"Here there is no talk of the world's affairs - those matters that make wild the hearts of men." Chia Tao (779-843); trans. Mike O'Connor

Saturday, November 27, 2010

My Zen View and Haiku - No Labels - November 27, 2010

What religion/faith-tradition are you? Let's label it! No.

Why do you need a label? As theologian Soren Kierkegaard once said: “When you label me, you negate me.” If the purpose of a label is to facilitate understanding – this is a kumquat and that is a pear – then it has a purpose. But to label a deeply held belief leads to separation and serves no positive purpose. If you were to say to someone, “My faith is a religion and your faith is not” or “Your belief system is not a true religion” you are identifying an arbitrary classification and making a value judgment.

Are you compassionate? Do you try to serve others without expectation of a return? It would be far better to focus on your own behavior toward others and leave the definitions to those who find a need to label things.

A morning sparrow
Sings with complete happiness.
Nothing is labeled.

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