Faith

Often we experience circumstances that create chronic uncertainty. Without any firm ground to stand on, we may feel anxious and afraid. Let’s face it – when we stand on the edge of the unknown, looking over the edge can be very frightening. It may seem that as we were gaining some momentum in life, something unexpected happens and we lose our balance. We stumble, fall on our faces, pick ourselves up and begin again.

What carries us through these times is his grace and our faith. Our meditation. And holding on to our anchor.

We tend to lose sight of this, focusing too much on the problem, and forget to hold on to our anchor. We forget what faith is all about.

Faith is the polar opposite of fear. Faith makes fear irrelevant. Here is the mystical and exquisite thing about faith – it is hiding in plain sight. Faith is not something we have; rather, faith finds us. But we can never come to know faith until we have absolutely nothing else to stand on. Faith arrives when our strategizing, planning, wishful thinking and scheming fall apart. It appears when we finally surrender, when we are humbled and fall down on our knees. In those sacred moments, the grace of faith may descend upon us. And if we are receptive, it will sustain us.

To embrace faith, we must let go of our doubts and fears, give up our struggles, and say, and truly mean, Thy will be done.

As the author writes in One Being One:

When we think we have been abandoned, he may be protecting us. When we wonder where his help has gone, he may be supporting our every step. When we think we are unloved, he may be cradling us in His arms. When we think we have doubts, he may be deepening our faith.

Attuning to the tranquillity within
We can take an example from Indian classical music, in which it is important to align one’s attention with one note, sa. Myriad beautiful compositions, soul-lifting ragas and exquisite renditions stem from this single attunement process. Every performer fine tunes her instrument to that unique note before she begins her concert. And this process continues right till the end of the performance. And so it is with us. We need to attune ourselves to that one divine power while we go through the performance of our life, despite all the noise, chaos and confusion around us. Then we will be able to withdraw into an oasis of peace within. When we are attuned to that tranquillity within, we do not need a peaceful environment because no matter what is going on around us, as long as we remember him and hold fast to his presence within us, we are at peace.

Anchored in his love
It is said that bees, when caught in a storm, balance themselves by carrying tiny pebbles up in the air with their feet, so they will not be carried away by the storm. So too can we by holding fast to our love for the Master to preserve our balance through the storms of life. Our relationship with him is our only permanent relationship – the only one bond that will remain true, steadfast and eternal in this world and beyond.

But much like grace on the path, faith is a two-way street. Our meditation will help us strengthen our faith and live according to the teachings. At the same time, as we develop more faith on the path, we will automatically give a higher priority to our meditation. When we are indifferent to our meditation, when we do not make it the most important daily event in our lives, we are losing the opportunity to develop the faith we need to follow the path.

Please remember that true faith only comes from meditation. The more you meditate with love and devotion, the more faith you get.
_{Maharaj Charan Singh, Quest for Light}

Hazur often used to say that the Master is closer than our own breath. The Lord is taking care of us every second of our lives. We just need to delve inside and feel his presence. He is our one true friend, whom we can love like no other love and whom we can count on unconditionally.