Faith: Trusting Your Own Deepest Experience
Sharon Salzberg
Introducton
One day a friend called to ask if we could meet for tea. Knowing that I was writing a book on
faith from the Buddhist perspective, she was confused and wanted to talk.
"How can you possibly be writing a book on faith without centering
it on God?" she demanded. "Isn’t that the whole point?"
Her concern spoke to the common understanding we have of faith–that
it is synonymous with religious adherence. But the tendency to equate
faith with doctrine, and then argue about terminology and concepts, distracts
us from what faith is actually about. In my understanding, whether faith
is connected to a deity or not, its essence lies in trusting ourselves
to discover the deepest truths we can rely upon.
For many this will be a very different approach to faith. Many link faith to narrow-minded
belief systems, lack of intelligent examination, or pain at having one’s
questions silenced. Faith might evoke images of submission to an external
authority. Historically, the idea of faith has been used to slice cleanly
between those who belong to a select group and those who do not. To fuel
their own embittered agendas, fanatics harness what they call faith to
hatred.
I want to invite a new use of the word faith, one that is not associated with a dogmatic
religious interpretation or divisiveness. I want to encourage delight
in the word, to help reclaim faith as fresh, vibrant, intelligent and
liberating. This is a faith that emphasizes love and respect for ourselves
as a foundation. It is a faith that uncovers our connection to others,
rather than designating anyone as separate and apart.
The faith I describe in this book does not require a belief system, 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.
No matter what we encounter in life, it is this faith that enables us to try again, to trust
again, to love again. Even in times of immense suffering, it is this 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 recognize
it, or know how to nurture it, but we can learn to do both. This book
is the story of my journey of faith. May it serve to support and enhance
your own.
Published August 5, 2002 by Riverhead Books, a member of Penguin Putnam Inc.
ISBN 1-57322-228-3
Price: $22.95
