It is taught that faith in oneself is equal to faith in God. Self confidence and concentration can achieve success in any human endeavour. In these days of the modern bop and fake news and FOMO (fear of missing out) many humans take as their authority and path in life what others say and gossip about. To do so is to base your life on something that is not based in experience but in gossip and false expectations appearing real.
Many people are disheartened by the fear that Oneness beyond duality (or Union with Divinity) is beyond their reach in this earthly time, however much they may try. But, this is a type of weakness and nothing more. It is not a question of the path of yoga adopted; whatever the yoga path, if one has faith in Oneself and faith in the scriptures, the goal is bound to be won. Some pretend to have faith in both, all the while doubting them in the heart of hearts. Each one can discover for himself the measure of his faith by the results. If the experience of Oneness (or Union) is absent, it is due to the absence of these two. They must be in one, as the very breath of existence. Then only can they succeed in spiritual effort and attain the goal of Oneness with Divinity.
Of course, those without faith are without anything. They cannot benefit by advice. The present state of affairs is due to men losing faith in themselves and in the sacred scriptures. Even those who claim to have the Faith do not conduct themselves according to the scriptures and nourish them. Consequently, goodness and the sathwic (serene) quality have gone out of the world and wicked habits and degradation have gained the upper hand. If this atmosphere is to be transformed, and if the world must enjoy security and peace, every seeker of God, every pious God-fearing person, must cultivate Faith in himself and in the sacred scriptures and practise in one’s own life the disciplines enjoined in the scriptures. Naturally, some modifications may have to be made out of consideration for the place, time and individual, but, the fundamental outlook and significant meaning should not be changed. The means by which those ideals are to be reached may be changed, but not the ideals themselves.
A child may refuse to swallow a pill, when it is in bed suffering from fever; it may clamour for a sweetmeat instead. Do you know what to do at that time? Do not omit the pill; insert the pill inside the sweetmeat and offer it to the child to be swallowed. Its desire is satisfied; the fever, too, comes down. The fundamental has not been discarded; it has remained unchanged; only the method of administering it has been modified.
So too, in the midst of the crazy habits and behaviours of today, there is no use presenting the scriptures in a language which most people are unfamiliar with. They can be explained in easy understandable language. The fundamentals of the scriptures will not be affected by this. Then it can be practised, understood and experienced and enjoyed. As a consequence, the faith in the scriptures will also be strengthened, and Peace also will be stabilised upon the Faith. So, every seeker of God must practise the important direction of the scriptures and demonstrate in his life the sweetness of such dedicated lives, so that all others might appreciate the truth and value of the ideals and the disciplines.
To nourish the sacred scriptures, “Sathyam Vada“, Speak the Truth; to nourish the world, “Priyam Vada“, Speak pleasantly. If these two are kept in view and practised, there is no greater discipline needed. It is only in an atmosphere of peace that such sacred maxims can be put in action.
