An exploration of faith, belief and the methods we use as humans to deal with the ineffable and incomprehensible.

1. FX
Revealing truths in life by exploring spiritual
answers to the big questions in human existence
What is faith?
Asking the question to understand the answer

2. FX is a philosophical
exploration of the extensive
wisdom contained in
traditions across the world;
an expedition outside specific
religions or traditions
The goal is to expand the
horizons by understanding
the common elements of faith
& belief systems to increase
intentionality and intimacy
between partners and make
connections with other
explorers
FX
What is faith?
Grow our
Consciousness
The Golden Rule
Studying another’s
tradition
Transformational
Figures vs. ‘Me’
Compassion
Grace
What happens next?
Role of Spirituality
Meditation 101
Living life well
Love Why we believe
Courage
Ego Purpose of Existence
Duality
Science & Faith
Death
Gratitude
Beliefs inform reality
Silence is Golden
NDE’s & Past Lives
Reports from the other side
Biology of Belief
Coming back into sync
Chaos & Order
Origin Myths on Creation
Mistake we make on
the Spiritual Path

3. Principles of FX
3
• Respect everyone
• Build a space for unity and fellowship
• Stick to ‘faith’ oriented subjects, avoid current events
(wherever possible)
• Focus on commonality versus division
• Be appropriate for the workplace
• Avoid the ‘practice’ of religion individually or as groups
during our communication, meetings or artifacts

4. ❖What is faith?
❖How is faith different from belief?
❖Why is faith necessary anyhow? ;-)
❖Faith in thought and action
❖Faith in three’s: Affective, Cognitive
and Practical faith
❖Challenges to faith
❖Cultivation of faith for living
❖The goal of faith: happier humans
What is Faith?
Overview
To one who has faith, no explanation is
necessary. To one without faith, no
explanation is possible. Thomas Aquinas

5. Definitions – What is Faith?
Whether through church, our practice or any other way, we MUST have faith in order to live.
Faith:
strong belief in ‘God’, based
on spiritual understanding,
rather than proof
{re: scientific, repeatable,
measurable).
complete trust or confidence
in someone or something,
without proof
• Belief:
an acceptance that a
statement is true or
that something exists
• trust, faith, or
confidence in
someone or
something, with some
proof accompanying
the belief
• Acceptance:
the action of
consenting to receive
or undertake
something offered
• the action or process
of being received as
adequate or suitable,
typically to be
admitted into a group
Above are definitions from dictionary sources; Websters & others

6. What is Faith - continued
For comparison, Faith can be distinguished between
belief and acceptance through the relationship
between ‘Proof’ and ‘Commitment’.
Both acceptance and belief have elements of proof
embedded in the definition.
• I accept what I did not have any fealty toward; as a scientific precept –
What has been proven by experiment is accepted until overturned
• Belief typically falls in the realm of experience. The value of “hard work” or belief
‘racism is wrong’ both have related experiences, even in ineffable
No
Proof
Yes
Low - Level of Commitment - High
Acceptance
Belief
Faith
• Faith is the converse of the two above; no proof but high commitment to the ineffable. It is
understood or hinted at by humans. Universal consciousness, God, Allah; all point like a
finger to the understanding of those who’ve felt or experienced what they perceive and
confidently express as a perfected orderliness - ‘immeasurably’ beyond human thought.

7. What is Faith - continued
Alan Watts on Faith vs Belief -- & -- Sadhguru
We must here make a clear distinction between belief
and faith, because, in general practice, belief has come
to mean a state of mind which is almost the opposite of
faith. Belief, as I use the word here, is the insistence
that the truth is what one would “lief” or wish it to be.
The believer will open his mind to the truth on the
condition that it fits in with his preconceived ideas and
wishes.
Faith, on the other hand, is an unreserved opening of
the mind to the truth, whatever it may turn out to be.
Faith has no preconceptions; it is a plunge into the
unknown. Belief clings, but faith lets go. In this sense
of the word, faith is the essential virtue of science, and
likewise of any religion that is not self-deception.
• What is the difference between the two? When
you say “I believe” you are fundamentally
saying, “I am unwilling to admit that I do not
know”.
• The seeker is willing to admit he doesn’t know.
The believer is unwilling to make this admission.
He draws conclusions about what is not yet
within his experience.
• Belief is cultivated; faith is a happening. Or to
put it another way, belief is brainwashing; faith is
about washing the brains!
• From day one, at Isha, I only put doubt into
people’s minds. I feed them on doubt because
all indoctrination must go away if the real thing
is to happen.

