The difference between theism and nontheism is not whether one does or does not believe in God. . . Theism is a deep-seated conviction that there's some hand to hold: if we just do the right things, someone will appreciate us and take care of us. . . Nontheism is relaxing with the ambiguity and uncertainty of the present moment without reaching for anything to protect ourselves.
Pema ChodronWe see how beautiful and wonderful and amazing things are, and we see how caught up we are. It isnโt that one is the bad part and one is the good part, but that itโs a kind of interesting, smelly, rich, fertile mess of stuff. When itโs all mixed up together, itโs us: humanness.
Pema ChodronSticking with uncertainty is how we learn to relax in the midst of chaos, how we learn to be cool when the ground beneath us suddenly disappears. We can bring ourselves back to the spiritual path countless times every day simply by exercising our willingness to rest in the uncertainty of the present momentโover and over again.
Pema Chodron