The Truth

Author(s): O P Jain
Publisher: Veer Nirvan Granth Prakashan Samiti

Page 49

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THE TRUTH
Wrong faith is not stable and may change on getting correct knowledge and experience.
erience.
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Distinction between faith and knowledge will be clear by the following two examples. We all know that if we put our finger in a fire, it will be burnt and will be painful. I am sure everyone has complete faith in this knowledge and nobody will like to try the experiment. There is a deep conviction which cannot be set aside by any means whatsoever-arguments, experiments etc. On the other hand, everyone of us has a knowledge that speaking the truth is a virtue which will raise our spiritual status and be cause of happiness and speaking lie is an evil act which will ultimately be a cause of misery to us. Even though all religions and every human being proclaims the above tattava (or principle), how many of us really have faith in it. For the slightest sensual benefit, we speak lie. It will thus appear that faith in the knowledge is very essential for one to act according to that knowledge. Infact, without faith, knowledge is only superficial. It is not a real or useful knowledge. It is like the knowledge of a man in the drunk state when he calls his mother as 'mother', but does not really understand its significance. He may even change his mind. True faith arises from such a deep and complete understanding of the knowledge that no doubts are left and the whole phenomenon is visible in all its aspects without any mental effort. It is for this reason that it is sometimes called Samyak Darshana—a most appropriate term to define the attributes of right belief. Hence the knowledge becomes right knowledge only after one has right faith in it. Only then is the knowledge useful. This can be seen from our worldly experiences also. So many scientists, engineers, doctors, lawyers etc., get the same knowledge through books, but only few of them have the complete understanding of all its aspects so as to have a vision. They have full faith in its accuracy. Only such persons rise in their profession because they can use their knowledge correctly and with confidence. Such persons do not have cloudiness of mind with respect to such a knowledge and will not be deviated from their convictions.
Soul, which is omniscience, will naturally possess right faith in its knowledge because such a knowledge has no doubts left and is being perceived in all its aspects at the same time. Thus right faith is a natural attribute of the soul.