8. Faith is more than belief in a deity
The Christian tradition teaches to believe in ‘God’.
God created man, in his own image.
This idealized image is our ‘target’ to aim at for living.
Even if we don’t have faith in “God” we certainly believe there are ideal ways of
living & we should aim at those ideals. As our bodies are on a hunting platform,
the analogy is a good way of visualizing the concept.
We move from an idea, to a correct idea, then to actual knowledge.
We train for a targeted ‘skill’, correct our aim and hit the target.
The ideas of morality, ethics, judgment and professionalism are our ideals &
depend on this format. We have faith an ideal is the proper target. We then aim
and correct our aim until we get it right. Then we build on the experience with
more abstract concepts we embody, until we mature (or pass on).
All these judgments are self-constructed; with external factors of course…

9. Faith is at the root of scientific inquiry
Scientific inquiry cannot BEGIN without confidence (faith) in the following assumptions:
Nature is orderly, and the
laws of nature describe
that order; all events are
due to natural causes.
Human beings can know
nature. The simplest
explanation tends to be
the right one.
Nothing is self-evident.
Events are uniform
regardless of location
Knowledge is derived
from acquisition of
experience through
human perception.
Knowledge is superior to
ignorance. The scientific
method is our best tool to
generate knowledge.
Humans must take certain precepts on faith, in order to even begin the process of science.

10. Why is faith necessary anyhow?
• We need faith to operate in the world.
• No one knows more than they need to; the sum of things outside
our control is so immense as to defy understanding.
• If we had to rely on knowing everything, to the level sufficient to
protect us from harm and encourage our growth, we would
hopelessly be lost in reality’s full context.
• Faith allows us to “trust” ‘things will turn out one way or another’
and “Keep Calm & Carry On”. We’ll figure it out.
• Without this leap of faith, or a sense of understanding, the ability
to operate in the modern world is between challenging and
impossible.
H O P E
G O A L S
F U T U R E
S U R V I V A L
C H I L D R E N
S A F E T Y

11. Faith in thought & action
How we think and how we act are duality in
action.
We believe we are in control.
In reality, a loose collection of ‘personalities’
bundled into you. It/they are in control almost all
the time, rather than cognitive control. (re:Anger)
We can have a dim view of “faith” cognitively, yet
our actions can betray this perspective. We “act
as-if” we have faith which will carry us through
what we cannot control, in our day-to-day
engagement with the world.
Stoics and Buddhists (among many other
traditions) believe it’s wrong to live exclusively as
a ‘thinking creature’ and ignore the ’other’ 98% of
the body.
Faith is required to interpret the needs of the
mind-body (re: we’re 100% committed to living
our life, without any proof we know where we’re
going or how we’ll get there.)
Our goal as practitioners is to live our thinking and
acting ‘selfs’ aligned and acting with integrity. If
we do this, with each other and the environment
we are in, we’re in an equilibrated state.
Aligned-integrity

12. What is Faith?
Practical Faith
‘A leap of faith’ is required for almost all ventures.
The little we know of the world and our abstract
ways of describing this world naturally lead one to
‘take ones word’ for the efficacy of something, in
order to propel us into action.
What
is
Faith?
Physics: Faith one day we will know what dark matter
is. Faith string theory will prove itself accurate. Faith
our understanding of the universe will lead us to new
physics and greater understanding.
Students: Faith that four more years of school is worth
the investment.
Faith one will find their life's work.
Faith one is becoming a greater version of oneself.
Entrepreneurs: Faith the gamble of bringing something
new to the market will create the sensation and sales
sufficient to make us into what we desire. Faith
business partners will be honest brokers. Faith in the
vision of customers.
Self
Safety
Capability
Commerce
Colleagues
Medicine
Justice

13. What is Faith?
Cognitive Faith
‘Faith’ in our thought process and successful
matching of our cognition and the larger world is
crucial to operating in that world.
What
is
Faith?
Knowledge workers: Have faith in abilities to deal
with the unknown and make sense of the chaos in
order to deliver some order/good. No guarantee
those abilities will be sufficient; faith along with
trust history can serve as the necessary trust’.
Philosophers: We have faith in the models we
construct of the world; depending on the time and
place, those models can vary significantly, but
always close to a consensus of the large blocks.
Psychologists: We have faith those with disorders
and issues can be treated through the
frameworks set out through time. Blending
experience and faith, the presented patient is
sufficiently like the overall population & can be
treated w/models already existing
Perspective Memory
Understand
how others
think
Models of
world
Ability to
communicate
How to live
What to
avoid
Sacrifice
present for
future benefit

14. What is Faith?
Affective Faith
‘Having faith’ in our feelings is a core constituent
of living. How we feel, assess those feelings,
manage them and engage others all hinge on a
faith our feelings match others and the larger
reality. Loss of this faith can be catastrophic
psychologically, in relationships, etc.
What
is
Faith?
Physics: Faith one day we will know what dark
matter is. Faith string theory will prove itself
accurate. Faith our understanding of the universe
will lead us to new physics and greater
understanding.
Students: Faith the suggestions of counselors and
caring loved ones that 4 more years of school is
worth the investment. Faith that one will find
their life's work. Faith one will become a greater
version of oneself.
Entrepreneurs: Faith the gamble of bringing
something new to the market will create the
sensation and sales sufficient to make us into
what we desire. Faith business partners will be
honest brokers. Faith in the vision of customers.
Love Loyalty
Empathy
Trusting Confidence
Recovery
from failure
MEANING
Compassion

