Thoughts on faith got rekindled when I went through my previous posts in here as it has been awhile since I wrote something. I realise that I have not shared my thoughts on faith. It is also coincidental that I finally started reading a book (different from the one I had mentioned in my previous post) that I borrowed from a dear friend.... a book on faith.
Though this book was affiliated to a particular religion, I realised the spiritual aspect of it, and how applicable it was to our practice of meditation and usage of methods. This book describes faith as “grasping the unrealities of hope and bringing them into the realm of reality”.... as “evidence of things not seen”.
What does this mean exactly? I pondered as I continued reading. The author did an excellent job simplifying things. Pay attention to the following thoughts:
- I don’t see the thing that I have been praying for (or using the methods for), so I am not sure if I will get it
- The thing I have been praying for (or using the methods for) is mine because God wills it to be mine
Notice the difference? Though it can been seen that both thoughts are from someone who believes in God, the first one is not sure the prayer will be answered, whereas the 2nd one has faith that prayers are always answered. How does this apply to me and the methods I use? I started reflecting, and got reminded of 2 persons I know of who practice self healing:
- Person A: Practices self healing hoping it will cure her of the sickness...groans and complains how feeble she feels most times... prays very hard because she feels so sick and only God can save her now..
- Person B: Believes that God has indeed already given her good health, and that she is completely healed of the illness she is suffering from while practicing self healing
It is a good thing that both practice self healing diligently and self healing sure does help both....but I won't be surprised if it takes Person A longer than Person B to be healthy. While person A is unsure if she can be healthy at all and focuses on the symptoms of the sickness, person B focuses on being healthy. I used to think that Person B is in denial. But now, I realise the power of faith and that of the mind. We are what we think we are! Most of us by now know that the SECRET is not much of a secret anymore – we attract what we think. Ahhh... now it makes sense! Isn’t it better to believe that we ARE healed so that we CAN be healed? It is about believing that we are healthy, to be healthy. Idealistic it may sound, but I realise that faith is believing.
The definition given by the author makes sense now. Faith is different from hope. While hope is waiting for something to happen, Faith makes things happen. Faith makes the stuff mind label as impossible, possible. I used to say this is believing blindly - blind faith. But now, I realise that faith is not at all blind – believing that you have gotten the something that you have been praying for (or practicing the methods for) is not being blind. In fact, it saves us from groping in the dark. I also realise that faith has little to do with feeling as feelings distract the mind. I believe that the methods our Divine Master has taught us are tools to help us... with faith as the driver. The powerful 3 (the heart, the methods and faith) combined result in miracles.
I sincerely hope you give a shot at it too. What have u gotta loose anyway?
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Tell us what you think. Drop us a note at vanannavarasan@gmail.com
For information on the Meditation Society, please visit www.rpt.com.my or the FB page - Click here
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Tell us what you think. Drop us a note at vanannavarasan@gmail.com
For information on the Meditation Society, please visit www.rpt.com.my or the FB page - Click here
1 comment:
Dear Vanan & Lata,
I had been searching for an answer and it seems like you have answered a disturbing question that has been running in my mind for months... Thanks to His Divine Grace for leading me to your blogspot!
I had always been a fit and healthy individual but 9 months ago, i was diagnosed with a chronic disease which pushed me into a gloomy and mournful state. Every time i felt some slight pain or ache, I felt doomed and developed a fatalistic attitude and I became desperate to be rid of it through a miracle.
That was when i turned to God and started praying fervently to cure me from this ailment. But self doubt seeped into my mind and like what you mentioned, i began to think like Person A.
However, after attending Yoga Payirchi in Dec 18th, i feel that there's a sense of peace and a feeling of conviction in me that I AM CURED by the blessings of His Divine Grace and the Almighty. Now, everytime, i do the self healing, i tell myself that i am no longer afflicted by pains and guess what?...i dont feel the aches as often and even if i do, it doesnt bother me because, like Person B, I now believe that i am healthy. I feel healed and in time to come, i am confident that the doctor will tell me that i no longer show the symptoms of the disease. Of this outcome, i am sure of and it will happen.
This is by how much my confidence and faith has been boosted by His Divine Grace.
Yoga Ngana Sitthar Om Sri Raja Yoga Guru Saranam!
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