


Sharanagati
Collected words from talks of Swami Tirtha
Question of Kripadham: My question is if faith is ever-growing or it is like waves? Is faith coming to a constant growth or to a constant level? Is it ever-growing or just stable?
Tirtha Maharaj: How do you feel? Maybe we have different experience. But actually, there are two… ah, three types of progress. One is the tortoise, second is the rabbit and the third is a very unique one, invented by materialists and economists – it is called “negative growth”. You know, the crisis they call “negative growth”. So, if your budget is in negative growth, this is alarming. If your faith is in negative growth state, this is not satisfying.
But generally things in the world grow in two different ways – one is the tortoise and the other is the rabbit. Actually, how the rabbit moves? In big leaps, in big jumps. And how the tortoise moves? Slowly, crawling. So in the same way some people, according to their conditioning, according to their nature, they grow in jumps. They need challenges to grow. If there is nothing around, nothing to fight for, they sit at home peaceful. Others have another impetus – they have some permanency, ever-growing, slowly but steadily. Both are good. We cannot say that only one is good, the other is bad. And sometimes we are in a challenging situation, our faith sometimes a little crushes and then builds up again. Others go slowly but steadily. Usually most of the people work on challenges or instincts – if there is something to achieve, then they go. Mostly outside factors. Very few are who can work from internal conviction, internal motivation. This is called the sannyas platform – inner motivation. Householders need outside motivation, which is very good, it helps you to grow very fast. Fifty-sixty years and you will understand everything. This is the rabbit type.
So, inner motivation is very important. Nobody is there to stand behind you with a whip. Right, we have to find our inner motivation. When you will find it? If you are in need. If you need mercy, if you lack mercy, then you will know how to find it. If you are thirsty, then you will find your water. And what was the second part of your question concerning faith?
Kripadham: If it is ever-growing or coming to a certain state.
Tirtha Maharaj: Achintya. No end. As Krishna has unlimited qualities, ever-growing, and faith is the process to approach Him, if you come closer and closer, you will understand more and more. And not only your understanding, but the process itself, the faith, will also grow. But in those platforms, on the highest platforms, very special dimensions will appear. Usually on this material platform we are accustomed to live in these three dimensions plus the fourth – time. But actually on the higher planes of existence very special types of dimensions appear. Time is a transition, because time on the limited plane – this is death. Time on the absolute platform – this is eternity. This means a transition – when from the limited you can come to unlimited through time. Then come certain finer dimensions; and finally the ultimate dimension is intensity. That means our faith ever grows in intensity. Because what is the definition of faith? The happiness derived from service. Or the conviction achieved by love. So the intensity grows ever. You achieve the state of faith, but then, inside this state or strata, you grow in intensity. So, better we say it is exponential, ever-growing.
Leave a Reply
