{"id":4236,"date":"2013-11-14T06:13:12","date_gmt":"2013-11-14T06:13:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rupanugabhajanashram.com\/?p=4236"},"modified":"2023-04-13T08:29:47","modified_gmt":"2023-04-13T02:59:47","slug":"planets-of-faith","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rupanugabhajanashram.com\/writings\/krishna-talk-articles\/srila-bhakti-gaurava-narasingha-maharaja\/planets-of-faith\/","title":{"rendered":"Planets of Faith"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last week I came across some discussion on the internet regarding \u015braddh\u0101<\/em> \u2013 the importance of faith, was it essential or only a necessity for the beginner? I would like to see more discussion on this topic, personally, because I see it as an area of siddh\u0101nta<\/em> that is little understood by a vast majority of the Gau\u1e0d\u012bya Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas residing in western countries. I say amongst those Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas residing in western countries because, at least among the followers of \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Sarasvat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura in India I have never found any lacking of understanding in that area. To the contrary \u2013 whatever meagre reference I have to that sublime point has been gained by their association.<\/p>\n

I have seen in the works of \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura that \u015braddh\u0101<\/em> has been described as the \u2018halo of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b\u2019 and I have heard this also from \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja. Amongst the Gau\u1e0d\u012byas the Supreme Goddess of Fortune, \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, is called \u015araddh\u0101 Dev\u012b or the predominating deity of faith. She is faith personified. She has more faith and deeper faith in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a than any other entity. Therefore, faith must be given the highest position. Surely it is not simply an abstract concept for beginners with no essential purpose for advanced souls.<\/p>\n

There is a nice analogy in this respect in that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is like a dark rain cloud on the dark moon night (He is indistinguishable, unknown, and unknowable). In other words, we cannot see or distinguish the cloud from the night sky. However, when there is lightening, a flash of light in the night sky, at that time we are given the capacity to see the cloud. By light we can thus distinguish the cloud. Similarly, \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b is the only agency by which we can know or realise K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. She alone has the capacity to reveal K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a to the fallen conditioned souls and that capacity is Her investment in all living beings which appears in the heart as faith, \u015braddh\u0101<\/em>. Thus She is known as \u015araddh\u0101 Dev\u012b.<\/p>\n

In Gau\u1e0d\u012bya siddh\u0101nta<\/em> the higher position is given to faith rather than to knowledge. In fact the verse yasya-deve-para-bhaktir confirms this point of Gau\u1e0d\u012bya siddh\u0101nta<\/em>;<\/p>\n

yasya<\/em> deve<\/em> par\u0101<\/em> bhaktir yath\u0101<\/em> deve<\/em> tath\u0101 gurau
\ntasyaite kathit\u0101 hy arth\u0101\u1e25 prak\u0101\u015bante mah\u0101tmana\u1e25 <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cOnly unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master are all the imports of Vedic knowledge automat\u012bcally revealed.\u201d (\u015avet\u0101\u015bvatara Upani\u1e63ad<\/em> 6.38)<\/p>\n

Our Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, \u015ar\u012bla A.C. Bhaktived\u0101nta Swami Prabhup\u0101da, was very fond of this verse. If one does not have proper faith in Hari, guru, and Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava then one\u2019s progress in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness will be next to nil. Knowledge, even the study of the Vedas<\/em>, will be to no avail unless one has \u015braddh\u0101<\/em> in guru and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.<\/p>\n

It is a fact that \u015braddh\u0101<\/em> is often confused with the blind faith of various mundane religionists and others. The faith\/belief that there are many gods or that Durg\u0101, Indra, Ga\u1e47e\u015ba, or Jesus is God is not actually \u015braddh\u0101<\/em> anymore than having a university degree means that one is a br\u0101hma\u1e47a<\/em>. A br\u0101hma\u1e47a<\/em> means one who knows what is Brahman\/Parabrahman. Similarly, \u015braddh\u0101<\/em> means conviction that by serving K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a all other purposes are served. We are not interested in mere credulity.<\/p>\n

