The Highest Faith

 

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The Highest Faith

In our day-to-day lives we come across various situations and life crises which tests our faith in God to the utmost. The most unexpected of things happen – both beneficial and bad. We take the beneficial in our stride and thank God for his benevolence but when things go against us, we don’t thank him for the hurdle which he has put in our life. To the contrary we complain and pray for the difficulty to pass by and to give us the strength to overcome the tragedy. Why does this happen? Why do we not accept the bad in the same spirit that we accept the good? Why is our faith put to the test in adverse circumstances? These are questions which keep cropping up.

Acceptance is so easy when things are going in our favour, but the moment the tide turns acceptance becomes a challenge. Questions crop up in the mind – why is this happening to me? What have I done to deserve this? And so on and so forth!

Life, its substance and purpose, is an enigma, difficult yet not unknowable. With our progressive thinking, we are daily solving some of its secrets. But in spite of all our devices and facilities available in the modern era along with its strategies and inventions, it appears that we are still playthings in the hands of destiny! We have a long way to go before we can become independent of Nature’s domination!

To be constantly at the mercy of Nature – this surely is not that freedom! Our enthusiastic minds are rudely seized by a sense of helplessness when we are victimized by floods, earthquakes, cyclones, landslide, avalanches, volcanos, or apparently when without any rhyme or reason some near and dear one is abruptly snatched away from amidst us through illness or accident. It is then that we realise our vulnerability and that we really haven’t conquered much! In spite of all our efforts to make life what we want it to be, there will always remain certain conditions which are introduced on this planet, infinite and guided by an unknown, unseen power, operating without our initiative…… with all our certainties, we still have to abide an uncertain existence.

That is when we realise the necessity of a fearless reliance on our true Immortal Self (Atma) and on the Supreme Deity (Paramatma) in whose image the Self is made – a faith that acts without egoism, and plods on merrily, knowing no trepidation or constraint. Exercise absolute fearless surrender to that Higher Power. Make your consciousness remain steadfast in its faith and let it not be diverted by sickness or calamity – faith should remain absolute regardless of circumstances.

Hold on to this faith disregarding the buffeting of life’s untoward circumstances. Let your faith work for you and you will find its dynamic influence on you, the greater your faith the less you will be a slave to weaknesses. Absolute and unconditional surrender to Paramatma is the criterion of faith. Remember, this surrender is not laziness, expecting Paramatma to do everything for your – it is the faith that your utmost effort to bring about the desired result is also necessary – rather, it is this surrender through love for Paramatma, which is the Highest Faith!