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What is faith? || Acharya Prashant, on Vedanta (2020)
Scriptures and Saints
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1 year ago
Faith
Belief
Ram
Kabir Saheb
Enlightenment
Surrender
Nirakar Brahma
Saintliness
Description

Acharya Prashant explains that faith is not an act of thought, memory, or conditioning, nor is it for personal protection or aggrandizement. He distinguishes faith from belief by stating that belief requires an object or a reason, such as trusting a friend to rescue you. In contrast, faith is object-independent; it is the state of being all right without any objective reason. Faith represents a totally fulfilled self that has surrendered all worries to a reliable force, often referred to as 'Ram'. He clarifies that 'Ram' in this context is not an object with attributes but an abstraction for the indescribable, formless truth. While worldly trust in people or organizations can be shattered by a single event, faith remains secure because it does not depend on anything mortal or objective. Addressing the conduct of saints, Acharya Prashant discusses Kabir Saheb’s words about being awake and weeping while the world sleeps. He explains that inner awakening does not necessitate a specific external behavior like being constantly smiling or composed. The similarity among saints lies in their inner state, not their outward mannerisms. He warns against the trap of associating enlightenment with specific physical traits or supernatural powers, as this allows fraudsters to easily deceive people. A true saint is deeply human and experiences emotions like anger, disappointment, and desire. The difference is that while a common person’s emotions are centered on themselves, a saint’s concern and desire are consecrated and directed toward the entire world.