The leap of faith

Oasis

Faith in oneself can be seen as the confidence to achieve something. Faith in others is the trust that you repose in them. There is another kind of faith, an unwavering belief in the divine presence which pervades one’s existence but which seems beyond the comprehension of ordinary beings who are engrossed in the ups and downs of everyday material life. But is it not this very faith in a superior power that drives people to keep vows before exalted saints and the various gods? People even pledge a gift to the Almighty if their desires are fulfilled.

A few, who lack this faith, claim to achieve everything on their own merit. But when things go south, the unseen power is blamed. Whether this can be termed faith or convenience is a matter of debate. But every so often we see people looking heaven-wards, especially when things are not going their way. When catastrophe strikes, the faith some professed is replaced with a sense of betrayal, and they start questioning the very essence of faith and prayers. It may take a long time for the person to re-take the leap of faith as he feels let down.

Scriptures, however, say that not a blade of grass moves without the Almighty’s subtle motivation. Slowly but surely this truth manifests to the seeing mind. A person, who has prayed whether in good times or bad, comes to realise this axiomatic truth. A prayerful soul always comes back, as if pulled by the Almighty, under His fold with His magnetic energy.

An interesting story in the puranas, Gajendra Moksha, highlights the aspects of ego and faith. A king was re-born as an elephant as a result of a curse for having failed to revere a venerable sage. This mighty elephant, Gajendra, was caught in the leg by a crocodile, and when his kinsmen were unable to save him for years on end, helplessly he turned finally to Lord Vishnu with a beseeching prayer and a lotus in his trunk as an offering. He was instantly saved by the Lord who appeared and killed the crocodile.

Absolute surrender of the ego to the Almighty and reposing faith in the unseen power proved providential for Gajendra.