Faith

 

Q135  Swami!  We meet many persons who say that they can believe only after going through an intimation of divinity, develop faith only after they experience.  But many also feel that only strong faith gives us that experience.  So which of the two precedes the other?  Please tell us, Swami.

Bhagawan: Faith, which comes first, gives you experience.  You must have unwavering faith in order to experience.  Faith is the foundation.  For example, to swim, you should jump into the water  You cannot say that you will jump into water only after learning swimming.  You cannot learn it on tar roads or cement roads.  You can learn it only in water.  Here water is faith and the art of swimming is experience.  So faith precedes experience.

(From the book "Satyopanisad" Vol. 1 by Prof. K. Anil Kumar)