reality is perfect

Today we ask that you have faith.

Have faith.

Faith is a problematic word for many people.  It calls to mind dogmatic religion, and fundamentalism.

Fundamentalism is not faith.  It is the opposite of faith.  Fundamentalists are very certain in their beliefs and worldview.

Anyone who is certain of anything does not understand faith.

Faith can only exist when there is uncertainty.

Faith is an acknowledgement that you cannot be certain of anything within your reality.

It acknowledges the limitations of your perception.  In a vast universe, how can you possibly be certain of anything?

You dwell in a state of continual uncertainty.  

Faith is a loving embrace of this uncertainty.

Faith is a simple love of life, as it is.

It is a love of this reality, as it is.

It is a letting go of the desire to fix the “mistakes” in your reality.

From the desire to fix “mistakes” in your reality unfolds all human suffering and misery.

This really is true.

Faithlessness may be defined as the belief that something is wrong with reality, and it is your task to fix it.

Every crazy person, from Hitler to the deranged killer who shoots the innocent, believes that “Something is wrong with reality, and I must fix it.”  Their deranged actions arise from this belief.

Faith is a deep knowing that there is nothing wrong with reality itself.  Though suffering may exist, there is nothing wrong with reality.  There is nothing for you to fix.

If you rooted yourself in the deep knowing that there is nothing wrong with reality, and nothing for you to fix, you would experience a profound peace, and the end of your personal suffering.

Nor would you become complacent, and not “do” anything.  Your actions would arise from a higher place.  You would no longer seek to fix reality, but rather to dissolve blockages that obscure the underlying perfection of reality.

You would know that you are perfect.  You would no longer neurotically seek to fix yourself, but instead cultivate the inner peace and stillness that dissolves blockages, and thus allows you to perceive your underlying perfection.

That is what faith is.  It is a deep faith in the goodness of reality, even if that goodness is obscured and blocked.

It is a deep faith in the goodness of people, even if they are confused, and act in crazy ways.

It is an understanding that human confusion and craziness arise from the belief that something is wrong with reality and people, and that they must be “fixed.”

Reality is not broken.

It is just that you cannot perceive it clearly.

Faith is an understanding that your perception is limited.  You may not always be able to see that reality is good.  Often it is very difficult to see.  And yet you trust in this underlying goodness.  

That is what faith is.

No one ever said it was easy.