Question: My mind has become very rational and logical. I am losing the faith on God due to one/two mistakes I have made in my life. I am feeling depressed and guilty about the incidents. Please let me know how to build the faith on God.
Answer by Romapada Swami:
Faith is built by association. Association with the modes of nature result in various kinds of faith in different categories of people, while association with the transcendental devotees of God builds our faith in God.
In this Kali age, the entire atmosphere is surcharged with faithless-ness. The principles and goals of society at large, and consequently its education system and its culture and lifestyle are by far atheistic. Naturally even those who are pious and have some training and innate belief in God are bewildered when faced with reverses in their lives due to lack of proper education in spiritual science and misguided by the godless training of modern science.
Therefore it is so crucial that one strengthens their intuitive understanding of God by hearing from proper authorities. Rationale and logic are not divorced from faith in God. If you study the works of some of the acaryas, you will find that they are most brilliant and full of superior reasoning. But that reasoning definitively answers all questions whereas mundane logic only bewilders us.
The Vaishnava philosophy gives a very cohesive understanding of everything in this material world and beyond, and the cause of everything. It is important to understand this sambandha jnana — factual knowledge about the science of soul, who God is and what the soul’s relationship with God is and what his purpose in the material world is. When this understanding is secured, one will not be bewildered in any situation. On the other hand, without this knowledge, and being unable to unravel the mysteries of life or understand the motive of God, the atheists resort to annihilate God and propose a theory born out of frustration: “No one is in control, and everything is happening by chance.” Is it not illogical to propose that this vast universe is conducted so meticulously just by chance and for no tangible purpose?
Regarding the unfortunate incidents you have mentioned, we learn from Bhagavad-gita that this material world we are in is by design a treacherous place. Everyone in this material world is covered by ignorance and illusion. By the very nature of this place, therefore everyone makes mistakes and everyone faces calamities. Even the greatest personalities make mistakes and blunders or have to go through very unfortunate circumstances. Srila Prabhupada gave the example of how even a great leader like Gandhi made mistakes that cost his very life. Once we recognize this specific design of the material world, ie. its precarious nature, the purpose of this design then becomes apparent: we are provided with clear messages that we are to use this human form of life to get out of this temporary place of miseries and return to the spiritual world full of eternal knowledge and bliss.
We are fallible, but when we recognize it and take shelter of the Infallible Supreme, we can attain true enlightenment and protection from all dangers and illusions. Giving up our relation with God in the face of difficulty only increases one’s misfortune and entangles one further in the treacherous material energy, resulting in more calamities and mistaken judgments. The wise position is to turn back our attention to the Lord to completely be lifted out of this situation.
How to strengthen and nourish such faith? This is best accomplished by hearing the narrations of the topics of the Lord in the association of devotees. In addition, the most powerful process recommended for this age is chanting. Just calling upon these holy names dissipates all ignorance, illuminates the heart with factual knowledge of our real identity, and destroys all that is troublesome to the heart. If you are not already doing so, please do try chanting: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare, and the Lord sitting in the core of everyone’s heart will reveal Himself to you.
