Hare Krishna,
Please accept my humble obeisances
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada
This is to start discussion on the word - Faith. What is it and how it is so important in bhakti
Faith: Definition: 1. "confidence or trust in a person or thing"
and 2. "belief that is not based on proof"
Above these two definitions have been taken from dictionary.com : you can refer to http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/faith?s=t
now lets go with definition first:
1. Confidence and Trust in a person or thing:: This definition has two words confidence and trust which means: confidence means full surety on anything/ person,etc. and trust means reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing. So, if want to serve krishna, we must have faith on him. In 9.3 Bg, "Those who are not faithful in this devotional service cannot attain Me, O conqueror of enemies. Therefore they return to the path of birth and death in this material world". That means those who dont have two things in mind while serving him: Trust and confidence, he dont have faith on him. So, when the two things confidence and trust on krishna comes in mind while serving him, then that person can attain him in his service. Faith which comprises of two words Confidence and Trust : is utmost important while serving krishna if person want to attain krishna. Srila Prabhupada writes in his purport of 9.3.bg that "The faithless cannot accomplish this process of devotional service; that is the purport of this verse". and also srila prabhupada explains the divisions of faith in serving krishna as follows:
a. In the third class are those who have no faith:Even if they are officially engaged in devotional service, they cannot achieve the highest perfectional stage. Most probably they will slip, after some time. They may become engaged, but because they haven’t complete conviction and faith, it is very difficult for them to continue in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
b. second class are those who are not very advanced in understanding the devotional scriptures but who automatically have firm faith that kṛṣṇa-bhakti, or service to Kṛṣṇa, is the best course and so in good faith have taken it up: Thus they are superior to the third class, who have neither perfect knowledge of the scriptures nor good faith but by association and simplicity are trying to follow. The third-class person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness may fall down, but when one is in the second class he does not fall down
c. first class who are advanced in understanding the devotional scriptures and have full faith on krishna: One in the first class will surely make progress and achieve the result at the end. regarding this first class yogi, krishna says in 6.47bg "And of all yogīs, the one with great faith who always abides in Me, thinks of Me within himself and renders transcendental loving service to Me – he is the most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all. That is My opinion" . In this verse also krishna says not only faith but great faith that means the faith which cannot be changed/ modified by any means. It is atal faith.
at last srila prabhupada says in his purport that "Thus faith is very important in the discharge of devotional service.".
2. Belief that is not based on proof:: Very important definition, even important than what we discussed above, the belief (which means confidence in the truth or existence of something not immediately susceptible to rigorous proof). belief means believing in something without any practicle proof. Another definition of faith is believing on somebody/something without any proof. In 17.3 bg krishna says "O son of Bharata, according to one’s existence under the various modes of nature, one evolves a particular kind of faith. The living being is said to be of a particular faith according to the modes he has acquired.". Now lets connect the two things together, the definition says that belief means trust without proof which means the modes of nature applies to different people based on one's existence. In this verse 17.3, srila prabhupada explains "faith" as " The word śraddhā, or “faith,” is very significant in this verse. Śraddhā, or faith, originally comes out of the mode of goodness. One’s faith may be in a demigod or some created God or some mental concoction. One’s strong faith is supposed to be productive of works of material goodness. But in material conditional life, no works are completely purified. They are mixed. They are not in pure goodness. Pure goodness is transcendental; in purified goodness one can understand the real nature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As long as one’s faith is not completely in purified goodness, the faith is subject to contamination by any of the modes of material nature. The contaminated modes of material nature expand to the heart. Therefore according to the position of the heart in contact with a particular mode of material nature, one’s faith is established" further srila prabhupada says " Thus we find different types of faith in this world, and there are different types of religions due to different types of faith. The real principle of religious faith is situated in the mode of pure goodness, but because the heart is tainted we find different types of religious principles. Thus according to different types of faith, there are different kinds of worship.".
This is very important to understand, we comes in to contact of different types of people, take up different types of faith but our faith is contaminates and not pure if it is not towards the supreme personality of godhead. Because this faith is developed because of once's existence and material conditions in which he gets his birth, he would have to work hard and execute duties as per Scriptures to develop faith on the same and gradually when that person follows what krishna and guru say, he develop the faith. as soon as as he develop faith he gets free from all material bondage and bondage of its results. krishna says in 3.31bg "Those persons who execute their duties according to My injunctions and who follow this teaching faithfully, without envy, become free from the bondage of fruitive actions"
Conclusion: That faith can be dependent on any practical observation or without any proof. But as per krishna and srila prabhupada, the faith is utmost important while executing devotional service towards krishna. that faith is a process in krishna consciousness which evolves as much as you follow krishna and guru's instructions, and get the association of devotees from the inspiration you get out of their dedication and faith.
Please write back with your suggestions and comments on this
hare krishna
your servant
manish
Replies
Hare Krishna,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to guru and Gauranga.
Faith cannot be achieved artificially or by mental adjustment. By following sadu, sastra and guru one can achieve this.
Simply follow the instructions of Srila Prabhupad. You will see that your faith in Krishna is increasing. Look at the American or European or Russian devotees. Where and how they got so much faith in Krishna. They were humble to Srila Prabhupada's instructions and followed it. That is all and ISKCON movement is 100 percent scientific, means that there is proof. The proof is that these people could gave up many of their bad habits simply by following sincerely the instructions of Srila Prabhupad.
Hariii boool.
Very nice elaborated .
As you already mentioned in the last line, association of faithful ones are essential for those without.
Anyway, devotional service will eventually cure person despite being without real faith in God.
Taking proper medicine will cure ill person, even if one doesnt believe in it.
The problem is that medicine will not work so fully and fast, as that one taken with a faith.