Bill!,
In fact, Asvaghosha's, THE AWAKENING OF FAITH IN THE MAHAYANA, is addressed to
people "Who have not yet joined the group of beings who are determined to
attain enlightenment" (from Part 4: On Faith and Practice).
Now, what about after the practitioner himself/herself awakens? Does faith
disappear, as all other things do? Yes. But it's like when the skin of an
onion is removed, and there are thicker, less hardened, layers beneath.
The One goes by many names. Emptiness is nameless; but the center of the onion
is everywhere throughout the onion, and so is its taste.
Layers of the onion dry out and form a new skin.
Every subsequent awakening can give credit to a faith, in order to get down
deeper. Does faith ever disappear, or disappear for long? I think "it's
faith, all the way down". To the center of the onion, anyway, ...which is
everywhere.
One awakening does not kill-off or ever prevent the re-emergence of faith.
Just a point of information, from experience, for those interested! ;-)
--Joe
PS Cheese and Green-Onion omelet here this morning: no skin to have to peel.
> "Bill!" <BillSmart@...> wrote:
>
> Joe,
>
> You are certainly correct that the words/concepts of belief, faith and trust
> are generally co-mingled. I certainly sometimes use them interchangeably
> when really I shouldn't. The are related but are different words because
> they describe different things; or at least different nuances of very similar
> things.
>
> I have read parts of some of the writings you cited but these have to do with
> Buddhism which is a religion and therefore based on faith, or philosophy
> which is based on logic.
>
> Zen is not a religion and is based neither on faith or logic but on
> experience.
>
> Again, all this is IMO...
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