Tension Between Buddhist Faith and Truth PDF

Tension between presentations of Buddhism as avoiding ‘blind faith’ and emphasising the realisation of truth in experience Tension between presentations of Buddhism as avoiding ‘blind faith’ Oxford English Dictionar...

Tension between presentations of Buddhism as avoiding ‘blind faith’ and emphasising the realisation of truth in experience Tension between presentations of Buddhism as avoiding ‘blind faith’ Oxford English Dictionary defines faith as ‘a complete trust or confidence in someone or something’ and furthermore as ‘strong belief in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual conviction rather than proof’ In some world religions, faith is given a systematic basis through creedal statements which are shared by all those belonging to the religion in question. Thus all can use the same agreed formula, “I believe in..” This may been seen as ‘blind faith’ in what is required (particularly if the religion has a centralised authoritarian approach) is belief which rests, not on a person’s own understanding or perception but on what has been handed down, taught or revealed by a sacred text or person regarded as a source of sacred wisdom and authority. ‘Blind faith’ may be required particularly when aspects of the religion involve the supernatural and miraculous, where empirical data cannot be called upon and acceptance that the laws of nature have been and can be broken is required. A leap of faith is called for, whereby a person accepts the need to move beyond the rational and logical to that which cannot and can never be objectively confirmed.. In Buddhism, two words are used in regard to faith. Harvey explained them as: Pasada - ‘calm and joyful faith’ Tension between presentations of Buddhism as avoiding ‘blind faith’ and emphasising the realisation of truth in experience 1  Saddha - ‘soundly based faith or trustful confidence ’ For many Buddhists, pasada is all that is expressed which is ‘inspired by the example of those who are established on the path’. Saddha is the result of listening to teaching which then leads to practice, practice then leads to partial confirmation of the teaching which leads to deeper saddha. Deeper sadddha then leads on to deeper practice ‘ until the heart of the teaching is directly experienced’ (Harvey). When a person is awakened they can then replace what was formerly saddha with knowledge. What is specifically rejected in Buddhism is amulika saddha (blind faith), instead what is required is akaravati saddha (confidence based on reason and experience) The Buddha did not perform astounding supernatural miracles which resulted in amulika saddha. E.g. in the story of Kisa Gotami whose only child died, the Buddha did not bring the child back to life and thereby give rise to amulika saddha. Instead the Buddha told Kisa Gotami to return to him with mustard seeds from a household where none had experienced death of family or friends. This of course she was unable to do. Having realised no one is free of morality she then returned to the Buddha who preached the Dhamma to her, leading her to having akaravati saddha which led to her enlightenment. Another useful way of understanding the Buddhist approach to faith can also be found in the Alagaddupama Sutta and the Water-Snake Simile. The Buddha’s teaching is in response to the issue of clinging to views and not fully grasping the Dhamma. The Buddha taught as follows: suppose there was a man needing a water-snake, seeking a water-snake, wandering in search of a water-snake. He would see a large water-snake and grasp it by the coils or by the tail. The water-snake, turning around, would bite him on the hand, on the arm or one of his limbs and from that cause he would suffer death or death-like suffering. Why is that? Because of the wrong grasping of the water snake! In the same way, there is some worthless men who study the Dhamma and having studied the Dhamma ascertain the meaning of the Dhamma with their discernment thus they dont come to an agreement through pondering. They study the Dhamma both for attacking others and for defending themselves in debate- they don’t reach the goal for which people study the Dhamma. Their wrong grasp of the Dhamma will lead to their long-term harm and suffering. Therefore monks, when you understand the meaning of Tension between presentations of Buddhism as avoiding ‘blind faith’ and emphasising the realisation of truth in experience 2  any statement of mine, that is how you should remember it, but when you do not understand the meaning of any statement of mine, then right there you should cross-question me or the experienced monks. The Buddha emphasised self-reliance and the experiential testing-out of all the teachings, including his own. He was well aware of the many conflicting doctrines of his day, a time of intellectual ferment. Rejecting teachings based on authoritative tradition, or mere rational speculation, he emphasised the examination and analysis of actual experience. (Harvey) We may define ‘faith’ as a firm belief in something for which there is no evidence. Where there is evidence, no one speaks of ‘faith’. We do not speak o faith that two and two are four or that the earth is round. We only speak of faith when we wish to substitute emotion for evidence. The substitution of emotion for evidence is apt to lead to strife, since different groups substitute different emotions - Russel Presentations of buddhism emphasis in the realisation of truth in experience Perhaps the most important text with regard to avoidance of amulika saddha can be found in the Kalama Sutta. According to the Sutta, the Buddha arrived in the town of Kesaputta in which lived people of the Kalama clan. There had already been a number of rival religious teachers visiting kesaputta, each teaching and praising their own beliefs but then showed contempt for and rejected the beliefs of other religious teachers. The Kalamas therefore ask the Buddha ‘They leave us absolutely uncertain and in doubt: which of these venerable religious teachers are speaking the truth and which ones are lying?’ The Buddha replies ‘ when there are reasons for doubt, uncertainty is born’ ‘don’t go by reports, legends, traditions, scriptures, logical conjecture, Tension between presentations of Buddhism as avoiding ‘blind faith’ and emphasising the realisation of truth in experience 3  inference, analogies, agreement through pondering views, probability or by the thought, that contemplative is our teacher’ Here the Buddha teaches that relying on religious teaching simply because it has been received and handed down is not in itself sufficient as it is second- hand knowledge. Instead a person should judge the evidence for themselves through first-hand experience if the qualities being taught by religious teachers. In a dialogue with the kalamas the Buddha then talks about actions which are skilful and unskilful which lead to either harm and suffering or to welfare and happiness. In all of this, common-sense removes doubt. Thus the Buddha continues: ‘when you know for yourselves that these qualities are unskilful; these qualities are blameworthy; these qualities are criticised but he wise; these qualities when adopted and carried out lead to harm and to suffering -then you should abandon them. Buddhist consider that here the Kalama Sutta shows the importance of the realisation of truth in experience which will lead to akaravati saddha. From a western perspective this could be called an empirical approach - that knowledge is derived from investigation, observation and experience and is not just based on received assumptions. Such an approach is the basis of scientific research. 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