DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BELIEF AND FAITH.

Generally, we know that faith is confidence or trust in a person. It is very essential between wife and husband to lead their marital life happily.

In the religious view faith and confidence are both required for spiritual growth. If we come to the point of realization of God, it is the real foundation of the entire structure of spirituality. Faith in reality and faith in the right course is meant for realization.

It is a lively link between mortal and immortal and is one of the six sympathies of the third sadhana of yoga.

Regarding faith , we know the story of bakth Prahlad son of Hiranyakasyap, an evil daitya king. Prahlad is a devoti of Lord Vishnu. Hiranya Kashyap did not like his son to be the bhaktha of his enemy Lord Vishnu. Despite several warnings from his father, Prahlad continues to worship Lord Vishnu.  Then Hiranyakashyap decided to kill Prahlad. He adapted each and every method to kill his son. He even tried to trample his son with elephants also. But Prahlad faced all with uninterrupted faith in Lord Vishnu.

After the death of Hiranyakashyap in the hands of Lord Vishnu in Narasimhavatara, Prahlad became the king of daityas and attained a place in the abode of Lord Vishnu(Vaikunta) after his death. Faith in Lord Vishnu is the main cause for Prahlad to stand like a star in our minds. There are so many instances like this in our Puranas.

Now coming to the present day, the following is an example of the difference between belief and faith.

A rope was tied between two high buildings say about 100 feet high. A man has started walking on the rope from one end to the other. A boy was on his shoulders. He was balancing with a long stick in his hands. People who gathered there were seeing this with excitement. Slowly the man reached the other end of the rope. The people who gathered there clapped hands, took photos and videos.  Some took selfies also with him.

The man told the people who gathered there that he wants to go to the other end of the rope. Do you believe me he said. All the people replied yes,  yes, you can do it. We have hope and we can also bet.

Then the man told them, if you have such belief, please anyone come to me, I will take him on my shoulders to the other end of the rope.

Silence prevailed there. Nobody came forward. No claps, no excitement as before.  Belief is different from faith.

Nowadays we got belief in God but no faith. Only belief is not sufficient to reach God if there is no faith.

Posted by B.E. Sampath Kumar, Vipras Craft team.