\u015araddh\u0101<\/em>, faith proper, is the instrument to understand and to know the higher subjective realm. Knowledge (j\u00f1\u0101na<\/em>) is useful only in as much as it destroys ignorance and increases our \u015braddh\u0101<\/em>. Only \u015braddh\u0101<\/em> which takes us to surrender, \u015bara\u1e47\u0101gati<\/em>, can fulfil the hearts innermost hankering and aspiration. Here is a nice quote from \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja in regards to the limitations of knowledge.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe innermost hankering of every living soul is for beauty, love, affection, and harmony; not for power, knowledge, or anything else. This is the diagnosis of the whole creation in time and space: their common cause is one. But it is rare for a soul to reach such a clear stage of hankering for reality as to understand this point. Few souls are to be found in this world who are really conscious of their innermost necessity, who realise, \u201cWe want K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a! We want V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana!\u201d Such sincere souls are not easily found. An intellectual understanding of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness is impossible. Just as a bee cannot taste honey by licking the outside of a glass jar, one cannot enter the domain of higher spirit through the intellect. Only by service will K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a be satisfied and come down, only then will we be able to understand the nature of higher plane. This is Vedic knowledge. We are ta\u1e6dasth\u0101-\u015bakti<\/em>, marginal potency, and if we want to know any truth about higher reality, we must realise that it is more subtle than our existence, it is super-subjective: It can touch us, but we cannot climb up to that domain out of our own sweet will. Only if we are given the grace which can take us up can we go. One who has this understanding will be able to combat all the existing intellectualists. The intellect has no capacity to enter into the higher subjective area. That supreme truth is at\u012bndriya-manas\u0101 gocara\u1e25<\/em>: beyond the plane of the senses, mind, and intellect. This expression manaso vapu\u1e63o v\u0101co vaibhava\u1e41 tava gocara \u2013  <\/em> by Brahm\u0101, admitting to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a that He was beyond the reach of his body, mind, and words, was not only a lip-deep statement of the mouth. If we want to know the absolute truth, the only condition for realising Him is a submissive attitude. In that way, He may be satisfied with our attempt and reveal Himself to us. Divine revelation is not a matter of research within this world\u2014we should have a sincere heart to serve.<\/p>\n

In \u015ar\u012bmad Bh\u0101gavatam<\/em> it is written:<\/p>\n

matir na k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47e parata\u1e25 svato v\u0101
\nmitho\u2019bhipadyeta g\u1e5bha-vrat\u0101n\u0101m
\nad\u0101nta-gobhir vi\u015bat\u0101\u1e41 tamisra\u1e41
\npuna\u1e25 puna\u015b carvita-carva\u1e47\u0101n\u0101m
\n<\/em>(Bh\u0101g<\/em>.7.5.30)<\/p>\n

\u015ar\u012bmad Bh\u0101gavatam <\/em>tells us that we can try to enter the world of higher reality through intellectualism, but we will again come back, baffled in our attempts. If we try to press with our intelligence to enter into that domain, we will come back dissatisfied in despair and will wander here within this mortal world again and again.<\/p>\n

\u015breya\u1e25-s\u1e5bti\u1e41 bhaktim udasya te vibho
\nkli\u015byanti ye kevala-bodha-labdhaye
\nte\u1e63\u0101m asau kle\u015bala eva \u015bi\u1e63yate
\nn\u0101nyad yath\u0101 sth\u016bla-tu\u1e63\u0101vagh\u0101tin\u0101m<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cO Lord, those who want to have a clear conception of You through their intellect find their attempts useless. Their endeavors end only in frustration, like those who try to beat rice from an empty husk.\u201d (Bh\u0101g<\/em>. 10.14.4)<\/p>\n

So j\u00f1\u0101na<\/em>, knowledge, is like an empty husk. Energy and knowledge are only outer aspects. The real substance, the rice, is devotion\u2014love. That is the tasteful thing within. Other things are covers (j\u00f1\u0101na-karm\u0101dy-an\u0101v\u1e5btam<\/em>). But what is within the cover is tasteful, eternal, auspicious, and beautiful: satyam, \u015bivam, sundaram<\/em>. Beauty is reality, ecstasy is reality; everything else is only an outer cover \u2013 with the cover, we cannot get the substance within. Then our life becomes a disappointment.\u201d<\/p>\n

So the conclusion being that if we neglect the importance of \u015braddh\u0101<\/em> we will ultimately not be successful.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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