First answer<\/p>\n
Dear *** Prabhu,
\nplease accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.<\/p>\n
I am sorry not to have much time to do a full research, but these few sastric references will make clear my concept.<\/p>\n
Of course I am fully aware of how many times the word \u201csraddha\u201d is translated as \u201cfaith\u201d, but it is the concept of what really means sraddha (translated as faith) that in my modest opinion is not fully understood.<\/p>\n
The confusion comes from the contamination of christian religion, who twistes the real meaning of faith.<\/p>\n
Before giving some few sastric quotes, I\u2019d like to make a short analogy so you may better understand my thought.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s say we are talking about a country I have never been, never heard or read about. Let\u2019s say Mongolia (just for the sake of argument).
\nYou come to me and say: \u201cDo you have faith that Mongolia is a beautiful country?\u201d My answer would be: \u201cI don\u2019t know Mongolia. How can I have faith?\u201d<\/p>\n
See? \u201cKnow\u201d. I don\u2019t know anything about that, how can I have faith?<\/p>\n
I would then ask you, \u201cplease tell me about Mongolia, let me read something, let me go there to see at least something, and then I can believe.\u201d<\/p>\n
If I would have immediately said \u201cyes, I have faith that Mongolia is a beautiful country\u201d, my answer would denote blind faith born of who knows what.<\/p>\n
Then let\u2019s say you describe Mongolia to me. Other people also tell me about it, I see maps and photos on the Internet. Due to that my faith increases.
\nIf I want a definite proof, I may go there, but since it is a big country I can never be sure that all the country is beautiful. But, since I have heard and seen a lot, then I more and more develop faith that all the country may be beautiful.<\/p>\n
Abandoning the analogy and coming to Krishna, if we don\u2019t know anything about Him, if we have never at least heard about Him, why in the world should I have faith in Him?<\/p>\n
Now I have faith in Krishna. Why do I? Because Srila Prabhupada told me about Him, because of the sastras, because of sadhus, because of my limited purification and experiences of transcendence. A part of Him I have understood and realized. The part I havent, I have faith.
\nWhy do I? Because I have undertood and realized a part of Him.
\nWhen you met Srila Prabhupada, he talked to you about Krishna. He did not say \u201chave faith in Krishna\u201d without preaching to you.<\/p>\n
So faith faith is born of knowledge.
\nThis is my point.<\/p>\n
Believing without having understood or experienced anything is sahajyaism, blind faith born of fanatism, foolishness and personal material interests.<\/p>\n
It follows some quotes from Srila Prabhupada:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first initial stage is called sraddha, or a liking for the Supreme Lord\u2026\u201d (SB 1.6.16, purport)<\/p>\n
Here sraddha is translated as \u201cliking\u201d, not faith. How can you like Krishna if you don\u2019t have some information about His qualities?<\/p>\n
\u201cIf one reads the description of this external form of the Lord with great faith, or if one hears about it or explains it to others to propagate bhagavata-dharma, or Krsna consciousness, his faith and devotion in spiritual consciousness, Krsna consciousness, will gradually increase.\u201d (SB 5.26.38)<\/p>\n
Here is clearly explained that one has to hear in order to have faith.
\nIf you hear, immediately your heart is brought to Krishna, and if you continue to hear Your your faith increases. Why? Because of purification. Again, before hearing, what should you have faith in?<\/p>\n
\u201cSraddha, to advance in spiritual life, the beginning is sraddha, faith. That is faith. Sraddha\u2026 Not exactly faith. Sraddha means respectful: \u201cOh, it is nice.\u201d That is called sraddha\u2026\u201d (Srila Prabhupada lectures on SB, 1972)<\/p>\n
See? Here Srila Prabhupada says \u201cnot faith\u201d. Sraddha means respectful.
