Faith and Alertness

Faith and alertness appear to be completely opposite in nature. When you are alert, usually there is no faith and you feel restless and insecure. When there is faith, the mind is secure and rested and you are not alert.

There are three types of faith:

Tamasic faith which is because of dullness. Like when you do not want to take responsibility or action and you say, "Oh it doesn’t matter, anyway God will take care of all these things!" (laughter)

Rajasic faith which is brought on by intense compulsion of desires and ambition. The ambition keeps the faith alive.

Satvic faith is innocent and is born out of fullness of consciousness.

Faith and alertness, though apparently opposite in nature, are actually complementary to each other. In the absence of faith, there can be no growth, and there can be no correct understanding without alertness. Faith can make you complacent. Alertness makes you tense.

If there is no faith, there is fear. And when there is no alertness, one cannot perceive or express properly. A combination of both is essential.

In Gyana (state of wisdom) there is alertness without tension and faith without complacency. The purpose of education should be to remove the element of dullness from faith and the element of fear from alertness. This is a unique and rare combination. If you have faith and alertness at the same time, then you will become a true Gyani (the Wise One)!

Be like water. When there are stones on the path of water, what does it do? It rises above the stones and flows. Similarly, obstacles are there in life. Rise above obstacles and move through them. Have patience and flow over them.

-Sri Sri