Being Faithful

Last night, I revisited a conversation that I had with a sangha friend about faith several weeks ago during a 20-minute walk from the school to the bus stop.

My friend read a Buddhist book that suggested that we do not need faith if we, instead, know the truth. Both of us were struck by the idea. I did not understand at the time. Is this correct? Does truth set one free from faith? The question stayed in one of my consciousnesses until yesterday. As I walked through complete darkness, I saw that faith is vital to our being, and most of all, to our spiritual awakening.

When I say "faith" I do not mean a leap of it. I think about the way from one point to another, from knowledge to truth. There are a great many things that I do not yet know, and there is a vastness, a quality of being, that I do not yet know to be true. Truth, alone, does not sustain me, as I wake up each morning to ask "today, am I willing to be transformed in the service of my work?"* I believe that faith is the vessel, carrying us between the distance of our understanding to true understanding.

A confession: I often do not reflect on my last name anymore. But, last night, I examined its meaning to me. I suppose that being faithful is beyond firm loyality or commitment, it is persistence along the path.

It is an elegant surrender to Universe.

*I credit this beautiful intention to my most dear change-making group, Southerners on New Ground (SONG).