Cédrik Itamba
banner
cedricfinch.substack.com
Cédrik Itamba
@cedricfinch.substack.com
I am not alive,
nor am I life itself
I hate israel too bro. He just said something stupid
July 28, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Did you even read two paragraphs of what you linked?
A defensive system having no defensive capabilities?
July 22, 2025 at 12:20 AM
Remember, he isn’t god. He can only do so much himself
February 5, 2025 at 7:09 PM
Blind faith. This doesn’t seem to be going much further
February 3, 2025 at 8:37 PM
You’re missing the point. You can put faith in anything. A coach is just an example
February 3, 2025 at 3:10 PM
It's just like having a sports coach that gives instructions and you fulfill them because you have established trust in their methods.
But of course, they are in a position to abuse power. My old basketball coach turned out to be a pedophile, so there's that. Choose carefully
February 2, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Could be something as simple as trusting in a meditation instruction. Not immediately treating it with negative crituique or bias. Then also something more out there like trusting a teachers guidance to apply a difficult, seemingly meaningless teaching once you already have some trust in them
February 2, 2025 at 5:04 PM
when you have tested it through personal experience. So it should never be a blind faith, but some leaps are eventual

"When you know for yourselves: ‘These qualities lead to harm and suffering,’ abandon them. When you know: ‘These qualities lead to benefit and happiness,’ adopt them."
February 2, 2025 at 5:01 PM
The Buddha said that you shouldn't trust something because it is written in scriptures, taught by a tradition, spoken by a respected teacher, spoken by someone who appears wise or because it is based on logical reasoning alone, but...
February 2, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Yeah, that's it. You have faith in that life is short and long because you've lived it. From that you may also have some faith that one day you'll die, though you haven't yet experienced death. Perhaps that's the kind of faith I'm getting at. It's grounded, but I think some jumps do require leaps
February 2, 2025 at 4:54 PM
The thread is getting messy but yes, with no faith/trust you wouldn't jump. You'd put it in for example a teaching, or a teacher in this context. Of course, that's a situation ripe for abuse, so you have to be extremely careful who and what you put your faith into
February 2, 2025 at 4:50 PM
It's like this. Someone may explain all the finest and most minute details of any given thing. Like the touch of cold water, the feeling of love or the colour green, but if you haven't had direct experience of any of them before, you will never truly comprehend what they are saying
February 2, 2025 at 4:46 PM
You don't know the waters are there until you are in them. Call it faith. Call it trust. It doesn't change the effect, but the cause. You need it to jump in the first place
February 2, 2025 at 4:41 PM
But I think most things can be approached in baby steps. Least that’s been my experience. I haven’t leaped off any clips myself, but I understand how it can be necessary
February 2, 2025 at 4:22 AM
It has to be experienced. It comes back to what we spoke of earlier in regards to only being able to truly know your own experience. Everything else is a sort of belief, valuable, but isn’t what’s required to push past certain thresholds of realization. Genuine wisdom
February 2, 2025 at 4:21 AM
It’s not really about accepting a concept (key word) without evidence. It’s more akin to jumping off a foggy cliff to feel the touch of the calm waters beneath. Requiring a certain level of faith to reach the undeniable trust of direct experience. Something you can’t fully reason yourself too.
February 2, 2025 at 4:20 AM
I think that’s an approach that keeps you flexible and in a good spot to soak in all kinds of wisdom. At one point maybe it becomes a hurdle since some wisdom requires a lot of faith, but I myself haven’t done my bodhisattva vows yet so I’m kinda in a similar place
February 2, 2025 at 12:08 AM
Thank you that makes sense. That’s basically interdependance and non-duality
February 2, 2025 at 12:00 AM
Yeah, you’re onto something there
February 1, 2025 at 11:57 PM
We went from seeming quite opposed to each other to finding lots of common ground. I love that. It's been a great discussion. Haven't had one of these on the internet in recent memory
February 1, 2025 at 11:14 PM
Okay yeah, that's making sense to me. I don't understand specifically why it's referred to as balance. Maybe it's a belief that the bigger picture is ultimately balanced, but either way I'm aligned with the the equation, ultimately leading us to the same answer
February 1, 2025 at 11:14 PM
in taoism. But with actionable steps to achievie it. Like meditation and contemplation. Taoism might have this too, I don't know
February 1, 2025 at 11:08 PM
Yeah I think in here comes the difference in definition between east and west. To us "happiness" is something like ecstacy or overwhelming joy. But that's impermanent. Buddha explains it like equilibrium of mind. Peace, balance, just like...
February 1, 2025 at 11:07 PM