Faith is one of the most beautiful of words in any language. Just the sound of it brings a sense of calmness and peace to the mind. And for those who have been christened with the name, there is probably a story to be told – a story of hope over despair.
The word faith can also be very polarizing, depending on who you are talking to. I recall once discussing faith with someone close to me, for whom it was summed up as follows: “it’s fine if that’s what you need, but it’s not something that I need”. The inference being that faith is something people rely on to get through life – quite simply just a crutch to lean on when life gets hard.
It is a common misconception that faith means weakness, a lack of self-belief or the inability to cope. Truth is quite the opposite. For true faith to prevail, we need to fully drop our ego, which requires a phenomenal amount of strength and courage.
Indeed in experiencing the Gyan – the cognition of Nirankar – we understand that God is within us, and we are within God. We realise that we are one and the same substance – You are me and I am You. In such a manner, in having faith in God, we also have faith in ourselves.
When we have faith, life becomes much more simple and less stressful. Knowing that we are loved unconditionally, no matter what; and knowing that we are supported through every aspect of life brings great relief. Yes, we still have to make decisions. Yes, we have free will to live our life as we choose, but should any of those decisions bring about less than favorable results, we are loved and supported. And if we truly have faith in Nirankar, then we can choose to make less decisions and let Nirankar show us the way. With faith, we do not have to be in control because we have no control; all is Nirankar’s will.
The saying God will provide is often met with derision from those who have no faith. Seeing a destitute hungry man on the street, they ask as to how God is providing for them. The truth is, God always provides, but probably not in the way we expect. If someone is going through a really tough time, whatever it may be, a kind word from a stranger may be all that is needed to give them strength and courage to continue, as opposed to give up. How often have we been at a really low point, felt hopeless and ungrounded, for something small to happen to change our perception of the situation? It may be a phone call about a job interview, a letter/email or text from a friend with encouraging news. I’m sure everyone has experienced that feeling of life being turned around on a sixpence, and then unexpectedly finding the strength to carry on to see things in a different light. A person with faith is incredibly strong and capable of withstanding the toughest of life’s challenges, knowing that Nirankar is with them always.
I read recently the life story of a young Jewish girl, who was sent to a concentration camp. She was very young, just 16; she was a ballet dancer. Like everyone else in a similar situation, she was subjected to terrible things. Her hair was shorn, her clothes were replaced with a ragged uniform, and she was deprived of food and sleep. But because she was identified as a ballet dancer, she was considered as someone of artistic merit, a talent that was revered by her captors. She was ordered to perform, refusal not being an option. Even with a shaved head, a scrawny body and dirty clothes, she had never felt less like a ballet dancer. She had strong faith and an unerring belief that whatever they did to her, whatever they made her do, her real self would remain intact. So she danced and performed, knowing that God was within her; she could not be touched by them. She survived the ordeal and went onto to lead a long and happy life, devout in her faith that God had supported her through it all. And I suspect wherever we hear of stories of great adversity, of prisoners, those held in captivity, some for many years, we also hear the story of their faith that helped them to survive.
Faith really can be the difference between life and death.
Recently I had cause to incur a taxi journey, just a short ride of 20 mins. In that short space of time we talked about current issues – coronavirus and others. Firstly the discussion was about how they affected our work and life, and then it deepened quickly into a discussion around faith. We pondered on the reasons why faith appears to be lacking in the West, as compared to the East. This may well be a sweeping generalization, but I do think it is common knowledge that religious faith has very much declined in recent decades, both in the UK and generally across the northern hemisphere
The other simultaneous correlation is that those who have the least materially have the most faith, while those who have the most materially, have the least faith. Why is this?
Well, I feel that in the Western world we are so separated from our true selves – from Nirankar – that we are looking for a replacement to fill the void. Many find solace in things by surrounding themselves with goods and chattels; cars and clothes; big houses and even bigger wallets. Curiously, they have faith that the car will start, the clothes will make them look good, and that their friends will be impressed. They have faith that they will wake up every morning, and that they will continue to breathe.
The Truth is, we all have faith of some sort, but where you place it, determines how much peace and serenity it brings. If we place our faith in Nirankar, we shall be assured, that we are in good hands, come what may.
– Magaret Fletcher, West Midlands, UK
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