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2011/02 信心:知识之源
 
1.人人都有某种信心
 
不具信心,一事无成。对自己或对他人都必须有信心,我们才能完成任何任务。对自然规律也要有信心。一定要有信心,这样,我们就会看到努力的成果。同样,如果要在灵道上有所进展,我们得对神有信心。信心是第一步,使接下来的每一步都可能进行。

信心是每一个行动的根基。你不会因为理发师配有锋利的剃胡刀,你就躲开他吧!你对他有信心,所以你才允许他为你理发,静静地就范于他的特殊手法之下。你把值钱的衣服送到洗衣店去洗,因为你相信店员会把衣服洗净熨平而完璧归赵-----所以同样,要相信内在的激励者,内在的阿特玛(atman),神的声音。
《沙迪亚赛说》第10章227-228面
 
2. 信心的来源
 
信心起自‘自我理解’(自知之明)。使我们认知世界之神性者,我们内在之神性也。那内在的源头是勇气与自信之泉。它上涨而流入河川然后投向觉悟之洋,因为我们只在找回我们失去的继承物----神性。

那在你之内的信心,它的根是什么?你到底应该相信你自己是谁?不。你相信你自己因为你的自性是神而你对深在你之内的神有不动摇的信心。对自己有信心和对神有信心是相同的;当你立正而对峙一个外在大敌时,你接上你内在之神的力量去应付之。
《沙迪亚赛说》第2章229面
 
有某种信心自然降临于我们。如果我们要动手术,我们得相信外科医生会治愈我们的病,尽管他手持锋利的手术刀。在高速公路上奔驰,我们相信迎面而来的车辆会保持各自的跑道。我们对陌生人尚且怀有信心,但对神却犹豫不决,难以取舍。一般上,对欢愉和简易的事物,我们易于相信,而当信心需要行动和责任时,我们就很难相信了。对初接触者而言,往往得面对一系列的挑战而后才相信神。它常要求初接触者在生活方式上做出巨大的改变。然而,若对圣贤的训示没有信心,有效的进展几乎是不可能的。

你或说,除非你亲身对神有明晰的体验,否则你不会相信神。那么好,你相信你的出生日期是某年某月。你毫不怀疑,完全信任。很多事物都获得你的信任:如果期盼生活一帆风顺,而又坚持事事必须亲自体验而后才相信的话,那几乎是不可能的。那你也信任这一点吧,因为许多圣贤和科学家已接受它并体验它。
《沙迪亚赛说》第7章311面
 
知识来自经验,但首先,我们必须根据信心行事。我们必须靠行动来赢取经验,再由经验奖赏我们信心。如果我们测试过来者给我们的教诲,我们会发现“隐藏”的财富。在作出努力之前就要求神之存在的证明,那是不适宜的。要达到物质的目标,再大的麻烦和劳苦都得忍受,但有些人认为比物质目标更大的灵性成长目标应该是毫不费力的。 这样的人,如果他们不作出努力,损失可是他们自己的了。

一些人说,只有在他们得到神之旨意的某个体验后,他们才会相信神。怀持这样的心态,信心怎能产生呢?他们不热衷去体验;好榜样又如何能给予协助?如果有人缺乏信心,损失当然归於他们。主是不会在乎的。二加二等于四,就算他们发誓,他们不会相信,也改变不了这个事实。
《沙迪亚赛说》第6章110面
 
3. 信心的必要
 
即便享受幸福生活也需要信心。我们必须信赖一个明智的指导力量,否则,世界将沦为一个贪婪而妒忌的混乱森林。掉入自我膨胀和错误欲望的漩涡之中,生活是不会快乐幸福的。在不关心他人的情况下,生活的乐趣就大大减少。只有当我们热望放诸四海皆准的价值观和理想时,我们才能找到持久的欢乐。

然而灵性的进展不仅是智能的训练:它是正确的生活,良好的行为,道德的品行。这些心态是相信一个至善,公正,仁慈之神的自然而然的结果。神在观察,见证每一个行动。所以,对全在,全知,全能的神深具信心就是美满生活第一个必要条件。
《沙迪亚赛说》第6章108面
 
