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Will, faith and confidence are the elementary factors, which
contribute to an easy success on the path of realization. Strong will to achieve
reality means that we are inwardly awakened to the thought of recognizing Self.
We proceed on with the idea and select a path. The very first thing to be looked
to, seriously, is that the path we select is the right one, leading directly to
our goal. It is, therefore, quite essential to have in our mind a clear and
definite conception of the final goal. Now the final goal of different people
may be different in many respects, and consequently, means to achieve it may
also be different. We have thus to select the right path leading directly to the
final goal for which we aspire. Hasty judgement in the matter often leads to
disappointing results, for it is just possible that the path you have been
persuaded to adopt may not be right one leading to your destination. Often by
adopting a wrong course you lose sight of the real thing and are led into false
conceptions and illusions. If you persist on the same course your final approach
to reality becomes impossible. This often happens when you unfortunately fall
under defective guidance and wrong training. It is; therefore, absolutely
necessary at the very outset to try every possible means to judge that the path
you have adopted for realization is really the right one. Do not follow a path
because it is the oldest, for the oldest one may be most ill suited to the
changed conditions of the world and the society. Do not follow a path because it
has been followed by the majority of men, for the majority may not always be
right and is more often led by only a chosen few, who, in all possibility might
have been misled. We must be thoroughly considerate in judging the merits of a
thing, applying all possible means at our disposal. We should never come to a
hasty conclusion without due consideration and trial, through the help of reason
and experience. When we are, finally convinced of the merits of the thing we may
stick to it with faith and constancy. Faith thus reposed shall be genuine and
lasting while faith promoted by inducement offered by outwardly attractive
features and display of pretty materialistic achievements is no faith at all but
may rightly be termed as persuasion. It has no stable foundation to rest upon
and disappears under ordinary adverse circumstances.
Gross type of worships of idols in the solid material shapes and rigid adherence
to forms, symbols and rituals do not actuate real faith. It is pure and simple
materialism which promotes prejudice, and not the true faith in the heart of
those who pursue it. They believe blindly in what they are induced to, without
applying their reason or judgement and are not in the least inclined even to
consider any other course. I find people acknowledging the efficacy of certain
other means of direct approach to Reality but still they are not prepared to
follow them because, as they say, they cannot get away from the path they have
already adopted. They have in fact, no faith in reality but only faith in forms
and symbols which may rightly be termed as prejudice. It means that their vision
has become limited and they do not want to rise high to seek Reality. Their fate
is sealed and they remain in the same confined sphere forever. In fact, what
keeps us down, checking us from rising higher cannot be termed as faith. It is
consequently very essential for every one to fix his eyes on Absolute Reality
with faith and confidence and to adopt ways, helpful and conducive to Self
-realization. We then march on up to the final point where we assume the same
pure form we had at the time of creation. For that we have to renounce
necessarily all our belongings of Samskaras, Maya and egoism, and grow lighter
and lighter at every step. Heaviness of mind or internal denseness caused by
gross forms of worship is thus a great impediment to our spiritual advancement
and should be avoided. If they maintain it with ever-increasing intensity they
remain entangled in the thorny bushes of grossness and deception far removed
from the realm of perpetual bliss.
The other important factor of a spiritual life is faith in the Master, for as I
have already said before, the help of a capable master is indispensable for
higher spiritual attainments. He is the only medium through whom the divine
impulse comes to an aspirant. It is, therefore, but essential that the guide we
select should be one of highest capability and practical attainments. To judge
the real worth of the guide we must associate with him for some time trying and
testing him by all means in our power. When we are thus convinced of his
capabilities through reason and experience we may accept him as our Master and
submit to his guidance. If we disregard this principle we are likely to be
deceived in our judgement. We must never follow any one blindly having been
attracted towards him by his outward imposition and display of knowledge. For
proper judgement of the true merits of a man we must take into account his
practical attainments in the spiritual field. We must seek in him the real thing
we crave for. When we are thus convinced, we naturally begin to feel an inward
attraction for him and think him to be the very person who can shape our
destiny. The feeling gradually develops into faith and we begin to love him. We
submit to his views with due regard to his personality and proceed along the
path under his guidance. The experience of achievements gained during the course
convinces us further of the extra-ordinary capacities of the master and we begin
to look upon him as a superhuman being. Our faith now is greatly helpful to us
in our spiritual progress. It dispels clouds of doubt and uncertainty and
removes difficulties and obstructions from our path. Faith is really the
foundation of the entire structure of spirituality. Faith in reality, faith in
the right course you have adopted for realization, faith in the worthy Master
whom you have submitted to, this is the rock upon which you must build your
edifice of spirituality if you really aim at success. You will thereby be
possessed of an internal force, strong enough to shatter all the forces of evil
that might be surrounding you. It will help you to draw fresh divine impulse
whenever you require it.
Some people take a very erroneous view of faith. They believe that faith alone
is enough to solve their problem of life no matter what the path they have
adopted, or the guide they have submitted to might be. Nothing probably can be
more misleading than this absurd belief. Is it ever possible for a man to reach
Calcutta by taking up just the opposite direction? Can a man ever become a
selfless saint by submitting himself to the guidance of a self-seeking impostor?
Can a man ever free himself from the bonds of attachment, prejudice and pride by
following a self-conceited hypocrite inspired with the feeling of attachment
with the worldly objects and of self-aggrandizement? We must never be led away
by a mere outward glittering aspect of a thing but should go deep into it to
discover reality at the bottom. Inducement based on outward show of knowledge,
eloquence or power, promotes blind faith, which in most cases leads to
disastrous results. A conscientious man will never allow himself to be led away
blindly into delusion by such false impositions which have no real significance
in the spiritual field. Blind faith is no doubt greatly advantageous only when
the path you have adopted is by accident the right one and the guide you have
selected is really the proper person of the highest calibre who is devoid of all
feelings of attachment and pride. Your unshakable faith in such a Master shall
then lead you to the farthest limit of spiritual attainment for you shall then
associate yourself with Reality.
Faith, in true sense, is a lively link connecting the mortal with the Immortal.
It is no doubt affected through the medium of the Master who is himself
connected with the Immortal. The link when once connected cannot be broken under
any condition and subsists all along during the course of our march up to final
point. It is one of the six Sampattis of the third Sadhana of Yoga. At this
stage, faith is real and genuine and is so firmly established that a man cannot
even for a moment get away from it. The reasons for this are, however, beyond
his understanding. Before this stage, faith is really artificial and is formed,
lost or regained many a time for a variety of reasons. A worthy master shall
never rely upon it and shall put up with all the emotional outbursts of love and
devotion of a disciple, looking forward patiently for the time when he comes up
to the final stage of Shraddha (faith) as depicted in the four Sadhanas of Yoga
when the real faith begins to assume the form of self-surrender. True faith is
really an unspeakable virtue which is beyond the scope of religion, it is the
dauntless courage which leads us on to success, it is that ubiquitous force
which makes our path smooth, it is in fact the only thing that solves our
problem of life. |
