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05/22/2001 Entry: "The Dalai Lama Responds?"

This morning I wrote about how I was estranged from the Presbyterian church I grew up attending and Christian churches generally. I wrote; "Don't ask me to have faith. Why? What basis is there for this faith? Exactly! If there was any basis it wouldn't be faith." This evening I began reading a book by the Dalai Lama that I picked up at the library this afternoon because it was about meditation. In the beginning of the book he appears to address the very statement of concern I was making this morning.

One the second page of the prologue of Stages of Meditation the Dalai Lama writes; "There are many lines of reasoning that can help us develop interest in religion. In this way we may realize that religion is not based on mere faith, but that faith arises in conjunction with reason and logic. Basically there are two types of faith: that which is not based on any special reason and that which is backed by reason. In the case of the second type of faith, an individual examines the object of his or her belief and investigates its relevance to his or her needs and requirements. Faith is generated after seeing the reasons why it is advantageous. In Buddhism in general, and in the Mahayana path in particular, we examine the contents of the teachings and accept those that are logical and reasonable and reject those that are illogical...."

I'm not sure I could have gotten a more directly responsive reply from HH if I had expressed my thoughts and feelings directly. I did go out and pick up a book at the same time by Stephen Batchelor that I hoped would be sympathetic to my expressed feelings. I've read one of his other books that seemed to accord with my sentiments. I picked up the book by HH as sort of still trying to keep the door open to his teaching. At any rate, I'm happy to have found a reflection of HH's beliefs about faith and to have found it so accessible for me.

One other odd thing that took place today. My cell phone rang twice. I didn't answer the first time 'cause it was from an unidentified caller. When I listened to the message, I heard a voice with a heavy accent indicating that somebody or other Rimpoche was trying to reach me and it was urgent. I was told to check my e-mail. I checked my e-mail, but no didn't find anything explaining the phone message. There was no phone number left to call back. I was pretty sure that the message was for someone else. The second time the cell phone rang, this evening, I answered it. It was the same woman who had left the earlier message. She indicated that somebody Rimpoche was trying to speak with me. I told her I thought she had the wrong number. She asked if I was somebody Tulku or other. I explained that I wasn't. She confirmed my cell phone number and apologized for disturbing me. I told her that I hadn't been disturbed and wished her luck in finding the person she was trying to reach. [I'm not precisely sure, but Tulku and Rimpoche are titles that are frequently found in the names of Mahayana (Tibetan) Buddhist religious leaders.]

Where's a good psychic when I need one to explain it all to me?