What Is Faith?

Sri Sri: That which withstands all doubts is faith.

Your doubt is always about something that is positive. You doubt the honesty of someone, you never doubt the dishonesty of someone. You doubt the love of someone, not the hate of anyone. You doubt your happiness, you never doubt your depression. Has anybody ever doubted their depression? Have you ever said, ‘Wait, let me see, am I depressed or not’. You are so sure about your depression! This is the nature of doubt. And faith is that something, which even doubt cannot overshadow.

Once a journalist asked me, ‘Don’t beat around the bush, I want to ask a direct question. Are you enlightened?’ I just looked at him and smiled. If I say ‘Yes’ I have to prove it, so why take the headache of proving it. So I said ‘No’. He said; ‘You are kidding. I want a serious answer’. I said; “When I say no, it is finished, no more conversation.” Yet, he kept insisting. I then said; “Ask your heart. Is your heart telling you that I am not telling the truth?” He said, “Yes”. ‘So, what is that something inside you that is telling you this? Listen to that voice. Why do you ask me?’

How important is faith?

Sri Sri: You cannot exist without faith! Listen, suppose you have come here in a car and you have parked the car in the parking area. Now when you are sitting here you have faith that the car will be there when you go back, isn’t it?! So, without this faith can you exist? No!

First, you should have faith in yourself. There are three types of faith which are important

1. Faith in yourself. If you do not have faith in yourself, it is called paranoia. It is a disease.

2. Faith in the goodness of people around you. There are good people in the world, you should have that faith; otherwise you cannot move one inch in society