michael states

 

" I mentioned to Adima that certainty was not the same as faith.

The level of certainty is the > level of evidence and rationality -

perception, inference, logic, etc. Faith is another realm."

 

 

Yes, dear! Faith is another REALM. CERTAINLY!

 

You want a great scriptural reference on 'Faith'

 

Here is is, dear one!

 

I am sure you like to read the upanishads .

 

 

THE Taittiriya UPanishad gives the analogy of A bird .

 

The head of this bird is called Shraddha (sincerity),

 

the wings right and left they are compared to Ritam and Satyam,

respectively.

 

The body symbolizes to Mahatattvam (the great Principle) and the

tail, to Yoga (yoga, the union).

 

 

What is ' ritam'?. Ritam or law, rule, are ' what remains without

change in the three periods of time , Past, present and future

(Trikalabadhyam Ritam).

 

The sincerity (shraddha) is very important. "Sincerely, the wisdom

gains" (Shraddavan Labhate Jñanam).

 

In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna said, "The one that is sincere can

reach to me". In addition it declared, "I I am the same

personification of shraddha".

 

 

It is easy to be an iconoclast ! TEAR UP THE BOOKS, BURN THE TEMPLES,

DESTROY THE IDOLS ! WHAT REMAINS, THEN ?

 

AT THE END OF ALL THIS DESTRUCTION, faith is still strong ! Beacuse

only the strong minded are capable of developing Faith!

 

 

and as far nihilists,

 

This is what our poet Shakespeare says ...

 

in Macbeth

 

 

 

Out, out, brief candle!

Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player

That struts and frets his hour upon the stage

And then is heard no more; it is a tale

Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,

Signifying nothing.

 

 

i WOULD RATHER LIVE BY MY 'FAITH'

 

"The errors of faith are better than the best thoughts of unbelief."

 

 

and you know what guys, the funny part is

 

both chitranjanji and our bhaskarprabhuji are saying the same thing

but from the different sides of the platform !

 

just reverse the roles! lol!!!

 

love and blessings

 

BTW Carl JUng HIMSELF turned to srimad bhagwat gita in his last

days ... and i would rather rather rely on a psychotherpiat on any

tips on Coping strategy, won't you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-- In advaitin, ombhurbhuva <ombhurbhuva@e...> wrote:

> Namaste All,

>

> God isn't dead, he just moved house.

>

> What happened in the 19th.C. to persuade Nietzche that God was

dead? We had the de-

> mythologisers, the rise of science, scientific scholarship and

scrutiny of the Old Testament.

> Certainty was knocked on the head. The Bible was seen for what it

was, a human document, and

> above all the theory of evolution ran counter to the story of

origins. In the style of

> Nietzsche I might say: Ye Brahmans smirk not for the same drama is

coming to a theatre near

> you.

>

> I mentioned to Adima that certainty was not the same as faith.

The level of certainty is the

> level of evidence and rationality - perception, inference, logic,

etc. Faith is another realm.

> 'Love my uncertainty' says a teacher I know. Does evidence have a

role to play in faith? If

> your faith is tied to evidence are you in danger of having it

exploded if the evidence is

> revealed to be dubious.

>

> One reaction to the scrutiny of science is to withdraw into the

rebartivive reaction of

> fundamentalism eg. It says right here in the Bible, Koran, Vedas,

smrti. As the psycho babble

> has it, this is a coping strategy that no culture or tradition is

immune from.

>

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

> 'Love my uncertainty' says a teacher I know. Does evidence have a

role to play in faith? If

> your faith is tied to evidence are you in danger of having it

exploded if the evidence is

> revealed to be dubious.

>

> One reaction to the scrutiny of science is to withdraw into the

rebartivive reaction of

> fundamentalism eg. It says right here in the Bible, Koran, Vedas,

smrti. As the psycho babble

> has it, this is a coping strategy that no culture or tradition is

immune from.

>

> The other strategy is to drop the whole thing, God is dead, long

live mammon. Or: eschew

> certainty, accept that your dialogue with the divine is a

continually unfolding one and that

> your subjective assurance moves through doubt and dryness or

ananda deficit. It's all good!

>

> Best Wishes, Michael.

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