5 August 2026
Wednesday
Egoism and divinity are incompatible. An egoist can never aspire for the life divine. Ego should be completely annihilated in order to progress along the path of spirituality. However, self-confidence, as different from ego, is of supreme importance in spiritual progress. A man who has no faith in himself cannot have faith in God. Self-confidence and faith in God are always found in juxtaposition. They complement each other. Faith is a cardinal virtue, and faith in God is a prop in life. Though God dwells in everybody, unless one has faith in God, one cannot become divine. Some people might say that they will believe only after they experience. But that is like putting the cart before the horse. In spirituality, faith always precedes experience. “Vidya (learning) without shraddha (faith and earnestness) is futile”, said Swami Vivekananda. Shraddha is absolutely indispensable for Adhyatma-vidya (the science of the Self). Young men and women of the present day do have an abundance of shraddha. But, unfortunately, all their shraddha is diverted to dramas, novels, cinemas, radio, television, cricket and horse racing. This misplaced shraddha has resulted in their physical debilitation and mental corruption, with the result that they have not only lost faith in God but in themselves too.
From Summer Showers, June 1979, chapter 26
Egoism and divinity are incompatible. An egoist can never aspire for the life divine. Ego should be completely annihilated in order to progress along the path of spirituality. However, self-confidence, as different from ego, is of supreme importance in spiritual progress. A man who has no faith in himself cannot have faith in God. Self-confidence and faith in God are always found in juxtaposition. They complement each other. Faith is a cardinal virtue, and faith in God is a prop in life. Though God dwells in everybody, unless one has faith in God, one cannot become divine. Some people might say that they will believe only after they experience. But that is like putting the cart before the horse. In spirituality, faith always precedes experience. “Vidya (learning) without shraddha (faith and earnestness) is futile”, said Swami Vivekananda. Shraddha is absolutely indispensable for Adhyatma-vidya (the science of the Self). Young men and women of the present day do have an abundance of shraddha. But, unfortunately, all their shraddha is diverted to dramas, novels, cinemas, radio, television, cricket and horse racing. This misplaced shraddha has resulted in their physical debilitation and mental corruption, with the result that they have not only lost faith in God but in themselves too.