It has been a while since my last post and I have been busy. I just finished the story about the two sisters who visit a temple and will be posting it soon after finishing touches. I have been quite depressed this week and the weather has not helped. The heat of the Indian sun almost killed me once and seems out to get me again. I get extraordinarily depressed when it is hot. Rain on the other hand seems to calm and caress me.
Any way I will have a story for you soon.
16 April 2008
5 April 2008
Faith and Logic
It has been a while since my last post. I am still working on the story about the two sisters. I have been reading ‘Road less traveled’ the last few days and a question came to my mind. Do our beliefs need to be logically sound? Is the logical fallibility of our faith a sign of spiritual weakness? I remembered a quiz I took a few days back on the philosopher’s magazine so I include the link.
http://www.philosophersnet.com/games/god.htm
I come from a place where faith is not seen as independent from logic. Every argument of faith is accompanied with a logical treaty. Very unlike western religions, Indian religions are very logic oriented. All inter religious dialogue is logical be it in Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism or any eastern faith. This may sound irrelevant to a westerner for in the west religion has always stood outside the fence of logic, mostly out of choice. Not so in the east. I now wonder whom should the logic convince. If the argument is beyond one’s intellect, is it of any use to him. Is it enough for an argument to be convincing to the holder or should it sound convincing to everyone. Does a man’s faith need to be coherent with whatever the standards of the season?
I always believed that ones faith should be one’s own business and no one else’s. If I find an argument to be rational then, I have no problem accepting it irrespective of how it may seem to others. To base ones faith on what others may define as rational, to me is ridiculous. After all, we once thought that alchemy was rational. In spite of my firm belief so, I cannot but wonder, if I could be wrong. There should be a reason for the enormous importance given to teachers in all societies. What could it be but to introduce sense and rationality to the populace? Have these teachers succeeded? I don’t think so. There have been more misguided teachers, than inspired ones.
Maybe that is what is lacking ‘Inspiration’. Every man’s faith should be inspired rather than merely logical. Inspiration breeds passion. The greatest of men have given us inspired logic, which has defined how we live and think. I once heard that true inspiration comes only when a man is in love. There it is now. The trinity of faith- love, logic and inspiration. This argument is now becoming complicated as many of my arguments do. I always thought faith was simple, still do. Maybe it still is. It only sounds complicated because we want it to.
http://www.philosophersnet.com/games/god.htm
I come from a place where faith is not seen as independent from logic. Every argument of faith is accompanied with a logical treaty. Very unlike western religions, Indian religions are very logic oriented. All inter religious dialogue is logical be it in Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism or any eastern faith. This may sound irrelevant to a westerner for in the west religion has always stood outside the fence of logic, mostly out of choice. Not so in the east. I now wonder whom should the logic convince. If the argument is beyond one’s intellect, is it of any use to him. Is it enough for an argument to be convincing to the holder or should it sound convincing to everyone. Does a man’s faith need to be coherent with whatever the standards of the season?
I always believed that ones faith should be one’s own business and no one else’s. If I find an argument to be rational then, I have no problem accepting it irrespective of how it may seem to others. To base ones faith on what others may define as rational, to me is ridiculous. After all, we once thought that alchemy was rational. In spite of my firm belief so, I cannot but wonder, if I could be wrong. There should be a reason for the enormous importance given to teachers in all societies. What could it be but to introduce sense and rationality to the populace? Have these teachers succeeded? I don’t think so. There have been more misguided teachers, than inspired ones.
Maybe that is what is lacking ‘Inspiration’. Every man’s faith should be inspired rather than merely logical. Inspiration breeds passion. The greatest of men have given us inspired logic, which has defined how we live and think. I once heard that true inspiration comes only when a man is in love. There it is now. The trinity of faith- love, logic and inspiration. This argument is now becoming complicated as many of my arguments do. I always thought faith was simple, still do. Maybe it still is. It only sounds complicated because we want it to.
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