Faith

Faith>; noun: (1) : belief and trust in and loyalty to God (2) : belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion (2) : firm belief in something for which there is no proof

The key word in this definition is "belief". Belief is a box that can trap us. It leads us to think we know all we need to know and need explore or question no further. It can lead us to a seemingly inescapable intellectual and epistemological dead-end.

In the ancient Pali texts, wherein the earliest recorded teachings of the Buddha are preserved, "faith" is mentioned frequently. But it is a verb and not...a noun. This frees us from the trap of belief. Faith becomes a dynamic and ongoing process...a path to be traveled, not a box to be trapped within. It becomes a living thing rather than an ossified edifice.

Belief grips you...Faith frees you. - Roshi Phillip Kapleau