The first stage is śraddhā. Śraddhā means faith. Faith. Ādau śraddhā. If one has got this faith, then he can develop that faith to the highest perfectional stage of transcendental emotion, bhāva, and then love of God.
So there is nothing to be depressed. All boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen who are in this meeting, they have got this faith, śraddhā. It is understood. Otherwise, why you have come here? Unless you have got little faith, you would not have come. And you are sparing your valuable time. This is the sign of faith. This is the first background. If one increases this faith, it can be developed to the highest perfectional stage, love of God.
So ādau śraddhā, how to increase. That is given direction by Rūpa Gosvāmī. This faith, ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 23.14). If you have little faith, don't try to demolish it. Try to increase it. Just like if there is little spark of fire, if you fan it, it increases. Increases. And you have several times . . . in this temple, when there is yajña performance we ignite fire. So we take a little, small piece of wood and ignite it. Then gradually it becomes blazing fire.
Similarly, this faith is just like little fire, and you have to fan it very nicely. How? Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 23.14). If you have got this faith, then don't give up this connection. Please try to come here and try to understand us. Why you should try to understand us? Because we are speaking here about God, nothing else. No business, no politics, no nonsense. Therefore you should come here. Sādhu-saṅga. This is called association with sādhu.