4. 保护幼苗
 
没有信心何来快乐?初时,工作困难而结果又不明显。但假以时日,信心会长成荫凉的大树。行千里路,靠一步一步地走。你无须一天走完全程。开始时,我们必须护卫信心,就如遮住风中的蜡烛一样。

当信心降临时,用纪律和自制去围住它,这样,幼苗就受到保护,免受牛羊和混杂群众如愤世嫉俗者和不信者的破坏。当你的信心长成一棵大树时,那些同样的牛羊就可以到树下来纳凉了。
《沙迪亚赛说》第1章37-38面
 
信心尚未健壮,最好保持静默。向他人挑战或会使我们丧失我们所拥有的那一点点的信心。具备不动摇的信心,我们就能帮助他人。坚定的信心就像是猛烈的火:连其他疑点的绿色森林也会被它烧光。在这之前,静默是信心的最佳伙伴。

信心是一株慢慢成长的树木;其根深植于内心。静默是护卫信心的最佳修行(sadhana)。
《沙迪亚赛说》第5章68面
 
5. 胜利之路
 
凭着稳定的,忠诚的努力,可确保胜利。最丰硕的成果产生自高纪律的处理方法。纵有挫折与障碍,亦必坚持到底。若实践与教诲一致,我们就可赢得主的恩典,获得奖赏。

只有坚定的信心才能赢得胜利。你不能随心所欲地改变你的忠诚。紧紧地抓住它直到获得明心见性的奖赏。
《沙迪亚赛说》第5章73面
 
我们以之为追求目标的信心协助我们达致成果。主以恩典报酬信心。他是那么慈悲为怀,以至于不会让热衷的求道者失望。期望的肯定性宛如一个巨大浪涛的力量---它席卷途中的一切障碍物。

信心创造奇迹:它能迫使主显灵,并赐予你,你相信他会赐予你的一切。
《沙迪亚赛说》第2章216面
 
不动摇的信心不会一夜之间就到来。它坐在一辆货车上,慢慢地由‘力量和决心’之公牛拉着来。最有价值的努力目标莫过于认知全在之神。当我们培育灵性辨识力时,我们的信心授予我们耐心。灵性辨识力使我们知道什么是真实的和什么是具有持久价值的。品尝灵性价值的美味时,旅程变成一大乐事。一路上,信心都在维系着洞察力,直至终点。

凭借与敬神者交往,凭借阅读他们的事迹与体验,及凭借个人自己获得的体验,那信心还是只能徐徐降临。
《沙迪亚赛说》第7章124面
 
6. 进步的肯定
 
信心的成功测试在于我们的行动。没有我们行为的坚定信仰作为后盾的信心,它就像是一条渡过生命之河的漏水之舟。有时,只有当提出测试时,我们才知道自己的信心;然后我们必须根据信仰的勇气行事。如果我们依照崇高的理想去做,我们就赢得神恩以便更向前跨进。灵修所获得的体验给与我们知识而实行则使我们获得神恩。

一个人,若对神有信心,他就必须把他的信心付诸实行。信神而不遵照神的话和指令去做,那岂不是自相矛盾!信心不是外套,穿在外面,用来骗人。
《夏季浸濡》1977第218面
 
圣恩的体验肯定给我们带来自我证悟(明心见性)。当信心的幼虫转变为知识的蝴蝶时,怀疑就没有立足的余地了。一旦尝到圣灵的甘露,你就再也不渴望俗世的苦果了。

一旦你确信,就别怀疑和动摇。致力于了解和满足你自己。之后,你就不要轻易地被误导。烈日当头,哪儿来的影子;同样,当你头里有坚定的信心时,任何怀疑之影子怎么会投射。
《沙迪亚赛说》第1章25面
 
