[granthraj] We should have Firm Faith

I came across a nice story. "One day little girl and her father were crossing a bridge. The bridge was badly damaged and water was heavily flowing under the bridge due to storm. The father was kind of scared so he told his little daughter, "Sweet heart, please hold my hand so that you don’t fall in to the river." The little girl said, "No dad you hold my hand." The puzzled father asked "What is the difference?"

"There is a big difference" , replied the little girl. "If I hold your hand and something happens to me, chances are that I may let your hand go. But if you hold my hand I know for sure that no matter what happens, you will never let my hand go." In any relationship, the essence of trust is not in its bind, but in its bond. This message is very short but carries a lot of message. This reminded me of a nice verse spoken by Lord Krishna to Arjuna in (Bg.18.66)

sarva-dharmaan parityajya / maam ekam sharanam vraja
aham tvaam sarva-paa pebhyo / mokshayishyaami maa shucah

"Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear."

In this verse Krishna says -"maa shucah" – "do not fear". Lord says that Arjuna should give up all the processes that have been explained to him, he should simply surrender to Krishna. That surrender will save him from all kinds of sinful reactions, for the Lord personally promises to protect him. Srila Prabhupada in his purport says that even if one is not free from all sinful reactions, simply by the process of surrendering to Sri Krishna, he is automatically freed. There is no need of strenuous effort to free oneself from sinful reactions. One should unhesitatingly accept Krishna as the supreme saviour of all living entities. With faith and love, one should surrender unto Him.

Srila Prabhupada in his lecture quotes (Bombay, January 7, 1975) – In the Bhagavad-Gita there is a statement: "Those who are doubtful about the existence of God," vinashyati, "they are finished." Their progress is finished. Samshayaatma vinashyati . That nishcayaatma, that is very good, to believe, to have faith, nishcaya, by full assertion. Just like Krishna said, "sarva-dharmaan parityajya maam ekam sharanam vraja" [Bg. 18.66]. So if by your intelligence you become doubtful, "Whether Krishna is able to give me protection?" then you are finished. Samshayaatma vinashyati. But if you have faith in Krishna’s words, nishcaya, "When Krishna says that if I surrender unto Him, He will give me protection, there is no doubt about it," that is called faith. Nishcayaatmika – Vyavasaayaatmika buddhih. Buddhi, intelligence, vyavasaayatmika, nishcayaatmika, that is very good.

vyavasaayaatmikaa buddhir / ekeha kuru-nandana
bahu-shaakhaa hy anantaash ca / buddhayo ‘vyavasaayinaam

Avyavasaayinaam, those who have no faith, doubtful, they have got different branches of activities. But one who has got faith, nishcayaatmika, "Yes, here Krishna says that He will give me protection. Let me surrender," then his life becomes successful. This is beginning of successful life. Adau sraddha, this sraddha, or this nishcayaatmika buddhi, or vyavasaayaatmikaa buddhi, is the beginning of spiritual life. If one has no faith in the words of the authorities, then he has no hope. Samshaayaatma vinashyati. Vinashyati means he does not get any chance to enter into spiritual life. We are in the material world. We are… Vinashyatsu. We are in an atmosphere of being finished. That everyone, we know. This body… I am concerned with this body, and the body is to be finished. But the soul is not finished. Therefore our bhakti-marga… How one can make progress in bhakti-marga? If we have got faith in the words of Krishna, that Krishna says, sarva-dharmaan parityajya mam ekam sharanam vraja [Bg. 18.66], if we apply our intelligence, nishcayaatmikaa, then our spiritual life begins. Adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sangah [Cc. Madhya 23.14-15]. These are the different methods to make advance in spiritual life, especially in bhakti-yoga, devotional life.

I am insignificant and at least when I read this I remember Krishna, Srila Prabhupada, Gurudev and his devotees. I sincerely pray at the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev to bestow their causeless mercy upon me so that I can understand and engage my senses reasonably for the service of the Lord Krishna.

Thank you very much.
In the service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva,
Suresh Gajendran,
Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Disclaimer: This article was originally published in the Yahoo Groups granthraj – run by the disciples of H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj – by the devotee name mentioned above. The posting in this article, is original realizations of our Guru Maharaj and the devotee who wrote this. Any comments regarding this article would be passed on directly to the devotee. In this article, ‘Maharaj’ and ‘Gurudev’ implicitly refer to our spiritual master H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj.

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