Right Faith and Blind Faith 正信與迷信

An open hand in the twilight. Image by Billy Pasco at Unsplash.

Faith is belief. Right faith is this—if one chooses not to believe, then let it be; but once belief is chosen, it must be held without doubt.

Take Buddhism as an example. Those with right faith understand the four great truths: formation, existence, destruction, and emptiness. All things come into being, remain for a time, break apart, and finally return to emptiness. They also see that life and death, wealth and poverty all follow fixed laws—the natural order and the law of cause and effect. Because of this, they do not give rise to false thoughts or chase after what is fleeting or unreal. This is right faith.

When Faith Goes Astray

Yet even when some understand these truths, they still cling to hopes of long life or worldly reward. In doing so, they bring sorrow and trouble upon themselves. This is blind faith.

To show the importance of right faith, the Avatamsaka Sutra teaches: “Faith is the source of the Tao and a vast ocean of virtue.” The Great Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom also says: “The ocean of truth is without limit; only through faith can one enter its depths.”

The line between right faith and blind faith is finer than a single strand of hair. Even the smallest wrong thought can carry one far from the path. That is why each step must be taken with care and the heart kept watchful.

正信與迷信

雨花集

濟公活佛

信，就是信仰，正信，就是不信則已，既信不疑。譬之信佛，正信者明白成、住、壞、空四大理由，對於生死富貴，知有定律，不作妄念，不作幻求，謂之正信。

明知此理，而仍求長生福報，自生煩惱，謂之迷信。華嚴經云﹕信為道源功德海。大度論有云﹕法海無量唯信可入。

是故正信與迷信，其中間不容髮，一念之微，相差甚遠，慎之。

This translated text is a chapter from Collection of Rain Blossoms, a scripture written by JiGong Living Buddha in the 1900s through spirit writing. Here the link to the original Chinese source.

If you are interested in other chapters of this book, here is the link to the table of contents.