Faith is a Living Thing, Part 3

As faith and understanding are living things, there is something in our understanding and faith that dies in every movement, and there is something in our understanding and faith that is born every moment. In Zen Buddhism, it is expressed in a very drastic way: Master Lin Chi said, “Be aware. If you meet the Buddha, kill him.” I think that’s the strongest way of saying this. If you have a notion of the Buddha, you are caught in it. If you don’t release the notion of the Buddha, there is no way for you to advance on the spiritual path. Kill the Buddha. Kill the notion of the Buddha that you have. We have to grow. Otherwise we will die on our spiritual path.

Understanding is a process. It is a living thing. Never claim that you have understood reality completely. As you continue to live deeply each moment of your daily life, your understanding grows as does your faith.

Thich Nhat Hanh
from Going Home; Jesus and Buddha as Brothers

to be continued . . .