The Importance of Faith in Spiritual Practice

Dear devotees, welcome to this heartfelt reflection on the essence of faith in our spiritual journey, inspired by the profound teachings. As I narrate this to you, my heart is filled with gratitude for the divine opportunity to come together in this sacred space, where we seek to deepen our connection with the Divine. Today, let us explore the transformative power of shraddha (faith) and how it acts as the currency of spirituality, guiding us toward true divine experience.

A Warm Welcome to the Satsang

Let me begin by extending a warm welcome to all of you, just as the satsang began with a heartfelt invocation to Lord Shri Krishna, the Jagadguru, and the divine presence of Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles. As we gathered, we prayed for the satsang to unfold smoothly, with the grace of the Divine ensuring that every moment is filled with spiritual insight. We bowed at the feet of Lord Vishnu, seeking His blessings to absorb the teachings and apply them in our lives. This is the spirit of satsang—a collective yearning to grow closer to God through devotion and understanding.

The Essence of Faith: Beyond Knowledge

The core message of the satsang revolved around the significance of shraddha—faith that transcends mere knowledge. We often immerse ourselves in spiritual texts, listen to the inspiring stories of saints, and marvel at their devotion. These stories fill us with awe—tales of saints whose faith was so profound that God Himself assisted them in their daily tasks or appeared before them in divine visions. But a question arises in our minds: how can we, ordinary devotees, experience such divine connection? How do we bring this knowledge into action?

The answer lies in the wisdom shared by Paratpar Guru Dr. Jayant Athavale, a revered saint and founder of Sanatan Sanstha. He teaches us that while spiritual knowledge is valuable, it constitutes only 2% of our spiritual journey. The remaining 98% lies in putting that knowledge into practice with unwavering faith. This profound insight reminds us that reading scriptures or listening to discourses is not enough. We must live the teachings, embodying them in every action with devotion and trust in the Divine.

The Boatman’s Lesson: Knowledge vs. Action

To illustrate this, let me share a beautiful story from the satsang about a boatman and a learned pandit. The boatman ferried passengers across a river daily, a simple yet essential task. One day, a pandit boarded his boat and began questioning him about his knowledge of scriptures. When the boatman humbly admitted he had not studied any texts, the pandit scoffed, declaring his life wasted without scholarly knowledge. As they continued, the boatman asked the pandit if he knew how to swim. The pandit proudly replied that he had read extensively about swimming techniques but had never practiced them.

Suddenly, the boatman revealed that the boat had sprung a leak and was sinking. He calmly said he would swim to safety, but the pandit, despite his vast knowledge, could not swim and faced peril. This story teaches us a vital lesson: knowledge without action is incomplete. In spirituality, it is not enough to read or hear about God; we must act with faith, bringing the teachings into our lives to truly experience the Divine.

Understanding Faith: Trust vs. Shraddha

The satsang beautifully distinguished between vishwas (trust) and shraddha (faith). Trust is what we place in people or systems based on experience or evidence—like a child trusting their parents to provide food or a patient trusting a doctor during surgery. We trust doctors because of their expertise, even if we’ve never met them before, because we believe they can heal us. But shraddha is deeper—it is complete surrender to the Divine, a faith so strong that it transcends doubt and logic.

Consider the story of a tightrope walker who crossed a rope stretched between two towers, balancing with a stick while carrying another person on his shoulders. The crowd cheered his feat, expressing confidence in his ability to repeat it. But when he asked for a volunteer to sit on his shoulders for the next crossing, no one stepped forward. They trusted his skill, but they lacked the shraddha to surrender themselves to him. Similarly, in spirituality, we may trust in God’s existence, but true shraddha requires us to surrender fully, trusting that He will guide and protect us.

A Devotee’s Miracle: The Power of Shraddha

The satsang shared a moving example of shraddha through the story of a devotee of Saint Gajanan Maharaj. This devotee, a young man, suffered a severe injury in a scooter accident in 1988. A small wound on his ankle refused to heal despite three months of medical treatment, multiple doctors, and various prescriptions. The wound worsened, causing pain, infection, and even gangrene, leaving him in despair. Exhausted, he turned to Saint Gajanan Maharaj, praying fervently for relief and vowing to visit his shrine.

Miraculously, the next day, a thought arose to consult his company’s doctor. This doctor suggested a culture test for the wound, revealing that the antibiotics used were ineffective against the specific bacteria. With a new course of treatment, the wound healed in just three days—a wound that had tormented him for months. The devotee firmly believed that Saint Gajanan Maharaj had guided him to the right doctor and inspired the solution. This is the power of shraddha—when we surrender to God or saints, they work through circumstances to bring us relief and guidance.

Shraddha: The Currency of Spirituality

The satsang likened shraddha to the currency of spirituality. Just as we need money to buy goods in a marketplace, we need shraddha to “purchase” divine experiences in the spiritual realm. Imagine walking through a grand mall filled with everything you desire—clothes, food, entertainment—but without a single rupee in your pocket. You can see and admire everything, but you cannot take anything home. Similarly, we may know the scriptures, attend satsangs, and admire the lives of saints, but without shraddha, we cannot experience God’s presence.

Another poignant story illustrated this. A poor woman, struggling to survive, prayed to God for help. Her plea was broadcast on the radio, and a skeptical, wealthy man decided to mock her faith by sending his servant with provisions, instructing him to say they were from “Satan.” When the woman received the supplies and learned they were from “Satan,” she replied with unshakable shraddha: “My faith in God is so strong that even Satan must obey His will.” Her faith transformed a mocking gesture into a divine blessing, showing us that shraddha allows us to see God’s hand in every moment.

Living with Shraddha: A Call to Action

Dear devotees, the message of this satsang is clear: shraddha is not passive belief but an active, living force. It requires us to act on what we learn, to embody the teachings of saints and scriptures with devotion. As Saint Eknath Maharaj writes in the Eknathi Bhagwat, shraddha is the cornerstone of all spiritual practices. It is the key that unlocks God’s presence in our lives. Whether we chant His name, perform rituals, or serve others, doing so with shraddha transforms these acts into pathways to divine connection.

Let us take inspiration from the young boy Dhruva, who, at just five years old, surrendered to God without fear of the dangers he might face. His shraddha led him to divine realization. Similarly, let us approach every spiritual practice—be it prayer, chanting, or service—with unwavering faith, trusting that God is always with us.

A Prayer for Shraddha

As we conclude, let us bow at the feet of Lord Shri Krishna and Saint Gajanan Maharaj, expressing gratitude for the wisdom shared in this satsang. May we cultivate shraddha in our hearts, allowing it to guide our actions and deepen our connection with the Divine. Let us pray: “O Lord, grant us the strength to live Your teachings with faith, to surrender fully to Your will, and to experience Your divine presence in every moment.”

Dear devotees, let us carry this shraddha with us, not just today but every day, as we strive to bring the divine teachings into our lives. May we meet again in the next satsang, filled with faith and devotion. Jai Shri Krishna!

Credits :

www.youtube.com/@SanatanSanstha

Listen here the Hindi Satsang