夜晚过后肯定就是白天接着到来,神的被认知也是这样的明确?肯定。神圣的视觉远比在这短暂世界中所获得的体验更为真实。生命无常;唯神始终如一。只有根基于神圣原则的一个生命才真的得以立足于一个坚固的地基上。

对神的信心是建立希望的坚固地基。信心必须稳固和坚强。‘神会来拯救我们’的这种感觉务必鲜明和强烈,从而激发和激活我们所做的或所说的或所思的一切。
《沙迪亚赛说》第7章232面
 
信心给予我们真正的超脱。要紧握着神圣的旨意,不然我们会因恐惧和担心而松手。神会在人生的迷阵中引领我们。在心的宁静中,我们会听到神的声音,因为他的声音就是我们自己的声音;他的力量就是我们信心的力量和勇气。赐给我们成功的,是我们自己的自性,那内在的神。

要信赖内在的主,并在每一颗心之内去探求取之不尽的勇气增强物。最后的胜利归于那些对无敌的阿特玛(atma),也就是他们的自性,深具信心的人。
《沙迪亚赛说》第5章41面
 
7. 目标的体现
 
圣贤已走过布满荆棘的道路而最后,胜利地抵达终点。若向他们看齐,你肯定获益良多。一些无聊的享乐可以放弃,但我们所获得的神圣福乐却是一个莫大的奖品。很快地,这短暂的生命也将来到终点而我们又成就了什么?物质的收益会落在后头;我们所保有的唯一的宝库是所达到的灵性进化的境界。所赢取得德行在今生或来世提升我们至更接近体现神性的层次。

不论何人只要有热诚,坚定和决心朝向目标迈进,他肯定会成功。要在最终的成功中培育起那信心;决不自暴自弃或挑剔或怀疑。那是我给大家的忠告。
《沙迪亚赛说》第2章141面
 
学习圈的问题:
 
  1. 为什么先有体验后有信心?
  2. 信心与理性相矛盾吗?
  3. 信心是感性的吗?
  4. 信心是意愿的一个行动吗?
  5. 为什么有些人获得增强信心的体验而有些人就没有?
  6. 要认识神,信心是不可或缺的吗?
  7. 信心的障碍是什么?
  8. 如何培育信心?
  9. 要过美满生活,信心是不可缺的吗?
  10. 要快乐,信心是必需的吗?
  11. 信心能移山吗?
 
摘自《归向神之道》第4章
 
Faith : The Source of Knowledge
 
1. All people Have Some Faith
 
Nothing is accomplished without faith. We must have faith in ourselves or in others to complete any task. We must have faith in the laws of nature. We must have faith that we will live to see the results of right effort. So also we must have faith in God if we are to make spiritual progress. Faith is the first step that makes each following step possible.

Faith is the basis of every act. You do not run away from the barber because he is armed with a sharp razor. You place faith in him and allow him to cut your hair, quietly submitting to his idiosyncrasies. You give away costly clothes to the washer since you have faith that he will return them washed and ironed… So, too, believe in the inner motivator, the atman within, the voice of God.
Sathya Sai Speaks 10, p.227-228
 
2. The Origin of Belief
 
Faith springs from self-understanding. It is inner divinity that enables us to recognize divinity in the world. That internal source is a spring of courage and self-confidence. It swells into a river as it flows back into the sea of understanding, for we are only seeking to regain our lost inheritance – divinity.

For what is the root of that faith in yourself ? Who are you that you should believe in yourself ? No. You believe in yourself because your self is God and you have an unshakable faith in God, deep down in you. Faith in yourself and faith in God are identical; you tap the strength of the God within when you stand at attention against an enemy without.
Sathya Sai Speaks 2, p.229
 
Some faith comes naturally to us. If we must submit to an operation, we believe that the surgeon will save us, despite the sharp knife in the surgeon’s hand. We believe that oncoming highway traffic will remain in its own lane of travel. We have confidence in complete strangers, but to place faith in God makes us more critical. We have a tendency to believe what is pleasant and easy. It is more difficult to believe when faith demands action or obligation. Faith in God presents an array of challenges to the newcomer. It frequently requires major changes in the new believer’s lifestyle. However, without faith in the messages of the saints and sages, effective progress is impossible.

