One thing I like about Substack, the platform I’m writing Val Thinks on, is how they strive to connect their writers to create a community, a support network, a friend group on which you can rely for newsletter wisdom and laughs.
Today’s guest post is born of one such attempt by Substack—a writers’ workshop back in February—and whoever set it up should be proud that, through it, I’ve made writer friends on whom I do rely for newsletter wisdom and laughs.
From the workshop’s writer directory, I discovered Fair—a fellow Substacker based in the same region—who writes Ongrowing. And from LinkedIn (a bit of LinkedIn stalking never hurt anybody), I learned that she had co-founded MindTerra, whose mission is to “make mental health a priority.” Since mental health is a cause near and dear to my heart, I immediately reached out to connect, and today’s guest post is the first fruit of that connection—may there be many more to come.
Without further ado, I give you Fair.
Faith and religion—to believe, or not to believe
Religion was never a key part of my life. As Thai nationals, we are required to identify and document our religious belief. I was labeled as a Buddhist by my parents. In practice, though, we hardly ever visit any temples.
My first exposure to Buddhism was through this thick red book that showed detailed illustrations of heaven and hell. Skip to the pages that portrayed hell, the caption reads:
“If you do X, you would get punished by being boiled alive a hundred lifetimes over.”
“If you do Y, you would have to walk on a path full of thorns.”
Needless to say, I was scarred by the contents of the book. As any six–year–old would be. Instead of wanting to learn more about this religion that I was assigned to, I was too scared to even approach the subject. The thought of potentially doing anything wrong and being punished in hell a hundred lifetimes over was just frightening. I believed that I would be better off not believing in any of it.
Like many millennials, I grew up pretty much an Atheist. To me, science was a better belief system than any religion. I trusted in things that can be observed and tested (repeatedly). Biology made sense because I could see the layers of plant cells that compose a leaf under a microscope. Chemistry made sense because I could hear the squeaky pop which signals that hydrogen is reacting with oxygen. Evolution was the antithesis to God. Homo sapiens evolved, and were not created. The Big Bang theory explained how it all came about.
It was not until recently that I started examining my own spiritual faith. I wondered if our modern lack of religious beliefs led to this rise in unhappiness. The more I learned about consciousness and the more I contemplated death, the more unsatisfied I became with science. Science was no longer sufficient. If Neuroscience couldn’t explain the true nature of consciousness, then what can? I decided it was time to turn to what I once feared: religion.
Instead of seeing religion as the enemy to science, I viewed it as another gateway to truth. Although to be frank, I only started digging into Buddhism as I learned and practiced meditation. The practice itself has brought some profound changes to my life views and attitude. So, to me, it only makes sense that I explore why it is such a core practice in Buddhism.
Upon retreating to a meditation center, I was able to grasp the basics of Buddhism from the teaching monks who were kind, graceful, and patient in guiding me. Treating it as a history lesson, I felt more open and curious about the Buddha and his journey (but don't get me wrong, I still fear doing the “wrong thing” in front of monks all the time). I quickly learned that religious institutions do not equate to the teachings of the religion itself.
At the meditation center, there were also many people of different backgrounds and religions. People hailed from different countries—France, Germany, Poland, Singapore—to name a few. Some weren’t Buddhists but were genuinely interested in learning how to meditate. From talking to these folks from all walks of life, I also realized this:
Everyone will have their own beliefs. And there is no right or wrong way to believe.
What’s most important is that you believe in what works for you. Believe in what makes you feel alive. Believe in what brings you peace and ease, whether it be through praying or fasting or meditating or conducting experiments.
But don’t also forget to respect others’ faith. We all have differences but are all the same human beings of this earth. We all have faith in something, whether that’s our partner, our religion, our family, science… We as humans have beliefs. It is part of being human. So, what do you choose to put your faith in? Why is it important?
What do you think?
That was Fair on faith and religion, a topic I’ve always meant to write about but never quite got around to. I’m very grateful to her for taking the time out of her busy schedule to share her thoughts with us. And now, I’d like to leave you with her question:
What do you choose to put your faith in? Why is it important?
Send a reply, leave a comment, share this with someone whose faith gives them strength.
And if you enjoyed Fair’s essay above, consider subscribing to Ongrowing, her newsletter. She’s currently on a hiatus but will be back soon!
Until next Friday… Stay thoughtful,
Val
p.s. If you’d like to write a guest post for Val Thinks, please email me a writing sample to valthinks@substack.com with a topic proposal and a note on why you’d like to be featured.
Photo by Pascal Müller on Unsplash
Oh my gosh, this collaboration made me so happy! Val - so glad you're making connections with writers here on Substack. Can't wait to read more of your collabs and your newsletters! And Fair - great, insightful piece as always. Love the part about believing in what makes you feel alive.
To answer the question at the end, I put my faith in actions, people, and also - the universe. There's a certain level of trust I have in the universe for having our backs :)