faith in HIM

[Guest guest]

>Dear bhAgavathas,

>

>I tried sending this e-mail on Friday, but it appear in Bhakti for

>some reason. I am posting this

>message again for your consideration...

 

> > I think the question to ask is where this level of faith comes

>from in the first place? How is

>> it possible to place our faith in somone that we have not "seen,"

>>or know anything about?

>> What is it that it is motivating us from within to accept His

>>Presence and seek to adore Him in

>> the form of the archa. Our Acharyas teach us that this faith is

>>the product of the Lord

>> Himself, who solely out of His Compassion and Boundless Desire to

>>help and save us, stays within

>> as our antaryAmin and leads us in the path that leads us back to

>>Himself. It is He

>> who places this faith in us in the hopes that someday He can put

>>it to good use in meeting His

> > Goal.

>

> > adiyEn rAmanuja dAsan

> > Mohan

 

Shankara defines shhraddha or faith as

 

shaastrasya guru vaakyasya satya buddhyavadhaaraNam|

saa shraddha kathitaa sadbhiH yayaa vastuupalabhyate||

 

The Wise say that faith is an understanding that the words of the

teacher and that of scriptures are true indeed (essentially shabda

pramaaNa) based on which one attains or realizes the truth.

 

In contrast to a blind belief, faith involves an understanding. If I

see the board that points out an exit saying it is -This way is to

New York - I have full faith on that instruction since I know those

who put up the board have no intention to cheat me and want to

misguide me. But if the truth is beyond pratyaksha and anumuaana

pramaaNa, that is it cannot be directly perceived by senses and

cannot be logically established then only left pramaaNa is Shaastra.

For example that there is heaven or hell cannot be established by

pratyaksha or loukika anumaaNa. Hence scriptures become only basis

that establishes the truth that cannot be established by pratyaksha

and anumaana - This is true for dharma, puNya, paapa, reincarnation

etc. Achaarya is the one who understands the scriptures and

interprets the scriptures based on his personal experience. He

becomes a direct vehicle through which knowledge can be gained.

Hence faith is the strong conviction that aachaarya and the

scriptures are indeed true. Thus shabda pramaaNa requires both faith

in the scriptures (aastika vaada) or shruti pramaaNa and teacher who

interprets for us the scriptures in a way that we can understand,

aatmiiya vaakya. Faith gets reinforced as we walk along the path and

see further pointers that confirm that teachings of the aachaarya-s

and scriptures are indeed true.

 

 

Hari Om!

Sadananda

 

--

K. Sadananda

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