You may say that you will not believe in God unless you have clear experience personally about him. Well, you believe that your date of birth is a certain month in a particular year. You have taken it on trust. You take many things on trust: it is impossible to insist on personal experience for everything which we have to believe, if life is to run smooth. Take this also on trust, for many saints, sages, and scientists have accepted it and experienced it.
Sathya Sai Speaks 7, p.311
 
Knowledge arises from experience, but first we must act on faith. We must act to win the experience that rewards faith. If we test the instructions given by others who have gone before, we will discover for ourselves the “hidden” riches. It is not proper to demand proof of the existence of God before any effort is expended. Great trouble is endured to achieve material objectives, but some people feel that the greater aim of spiritual growth should be effortless. If such individuals do not make the effort, the loss is their own.

Some people say that they will believe in God only when they are afforded some experience of divine will. How can faith arise in the will for those with such an attitude? They have no keenness to experience; how can examples help? Of course, if some have no faith, the loss is theirs. The Lord is unconcerned. Two and two make four even if some swear that they will not believe it.
Sathya Sai Speaks 6, p.110
 
3. The Necessity of Faith
 
Even the enjoyment of a happy life in the world requires faith. We must believe in an intelligent guiding force, or the world is reduced to a chaotic jungle of greed and envy. Life is not pleasant for one caught in the coils of self-importance and wrong desire. Without concern for others, there is little joy in life. Lasting joy is found only when we aspire to universal values and ideals.

But spiritual progress is not merely intellectual exercise: it is right living, good conduct, moral behavior. These attitudes are the automatic consequence of belief in a good, just, compassionate God who is watching and witnessing every act. So faith in an omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent God is the first prerequisite to a good life.
Sathya Sai Speaks 6, p.108
 
4. Guard the Tender Shoots
 
Without faith, where can happiness be found? At first the work is difficult and the results are not readily apparent. But with time, faith blossoms into a tree under which many find shade. One step at a time is sufficient for even the longest journey. It is not necessary to finish the journey in one day. At the beginning we need to guard faith, as a small flame must be guarded from the wind.

When faith dawns, fence it around with discipline and self-control so that the tender shoot might be guarded against goats and cattle, the motley crowd of cynics and unbelievers. When your faith grows into a big tree, those very cattle can lie down in the shade that it will spread.
Sathya Sai Speaks 1, pp.37-38
 
Until faith is strong, it is best for us to remain silent. By challenging others, we may lose the little faith we have. When faith is unshakable, we can aid others. Firm faith is like a raging fire:it will consume even the green wood of others’ doubts. Until that time, silence is the kindest friend of faith.

Faith is a plant of slow growth; its roots go deep into the heart. Silence is the best sadhana (spiritual practice) to guard faith.
Sathya Sai Speaks 5, p.68
 
5. The Road to Victory
 
With steady, faithful effort, victory is assured. A disciplined approach yields the most fruitful results. We must persist despite setbacks and obstacles. When our practice conforms to our precept and the Lord’s grace is won, the prize will be awarded.

Steady faith alone can earn victory. You cannot be changing your allegiance as and when you please. Hold fast until the realization is awarded.
Sathya Sai Speaks 5, p.73
 
The faith with which we pursue the goal helps to implement the result. The Lord rewards faith with grace. He is so compassionate that he will not disappoint the earnest seeker. The certainty of our expectation is like the force of a great wave – it sweeps away all obstacles in its path.

Faith can work wonders: it can compel the Lord to manifest himself and give you what you believe he will give you.
Sathya Sai Speaks 2, p.216
 
Unshakable faith does not grow overnight. It arrives on a slow cart, pulled by the oxen of strength and determination. There can be no more worthy object of effort than realizing the omnipresent God. Our faith grants us patience while we develop spiritual discrimination. Spiritual discrimination enables us to know what is real and of lasting value. When we taste the sweetness of spiritual values, the journey becomes a pleasure. Until that time, faith sustains the vision.

