FAITH: This particular podcast by Mary Stancavage (listen to it here) touches on the concept of faith. Compelling talk on what role faith plays in Buddhism. It’s not like in the sense of a dogmatic blind faith. Or passive “hope.” But rather, it’s active, action-related, anchored in wise intention because intention leads to action, action leads habit, habit leads to character, and character leads to destiny. You embrace action in faith (authentic action) not because someone said so, but because we are willing to approach things with curiosity, and then can see change (not a change that’s attached to an exact outcome, but rather a change in orientation aligned with your life’s intentions and standards of integrity) in our lives. This process is like a chariot drawn by five faculties: 1) Mindfulness (Awareness) 2) Faith (as conviction/aspiration or inclination) 3) Wisdom (balancing of seeing what’s real, directing where to turn) 4) Concentration (Steadiness) and 5) Energy (Effort). They are like a lute with different strings each one with different sounds working in harmony. At the end, we have equanimity; clear seeing, in spite of life situations. So in this sense, faith is not complacency, waiting for things to change. It’s transformation in action. You listen to more of Mary’s podcasts here.