\n\u201cIt is nice\u201d, he says. You hear about Krishna, you know Him, so obviously you come to the conclusion that \u201cHe is nice\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs mentioned in verses thirty and thirty-one, one\u2019s first duty is to approach the spiritual master, the representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, to begin rendering service to him\u2026 \u201d (SB 7.7.33)<\/p>\n
This is the process. You want spiritual realization, then you approach a Guru, you learn and serve him and purification comes. It doesnt say \u201chave faith in God\u201d, and that\u2019s it. It doesn\u2019t mean anything to \u201chave faith in God\u201d.
\nThis is christianism. Not Vaishnavism.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter hearing Bhagavad-gita, Arjuna told Krsna:
\nsarvam etad rtam manye yan mam vadasi kesava.
\n\u201cO Krsna, I totally accept as truth all that You have told me.\u201d (Bg. 10.14)
\nThis is the correct way of understanding Bhagavad-gita, and this is called sraddha. It is not that one accepts a portion of Bhagavad-gita according to his own whimsical interpretations and then rejects another portion. This is not sraddha. Sraddha means accepting the instructions of Bhagavad-gita in their totality, especially the last instruction:
\nsarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja.
\n\u201cAbandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me.\u201d (Bg. 18.66)
\nWhen one becomes completely faithful in regard to this instruction, one\u2019s strong faith becomes the basis for advancing in spiritual life.\u201d (Nectar of Instruction, chapter 5)<\/p>\n
You hear, then you accept. What in the world do you accept if you don\u2019t hear?
\nHere it is explained that one has to approach a spiritual master first, because of desire for spiritual realization. This is the main meaning of the word sraddha or faith. Desire for self realization, which is born of frustration in material life, or causeless mercy of the pure devotee and the Lord.<\/p>\n
\u201cSrila Prabhupada: The first stage is that you are inquisitive. \u201cSo,\u201d you say, \u201cwhat is this Krsna consciousness movement? Let me study it.\u201d This is called sraddha, or faith.\u201d (Science of Self Rrealization, chapter 1)<\/p>\n
Here Srila Prabhupada explains without possibility of letting in other interpetations his meaning of the word sraddha: inquisitiveness. One wants the Absolute Truth, so he approaches a Guru. This \u201cwanting the absolute Truth\u201d is called sraddha.<\/p>\n
Having faith in Krishna without having first heard or chanted is not faith (sraddha) but blind faith, which is not accepted by Srila Prabhupada:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe conclusion is that blind faith in a particular mode of nature cannot help a person become elevated to the perfectional stage. One has to consider things carefully, with intelligence, in the association of a bona fide spiritual master. Thus one can change his position to a higher mode of nature.\u201d (BG 17.2 purport)<\/p>\n
I can go on and on and on.
\nI can offer you hundreds of quotes form sastras clearly explaining this concept.<\/p>\n
Faith born of knowledge and realization is sraddha. Faith born of sentimentalism is something else.<\/p>\n
Your servant
\nManonatha Dasa (ACBSP)<\/p>\n
Second answer<\/p>\n
Dear Prabhu,
\nplease accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.<\/p>\n
I cannot but agree with what you say.<\/p>\n
My point is another one though. What causes or should cause faith?<\/p>\n
I am saying: knowledge.<\/p>\n
You say \u201cfaith in Krsna\u201d. You and I have faith in Krishna because we have heard of Him.
\n\u201cFaith in Srimad Bhagavatam\u201d because we have read it.
\n\u201cFaith in our founder-acarya\u201d because we have known him. We have met him, we have heard and practiced his instructions.
\n\u201cFaith in established senior devotees\u201d because we know them.<\/p>\n
Knowledge can change things, can also change faith. If I have faith in a known devotee, and then I come to know that he does something wrong, I stop having faith in him. So faith is always based on knowledge.
\nThis is what I meant in that paragraph of the Katha Upanishad.<\/p>\n
Knowledge gives rise to faith, knowldege can put it out.<\/p>\n
Apart from this, there is nothing more that I disagree on.<\/p>\n
\u2026<\/p>\n
Your servant
\nManonatha Dasa (ACBSP)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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