That faith can come only slowly, by association with the godly, by reading the lives and experiences of godly persons, and by gaining experience oneself.
Sathya Sai Speaks 7, p.124
 
6. Confirmation of Progress
 
The test of success in faith lies in our actions. Faith that is not backed by the conviction of our deeds is a leaky boat for crossing the river of life. Sometimes we know our own faith only when presented with tests; then we must act on the courage of our beliefs. When we act in accordance with high ideals, we earn God’s grace to progress further. Experience in spiritual endeavor confers knowledge; practice earns grace.

An individual who has faith in God must put his faith into practice. By believing in God and yet by ignoring God’s utterances and commands, you are contradicting yourselves. Faith is not a cloak that is worn outside for deceiving others.
Summer Showers 1977, p.218
 
Experience of the Lord’s grace grants the certainty of self-realization. When the caterpillar of faith is transformed into the butterfly of knowledge, there is no further room for doubt. Once the nectar of divinity is tasted, there is no hunger for the bitter fruits of the world.

Do not waver or doubt when once you are convinced. Seek to understand and satisfy yourself. After that, do not be misled. When the sun is over your head, there will be no shadow; similarly, when faith is steady in your head, it should not cast any shadow of doubt.
Sathya Sai Speaks 1 p.25
 
God can be known as surely as day follows night. Divine vision is more real than the experience of this transient world. Life changes constantly; God alone is unchanging. Only a life based on divine principles truly rests upon a solid foundation.

Faith in God is the secure foundation on which hope has to be built. The faith has to be stable and strong. The feeling that God will come to our rescue has to be vivid and vital, motivating and activating all that we do or speak or think.
Sathya Sai Speaks 7, p.232
 
Faith grants us our true freedom. Holding fast to the divine will, we release our hold on fear and anxiety. God guides us through the maze of life. The Lord’s voice is heard in the stillness of the heart; for his voice is our own voice; his strength is the strength of our faith and courage. Our own divine self, the God within, grants success.

Rely on the Lord within and discover inexhaustible reinforcements of courage within each heart. The final victory is for those who have faith in the invincible atma, their reality.
Sathya Sai Speaks 5, p.41
 
7. Realization of the Goal
 
The saints and sages have trodden the razor-edged path to victory. By following their examples, we have little to lose and much to gain. Some petty pleasures are discarded, but the divine bliss that we gain is a far greater prize. Soon this short life will end and what will we have achieved? The material acquisitions will be left behind; the only treasure we will keep is the degree of evolution attained. All virtue earned lifts us closer to God-realization in this life or the next.

Whoever has the enthusiasm, the steadfastness, and the determination to reach the goal will certainly succeed. Cultivate that faith in ultimate success; never despair or fault or doubt. That is my advice to one and all.
Sathya Sai Speaks 2, p.141
 
Questions for Study Circle
 
  1. Why must faith come before experience?
  2. Is faith in conflict with reason?
  3. Is faith emotional?
  4. Is faith an act of will?
  5. Why do some people receive experiences that strengthen their faith, while others do not?
  6. Is faith essential to know God?
  7. What are the obstacles to faith?
  8. How do we develop faith?
  9. Is faith essential for a good life?
  10. Is faith necessary for happiness?
  11. Can faith move mountains?
 
References for Further Study
 
  1. Sathya Sai Speaks 2, p. 22 (Hold to faith).
  2. Sathya Sai Speaks 2, pp. 98-102.
  3. Sathay Sai Speaks 3, p. 224 (Radha’s faith).
  4. Sathya Sai Speaks 11, p. 107 (Do not put too much faith in worldly things).
  5. Sathya Sai Speaks 11, pp. 107-108.
  6. Summer Showers 1974, p. 290 (Faith in self is faith in God).
  7. Summer Shower 1979, p. 42 (The benefit derived from faith is proportionate to its intensity).
  8. Vidya Vahini, p.9 (Spiritual benefit is tied to faith).
 
 
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