Philosophical Correspondence Coaching
Client: I feel like I’m personally blocking myself from having faith
David: I’m moved to comment on faith as a general principle. In that regard, you do have faith, as do I, as does everyone. We’re not able to avoid faith. It’s only a matter of determining where I place my faith, and our actions reveal where we do genuinely put our faith (or trust). If I check the weather report, this action indicates that I have some faith that I will acquire meaningful knowledge there. Turning the key in the ignition indicates faith that there’s not a bomb in the car (I don’t know for certain that there’s not a bomb in the vehicle). Eating particular types of food, going to my job at 8 am, calling a potential client or customer, all reveal faith that such activities will produce health, or fulfillment, or happiness at some level. So the question, it seems to me, is not whether to have faith, but rather where is the most reasonable, intelligent place, or places, to put my faith.
Client: Because I have failed in the past when I put full faith in the Universe, I am now “Once bitten, twice shy” as they say.
David: I’m reminded of the saying, to work like everything depends on us, and to pray like everything depends on God. (Of course we can replace the word “God” with “Infinite Intelligence”, “universal consciousness”, “divine”, or whatever best represents that concept for us.) So, to just pray, without taking “… things into my own hands…”, can result in a victimy relationship with God, or the Supreme- “You have all the power, I have none…..” At the same time, to only work like everything depends on me, while neglecting profound connection with and supplication of the divine, can result in a magicless existence and life experience.
Client: So does that mean that someone who is paralyzed by fear, a victim of some intense “tape” in their mind, that they place some kind of faith / trust / belief in the comfort they receive from this place of fear?
David: Yes- if I take no action, that indicates my faith in that course of non-action. Now, such faith might be founded in conscious, sattvic* deliberation, or perhaps it derives from tamasic* fear. Whatever the underlying consciousness may be, we’re not able to avoid having faith, and revealing that faith in our behaviors.
Client: I sense that this concept runs very deeply. When I am late for a meeting, I have faith in that? I have faith in that course of non-action… of not making a change. But WHAT am I believing in in this instance? I don’t get it.
David: If I am late for a meeting, that means that I decided, with whatever degree of consciousness or less than consciousness, that something else was more important than keeping my agreement to be at that meeting when I said I would be there. I made it more important to watch till the end of the tv show, or spend an extra 20 minutes at my previous meeting, or stop on the side of the road to assist someone with their broken car. That means that I had faith that giving extra time at my previous meeting, and thus not honoring my agreement to be at my next meeting on time, would be a good course of action, with “good” defined however we define it- eg, it’ll bring me happiness, win me friends, bring in money which will result in a feeling of success and fulfillment, provide me satisfaction from helping someone in need, etc. Our actions reveal our faith. …
* – “Sattva” denotes the mode of goodness and enlightenment, and “tamas” denotes the mode of inertia, as described in Vedic psychology. For additional information about this psychological paradigm, visit www.vedicpersonality.org.