# Faith (Śraddhā) *On the importance of faith and how it develops* --- ### The Beginning > Unless you have got śraddhā, you cannot make any progress. Śraddhā means faith. Just like you have all came. You have got little faith or more faith. There is faith. Without faith, how you could come here and spare some time for understanding Kṛṣṇa, or hearing about Kṛṣṇa? So this is the beginning, śraddhāvān. — [[spoken/1973/730113bg.bom|Bhagavad-gītā 7.1, Bombay, 1973]] --- ### Firm Conviction > Śraddhā means śraddhā-śabde viśvāsa, full faith; sudṛḍha, very firm; niścaya, with conviction. That is śraddhā. What is that faith? Kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya. "If I devote myself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in the service of Kṛṣṇa, all my work will be perfect." This is called śraddhā. — [[spoken/1973/730113bg.bom|Bhagavad-gītā 7.1, Bombay, 1973]] --- ### Associate with Devotees > If you have got little faith, to increase the faith, just yourself associate with the devotees. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ. Because just like if you want to do some business, if you want to increase the volume of business, you have to associate with businessmen of the same line. So if you want to increase your faith in Kṛṣṇa, then you have to associate with kṛṣṇa-bhaktas. — [[spoken/1973/730113bg.bom|Bhagavad-gītā 7.1, Bombay, 1973]] --- ### Created by Reading Bhagavad-gītā > That faith is created by reading Bhagavad-gītā. You can understand what is Kṛṣṇa. Then you can have your faith: "Oh, here is God." That much. And sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. This is the beginning of faith, that "Now I must engage myself in the devotional service of Kṛṣṇa." — [[spoken/1973/730113bg.bom|Bhagavad-gītā 7.1, Bombay, 1973]] --- ### Small Beginning Protects > Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. Even if we don't accept Him... At least everyone accepts Kṛṣṇa, the greatest personality. So that much faith is the beginning of āsakti, attachment for Kṛṣṇa. That little faith. Now you have to increase that faith. — [[spoken/1973/730113bg.bom|Bhagavad-gītā 7.1, Bombay, 1973]] --- ### Complete Surrender > If you have got hesitation, that "Some percentage to Kṛṣṇa, some percentage to my family, some percentage to my country, some percentage to my dog, some percentage..." No. Simply sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. That faith. If you can raise yourself to that platform of faith, that is the beginning of faith. — [[spoken/1973/730113bg.bom|Bhagavad-gītā 7.1, Bombay, 1973]] --- ### Watering the Root > Yathā taror mūla-niṣecanena. If you pour water on the root of the tree, the water reaches to the branches, to the twigs, to the leaves, to the flowers, to the fruits automatically. You simply pour water on the root. Similarly, if you love Kṛṣṇa, all love will be distributed. But if you don't love Kṛṣṇa, if you simply love this, simply love that, it will never be perfect. — [[spoken/1973/730113bg.bom|Bhagavad-gītā 7.1, Bombay, 1973]] --- ### The Secret of Success > Kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya. Simply by engaging yourself in the devotional service of Kṛṣṇa, all our other activities will be perfectly done. This is the secret of success, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Try to understand this. — [[spoken/1973/730113bg.bom|Bhagavad-gītā 7.1, Bombay, 1973]] --- ### Determination Required > So it is our obstinacy that we do not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise there is no difficulty. "I shall not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness"—that is the defect. This can be avoided if you attend. Just like all these boys, they were also like that, but attending these lectures, lectures, lectures, one day they "Sir, I shall become..." Like that. That is the way. — [[spoken/1970/701225sb.sur|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.44, Surat, 1970]] --- ### Chanting Removes Difficulty > If you feel difficulty, go on chanting constantly, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa. And all difficulties will be avoided. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and these difficulties will be over. Simple method. — [[spoken/1970/701225sb.sur|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.44, Surat, 1970]] --- *10 quotes from Śrīla Prabhupāda on faith* [[wiki/quotes|Back to Quotes]]