Hello! 👋 Do you believe in God? If so, how does it influence you spiritually? If not, why not? :P
I dont believe in an all powerful God like the Bibkical one, no. I can’t conceive of a world with so much suffering and pain continuing when such a being has the power to fix it. If such a being DID exist, then the only moral act would be to take whatever risk necessary to kill them (and keep in mind I’m saying this as a pacifist). However I’m a Pan(en)theist. I believe in what you might call the Dao or the Force. Basically god is a non-physical being that is or manifests in all of reality but is most accessible via the natural world. This is right in line with Zen and by extension, Taoist teachings, which have seen the natural world as sacred since they began. I also believe in Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and what Yoga calls “Mantra Beings” though this all requires explanation.
I don’t believe in the Second Coming of any spiritual teacher who will magically save us all, though I do have a small painting of Jesus on my altar next to the Historical Buddha, and I consider both men spiritual ancestors. The Plum Village lineage, which I’m most closely associated with, teaches that there have been individual Buddhas in the past, including ours, but that the next Buddha, Maitreya, will likely manifest not as an individual, but the Sangha itself. We can see that potential manifestation in any living thing, but most clearly in sprouts, and especially children. Sure, kids can be horrid gremlins, but that’s more a result of lack of life experience and life skills most adults have that help them manage their moods and emotions. Having worked in childcare off and on for years, I can say from experience that little kids, boys and girls, have an amazing capacity for empathy, compassion, and kindness unprompted. Culturally we just tend to train it out of half the population before they get very old. “The only difference between a Sage and a young child is that the Sage knows “this to, shall pass.” Unknown
I believe in Bodhisattvas, but I don’t worship them as such. These are beings, some of whom were born into this world, like Budhai, the obese monk who is the patron of children and good luck (interesting combo), others, like Avalokiteshvara, Manjushri, Samantabhadra, etc are Celestial Bodhisattvas who never lived on earth. “Praying to/worshipping” these entities is more about cultivating the qualities they represent, which exist in seed form in everyone, whether you’re Buddhist or not, than asking for aid from anything outside.
Mantra Beings are similar. They have no existence outside the stories told about them and the mantras associated with them. Shiva, Ganesh and Hanuman are such beings I still revere and have chanted and sung to and experienced results. The Hanuman Chaleesa helped free me from depression, and one time on hearing it I ran full out for a Mike and a half without getting winded. While I wasn’t out of shape at the time, I’ve never been a long distance runner. Another time singing to Shiva in meditation sent me into a state of altered consciousness that made more than an hour pass like a few minutes. Don’t take my word for it though. Learn about one of these beings, then learn a song or mantra to them, practice it yourself, and see what happens. Ehi Pasiko, my friend. Come and see. Don’t just take my word for it. I have faith in the triple gem and these beings because of the fruit of my own practice, experience, and understanding. I wouldn’t ask anyone to rely on anything less.
