Hakuin

Most people think that faith means believing something; oftener it means trying something, giving it a chance to prove itself.

A cult is a religion with no political power.

Your talent is God’s gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God.

I pray Thee, O God, that I may be beautiful within.

I respect faith, but doubt is what gets you an education.

To understand everything is to forgive everything.

I believe a man is better anchored who has a belief in the Supreme Being.

Those who are free of resentful thoughts surely find peace.

I’m a good Muslim and I’m only interested in Islam.

To know God better is only to realize how impossible it is that we should ever know him at all. I know not which is more childish to deny him, or define him.

God has no religion.

Man is a Religious Animal. He is the only Religious Animal. He is the only animal that has the True Religion – several of them. He is the only animal that loves his neighbor as himself and cuts his throat if his theology isn’t straight. He has made a graveyard of the globe in trying his honest best to smooth his brother’s path to happiness and heaven.

I love learning about different religions, and discovering the different ways to worship, and to love the greatness and the higher being that surrounds us all. I definitely believe in a bigger presence, and I really respect all religions; at their core they all teach the same message – community and kindness and looking out for each other.

The clergyman is expected to be a kind of human Sunday.

Only a spiritual being has awareness.