15. Challenges to Faith
Losing faith
• When you no longer have faith in what you
previously were committed to
• Loss comes from misunderstandings,
personality conflicts, tragic circumstances, ill
treatment and our own ignorance, etc.
• Self-deception and ‘hiding things in the fog’
can lead to a collapse of ones faith structures
Crisis of Faith
• When you question whether what you’ve
placed your faith in is what you conceived
• Life can deal us many of these crises
• Self-knowledge and rigor around what we
place faith in can help guard against these
Doubting faith
• When you aren’t sure your faith is well placed in your
experience; questioning what we’re committed to
• Doubt is natural; when we encounter new traditions,
philosophy or cultures, we can question our own
tenets of faith & if they are well founded
• Devout believers can doubt their faith throughout
their lives; religious leaders and figures are often
plagued by doubts. Without proof it is challenging to
defeat this doubt.
Lack of Faith
• An absence of faith can come when someone is
injured by life and comes to distrust anything
which is not ‘objective’
• The absence of faith may generate a ‘blind-spot’
where the subjective and affective reside
• Lack of faith is not permanent or required for
specific endeavors; it is opening to us the chance
to see the limitation and determine how we might
correct it

16. Cultivating Faith for Living
Cultivating faith
1. Know you aren’t alone and have lots of company in
those cultivating their faith.
2. Stay connected with others and rely on support systems
already in place
3. Develop some practice where you check in regularly with
yourself, quietly, and reaffirm your connections
4. Practice patience
5. Anchor yourself in truth (objective, ethical, philosophical);
lean on those ideas.
6. Remember you have experienced a lot;. You will
continue to suffer and recover until you don’t.
It’s all as it is and shouldn’t be anything else.
(Memento mori - Amor fati)
Epictetus said:
“Freedom is the only
worthy goal in life. It is
won by disregarding
things that lie beyond
our control.”

17. Faith can be a lonely road
• Faith requires following your experience and asking questions; you may seek ways to
access the intelligence in the universe, but accept this intelligence is beyond human
thought & logic.
• On the journey, when it is time, you will be shown glimpses of the ineffable when your
mind is free of the limitations of thought; when you are quieted, outside and in, you
will eventually encounter ‘it’.
• Your experience is not relatable; you will be unable to share the experience with
anyone without sounding like a zealot or a fool. If you can tolerate this loneliness and
continue with your seeking, hurray.
• It is however all too common for this isolation to drive seekers away from the
path/way/journey. This is neither failure or incorrect but the path of one who is
seeking and is unable to tenaciously hold onto the path of seeking.
• Seeking for what? “The light!” or “The experience!” or “The peace”;
Seekers cannot seek “god”, because god is a word attempting to describe that which
we can experience but never understand. They are seeking the experience, for that
is all they have as breadcrumbs to guide their journey.

18. What is Faith?
Happier humans is the goal
Why do we have faith, or even ‘need’ faith?
Without faith, chaos reigns and we could not live. Without
knowing how to proceed, we would be fearful each time we
stuck our head outside our bedroom door. Many modern things
would be impossible if we were without the idea/faith things
would continue this way to some great degree.
With faith, we can let go. We can trust (even delude ourselves)
of a truth and run at it. So long as our models ‘deliver’ what we
anticipated, faith persists.
If one does this, they are happier and have a better relationship
with reality/the universe than one with the requirement to know
“with proof” or “certainty” things would work out
But what about….?
I don’t know if ……?
Could I get hurt?
Oh no, I could lose…..
How am I supposed to….?

19. What is Faith Memes

20. What is Faith Memes

21. What is Faith Memes

22. We are twice armed if we fight with faith. Plato
Faith is unseen but felt, faith is strength when we feel we have none, faith is hope when all
seems lost. Catherine Pulsifer
Faith is an oasis in the heart which will never be reached by the caravan of thinking. Kahlil
Gilbran
The greatest religion is to be true to your own nature. Have faith in yourselves. Swami
Vivekananda
Faith is not belief without proof, but trust without reservation. D. Elton Trueblood
None of us knows what might happen even the next minute, yet still we go forward. Because
we trust. Because we have faith. Paulo Coelho
What is Faith? Quotes

23. ❖ Law of Attraction
❖ Cause and Effect
❖ Positivity
❖ Beliefs influencing reality
❖ Universality
❖ Repeating Themes
❖ Life of the Soul
❖ Coping with Catastrophes
❖ What does success look like?
❖ True Wealth
❖ Generosity
❖ Love of Humanity
❖ A pure heart
❖ Materialism
❖ Hope & Faith
23
What do want to explore?
❖ The Golden Rule
❖ Courage
❖ Humility
❖ Purpose of Existence
❖ Ego
❖ What’s next?
❖ Why do we believe?
❖ Consciousness
❖ Science & Faith
❖ Duality
❖ Tx Figures & Me
❖ Compassion
❖ Grow your
Consciousness
❖ Search for Meaning
❖ Death
❖ Beliefs Inform Reality
❖ Unity of mankind
❖ Forgiveness
❖ Living a Full Life
you

24. FX