"Sradhha-2"

1. Faith, is not that ridiculous intellectual tyranny of one over a community or a caste, though such a silent and dumb following of a prophet or a revelation is generally considered now all over the world as 'Faith' so that the priest class may conveniently trade upon the ignorant laity! 

 

 

2.  In Vedanta, 'faith' is essentially the inward courage in us to live consistently attuning ourselves to the ideal that we have ourselves intellectually grasped.

 

 

3. In short, we may understand 'faith' is something  like self-confidence in ourselves.

 

4. It is very well known that even in our ordinary life our success depends not only upon the chances or upon our qualifications, but mainly upon our confidence in ourselves.

 

 

5.  Without a certain amount of self-confidence we cannot live even an average life successfully.

 

 

6. On who has lost completely his own confidence in himself is a lunatic who is a danger to society and a sad encumbrance upon himself.

 

 

7. Intellect can grow and assert itself, therefore only, if there be an unbroken flow of self-confidence in it.

 

 

8. The Upanishad rightly expresses that very head---meaning, the sacred and most important limb---of the intellectual-man in us is Self-Confidence, termed here as "Sradhha." 

 

9. Taittiriya Upanishad: Chapter-2( Brahmananda Valli), Section-4 ( The knower if Eternal Truth fears not---- the Mind Sheath),

 

10.  Mantram-2. "Different from that made up of ' Manas' ( Mind) is another inner soul made up of  'Vijnana'( Intelligence), and by that 'Manomaya (this self )is filled."