In Isahia 40;28
“Do you not know ?” Have you not heard ? The lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the end of the earth. He will not grow tired and weary and His understanding is unfathomable”
This sentence is meant at testifying. Contrary to what the questioning mode could lead us to believe. These interrogations are closer to a compassionate move towards people who “do not know”, “have not heard”.
The sound of peace in their hearts.
As unexpected as this may appear to many reader, I make no difference between “unfathomable understanding” God and what I experience when I let go of everything and abide in the unfathomable depths of zazen,
– the words have stopped mattering, people call it with what they find they refer to the experience with the linguistic material they have at hand.
– the purpose of people is beyond linguistic accuracy : letting our faith shine out is a natural process. This can be compared to light. It lights.
It is what light does.
In Buddhism, the same thing can be said about Bodhicitta.
Once it has grown within us, it radiates.
When you have abided in God’s ‘unfathomable’ understanding,
When you have sit amid endless fields of forgiveness and hope (the Lord will not grow tired and weary)
Even though these words are a vague reflection of your expertise, how can you not hear them ?
Light lights. What happens when the eyes of the disciple meet the look of the ignorant friend is light lighting : Have you not heard ? Do you not know ?
©FJ July 2022 —
Groupe de Pratique
Recueils — Participations
Merci à tous
Notes & Silence 
I am impressed by your steadfast, untiring ecumenism in seeking a consistent exposition of meaning through various « traditions ».
I am not convinced, but I am impressed.
What I have seen and heard is what passes, in my perception, for reality. It needs no alternate formulation, and seeks no commonality with other expressions of perception.
It does not claim faith.
If there is a commonality of experience, so be it. But I have learned to distrust statements from systematised religion.
As a matter of interest, have you a background in Catholicism?
Ignore that if it is a question too far.
J’aimeAimé par 1 personne
It is nice of you Simon to acknowledge that, while the end purpose is not reach, the involvement of all available means is sincere.
It will open onto something , one day.
We do have a different way of understanding ‘faith’.
You see it as an artificial, ex post or, worse, ex nihilo fabrication…artificial snow spread in the mind to contemplate the beauties of Winter.
Though it corresponds to the conventional way some people in established religious tracks understand it, I agree, This is not what I mean when I say ‘faith’
I see it as an alternate translation for Bodhicitta, the flame, however tiny but inextinguishable, the flame of enlightenmnent within us.
Like a basso continuo in baroque music,
or the root note in Sitar whose name I forgot.
I see faith as the eternal snow in the bottom of our soul, watching humans’ agitation trying to spread its artificial counterpart and calling it ‘faith’ all along.
J’aimeAimé par 1 personne
As for the last question, I tried to answer via our other channel. 😉
J’aimeAimé par 1 personne
I am convinced there is a single truth waiting to be found,
Waiting underneath the clothes of language.
The mind varnish is an emanation thereof.
J’aimeAimé par 2 personnes
The difference of understanding is a different semantic approach. Definitions..!
Not sure what I call your view. Hidden self, maybe. Maybe not…
Single truth? The physicists look for a theory of everything.
J’aimeAimé par 2 personnes
Or single inner move to approach Truth.
Simplicity, Immediacy.
Thusness (common translation of a Buddhist term)
J’aimeAimé par 2 personnes
Perception of the ever present now…?
J’aimeAimé par 2 personnes
This is the result, I’d say.
How can we point to the cause ?
certainly not with words.
J’aimeAimé par 2 personnes