Faith without Works

So the question was posed on musing.io, by @naturalmedicine, "Do people on an awakened path experience more pain and suffering as part of the process?"

There is a concept, common among the Catholic faith from my understanding, that possessing faith in Christ (or the Bible, or whatever) without taking action really amounts to nothing in the grander scheme. And that bears out, to be honest. While a person might have encyclopediac knowledge about the Scriptures, the Canons, the Papal Bulls, if they never practice any of the teachings, nor show kindness nor charity, they really haven't done a thing. And you can bet your ass that you'll have a poor afterlife. There's no fooling Hell.

I find these topics to be one and the same. Imagine somebody who went to college, got the Masters in Engineering, and then never employed that knowledge: They are certainly poorer for the effort (both financially and probably in many other ways.) Likewise, a life spent delving into philosophy and psychology never seemed to lessen my own pain and suffering. Surely I knew many, many things which might have sufficed as a psychic band-aid, Taoism in particular; but never did my torment end.

Part of that is endemic to me, as being autistic and wracked with PTSD is The River of No Return, much like alcoholism. You can never undo something that is now written in your bones. But that doesn't mean you can't navigate that river adroitly, WITH THE PROPER EFFORT.

Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on Unsplash

And it's that effort which stymies so many seekers. Reading a book is easy, absorbing it's contents, effortless. But truly internalizing that knowledge requires effort and persistence. And putting those things into practice, in a world which profits on your inglorious servitude... that is a very difficult jump to make. I recently found what can only be described as an occult resources, something that is suppressed on a community level, across all civilization.

It somewhat has to be, because our current economic model is so very dependent on it remaining obscure. And I'm putting it into practice, and it's working. I'm not going to be sharing what that is, by the way. It's something that can really only be experienced, rather than told. Because words are written on air, and deeds in sweat.

But good news is: The nuts and bolts of daily practice... Those are so widely well-known as to be cliche'. Live beneath your means, dismiss the conceits of others, take pleasure in crafts and skills rather than objects, and keep quiet about it. That last one can be particularly difficult, because everyone wants to help out those around them... but again, it can only be experienced, not told. That is one of the reasons it is so critical to watch a persons actions rather than listen to their words. Words are excuses, but glory is evident, by the sheen of a persons brow.

But quite honestly, I think I haven't yet answered the question in the context that it was posed. I think it best handled in another post, so I'll get that one up tomorrow.

Peace to the Peaceful,

Silas Danois