Compromising Faith

[ancient_paztriot]

Syamasundara dasa: Since our knowledge is limited to mere phenomena, faith is necessary to acquire knowledge of God, freedom, and immortality.

 

Srila Prabhupada: No, faith is not a fact but a compromise. It is good that he admits that we cannot approach God ultimately by our senses or reason, but faith alone also is not sufficient, not perfect. Western philosophers have created so many different faiths. One may believe in one faith, and another person in another, but this is faith, not fact. the fact is this: if we are convinced that there is a God and that he is omnipotent, we have to admit that by His omnipotnce he can descend into the world. In Bhagavad-gita, Krsna says that he descends into the world for two reaons: To rectify the discrepancies in religion, and to please His devotees who are always anxious to see Him. Some people may say that God is partial, but he is not. God is kind both to His devotees and to the miscreants and demons. When the miscreants are killed by God, they attain immediate salvation, and when the devotees see god, they can understand His actual position. In Vrndavana, God displays Himself just as He does in the spiritual world. It is His nature to play with the cowherd boys and dance with the gopis. When the devotees understand this, they become incouraged by knowing that after finishing the material body, they will return to Krsna to join in His pastimes. This information is not only understood from the sastras, but is actually demonstrated by Krsna. Thus this knowledge is doubly confirmed. When we hear about God and His activities, we can also realize them because God is absolute. There is no difference between seeing Him and hearing about Him. In this way, true knowledge is attained. However expert a logician one may be, it is not possible by reason, logic, or mundane knowledge to approach the Supreme Absolute. It is possible to understand God only when He descends Himself, gives information about Himself, and displays His pastimes.

 

Srimad-Bhagavatam is a chronicle of the descents of God. If we try to understand God through Srimad-Bhagavatam or Bhagavad-gita, God speaks about Himself and His activites, and Srimad-Bhagavatam is a record of God’s activites and pastimes. the first nine cantos are devoted to the understanding of the transcendental nature of God, and the Tenth Canto is a chronicle of God’s activities before the eyes of the people of the world. However, those who are miscreants will think that God is just a famous person, or a superhuman being, and that’s all.

 

Hayagriva dasa: Concerning religious faith, Kant writes: “There is only one (true) religion, but there can be faiths of several kinds. It is therefore more fitting to say, “This man is of this or that faith (Jewish, Mohammedan, Catholic, Lutheran), than he is of this or that religion.”’

 

Srila Prabhupada: That is correct. Since religion means obedience to God, it does not refer to some sect. People are trying to understand God in different ways, but these ways are not real religion; they are methods of understanding God. Religion begins when we have understood God and are rendering Him service.