Introduction
Belief is an integral part of being a religious person, and many theologians and spiritual writers have explored it. Lewis and Sakyong Mipham are writers who have delved into the topic of belief in their respective religious traditions. They both understand the term differently and oppose each other’s doctrinal ideas. They both draw ideas from their religious traditions, but the difference is in how they apply these ideas to understand what we should believe in.
Comparison of Works by Lewis and Sakyong Mipham
Lewis was a Christian writer and theologian whose work was influenced by his Anglican faith. He believed that faith was trust in God’s promises and that one must believe in something for it to be true. Lewis thought that faith was not a blind leap but rather an act of trusting God and the evidence that The Lord has provided. He believed faith was based on God’s revelation and His work in the world. In his book “Mere Christianity,” Lewis postulates, “Faith is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted, despite your changing moods” (Williams, 2021, p. 301). Put another way, faith is not just about believing something but also maintaining that belief even when doubts or challenges arise.
Sakyong Mipham is a spiritual leader in the Shambhala Buddhist tradition. Mipham draws upon the Buddhist concept of faith, or “shraddha,” which is not an unquestioning belief but a deep conviction from direct experience (Arizaga, 2022). He believes faith is based on understanding the Four Noble Truths, and one should have faith to be saved. He also believes that faith is based on the teachings of the Buddha and that we can understand the Four Noble Truths through meditation and mindfulness.
Lewis and Mipham draw upon specific doctrinal ideas from their respective religious traditions to explain what it means to believe something. For Lewis, this includes trusting in God and His promises and believing in a moral law that must be obeyed to be saved. For Mipham, this consists of the Four Noble Truths and the teachings of the Buddha (Arizaga, 2022). These doctrinal ideas can be located in formal statements from each tradition, such as the Anglican Articles of Religion and the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism.
Each author suggests a different way of believing these doctrinal ideas. Lewis indicates that an individual should have faith in God and His promises and trust in the moral law He has given the world. Lewis writes, “The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us” (Williams, 2021, p. 178). In other words, salvation cannot be earned through good works, but rather a gift God freely gives.
In contrast, Buddhism does not have a concept of sin or salvation as Christianity does. Mipham recommends that in order to comprehend the teachings of the Buddha and the Four Noble Truths, one needs practice mindfulness and meditation (Arizaga, 2022). However, Buddhism emphasizes recognizing and overcoming ignorance and delusion to achieve enlightenment or liberation from suffering.
Each author also suggests a different way to be sure a belief is true. For Lewis, this involves a balance of intellectual inquiry and personal transformation. Lewis believed that true belief involves intellectual assent and the cultivation of the heart and soul. Similarly, Mipham suggests that one might be sure that a belief is true through direct experience and observation (Arizaga, 2022). He believes that true faith comes from personal observation and insight into the nature of reality.
Conclusion
In conclusion, authors understand faith differently and draw ideas from their religious traditions. However, they share common points of view on how someone can believe these doctrinal ideas and be sure of the truth of their convictions. Therefore, understanding what we should consider depends on how authors interpret the ideas of their religious traditions and apply them to their understanding of faith.
Work Cited
Arizaga, M. L. (2022). When Tibetan meditation goes global: a study of the adaptation of Bon religious practices in the West. De Gruyter.
Williams, B. M. (2021). C.S. Lewis: pre-evangelism for a Post-Christian world: why Narnia might be more real than we think. Christian Publishing House.