The Consuming Faith

I have at my command, the power of faith

But I must be a student of that power, so that it does not consume me

As a fire consumes fuel

My evidence is experience, and with that I build trust.

And should that trust be tested and remain valid for me

I will place my belief into the soundness of that trust.

In time, if that belief proves also reliable, I will indulge my tendencies

To predict

And with doing that, place my precious hope into the cradle

Of my certainty.

And in that certainty remain faithful

for the sake of honoring my freedom to choose

respecting all the while

faith can burn like fire

for left unattended my faith can also consume me

by inattention to what is actual

Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it.

Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many

Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books.

Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders.

Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations.

But after observation and analysis

When you find that anything agrees with reason

And is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all

Then accept it and live up to it.

Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta, the founder of Buddhism, 563-483 B.C.