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Blind faith (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"blind faith" |"blind or unquestioning faith" |"blind, sentimental religious faith" |"blind, so-called religious faith" |"faith is blind" |"faith is not blind" |"faith is sometimes blind" |"faith may be blind" |"faith or some blind belief" |"faith should not be blind" |"faith, it is blind"

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Apply your arguments. Apply your logic. Don't take it as a sentiment or as a blind faith.
Lecture on BG 4.11-12 -- New York, July 28, 1966:

Suppose you hear something of the Bhagavad-gītā, and it appeals to you, or even does not appeal to you. Just try to think over: "What Bhagavad-gītā says? How Swamiji has discussed this matter?" Apply your arguments. Apply your logic. Don't take it as a sentiment or as a blind faith. You have got reason; you have got arguments; you have got sense. Apply it and try to understand it. Neither it is bogus. It is scientific. Then you will feel... Taj-joṣaṇād āśv apavarga-vartmani śraddhā ratir bhaktir anukramiṣyati. You will gradually develop your attachment for hearing it, and devotional service will be invoked in your heart, and then, gradually, you will make progress.

This Bhagavad-gītā is not blind faith.
Lecture on BG 4.39-42 -- Los Angeles, January 14, 1969:

Faith, I do not mean faith by blind faith. This Bhagavad-gītā is not blind faith. Everything is being explained step by step, scientifically, authoritatively. So try to understand. And if you fortunately become faithful, then your life is successful.

Blind faith is never required, neither questions should be in a mood of challenge.
Lecture on BG 4.39-5.3 -- New York, August 24, 1966:

But faith should not be blind. Blind faith is useless. Now we have already discussed that one should go to the spiritual master with surrender and question and service—three things. First of all, for acquiring knowledge we have to find out the suitable personality, and if we are fortunate enough to find out such suitable personality, then first thing is to surrender. And that, after that surrender, there are questions. One must be very intelligent to put questions to the spiritual master. Without questions you cannot make progress. So blind faith is never required, neither questions should be in a mood of challenge.

They may be some faith or some blind belief, but religion means the order or law given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Bombay, December 20, 1975:

If you remain covered by the material energy, then you cannot understand Bhagavad-gītā. The purpose of Bhagavad-gītā is to understand real religious life. Religion means the order which is given by God to carry out. That is religion. Those who are unknown of this fact, they are not religious. They may be some faith or some blind belief, but religion means dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇitam (SB 6.3.19). Religion means the order or law given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is religion.

Without faith, we cannot make progress, but not blind faith, but to accept something which is recognized.
Lecture on BG 8.21-22 -- New York, November 19, 1966:

Because it is a company which is authorized, which is recognized, and therefore you are creating faith. Faith you must have. Without faith, you cannot go a step forward, even in your ordinary life. But faith, what faith? Ah, the belief and faith should be in the authorized, authorized place. That is the process. Faith we must have. Without faith, we cannot make progress, but not blind faith, but to accept something which is recognized.

"Kṛṣṇa, that, then faith, that blind faith, how it is to be defined? Why? What will be the result?"
Lecture on BG 17.1-3 -- Honolulu, July 4, 1974:

Faith is there but misguided. Teṣāṁ niṣṭhā tu kā kṛṣṇa: "Kṛṣṇa, that, then faith, that blind faith, how it is to be defined? Why? What will be the result?" Teṣāṁ niṣṭhā tu kā kṛṣṇa. Now, "Whether it is faith in sattva-guṇa or faith in rajo-guṇa or faith in tamo-guṇa?" Because without coming to the platform of sattva-guṇa, nobody can advance in spiritual life. That is a fact.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Dharma does not mean a kind of faith, blind faith.
Lecture on SB 1.1.3 -- Caracas, February 24, 1975:

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam the cheating type of religious system is rejected." We have already explained. Dharma does not mean a kind of faith, blind faith. Dharma means the real characteristic. For example, just like water is liquid. This is the characteristic of water. That is dharma.

We accept God, not by blind faith, but by testing. Although we cannot test, but śāstra gives us the chance of testing.
Lecture on SB 1.2.15 -- Los Angeles, August 18, 1972:

So everything has got a test. But these rascals, without testing, accepting another rascal as God. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He was asked that how to accept one God, He said, "Well, there is in the śāstra mention, the characteristic. According to the characteristic, if it is corroborating, then he is God." This rascal is saying, "No, there is no need of God. Ah, book. Simply I say; you accept it." The people are accepting. How foolish rascals they are. Just see. There must be a test. We are accepting Kṛṣṇa as God not blindly, but by testing. By testing. His character is mentioned in the books. Therefore, we accept God, not by blind faith, but by testing. Although we cannot test, but śāstra gives us the chance of testing. We accept spiritual master by testing, not by blind faith.

Dharma is not a kind of faith. Faith is sometimes blind. That is not dharma.
Lecture on SB 1.10.4 -- London, November 25, 1973:

Kāmam. Dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣa (SB 4.8.41). In the human society, to make everything very regulated, the prescription is dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa. Dharma means to be situated in one's position. That is called dharma. Dharma is not a kind of faith. Faith is sometimes blind. That is not dharma. Just like we say, varṇāśrama-dharma. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam (BG 4.13). Varṇa. Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsī. This combination of eight makes dharma, constitutional position. Everyone is animal. So if one is not trained up in these eight principles of human society, so that is not dharma; it is sentiment.

In Sanskrit language, dharma does not mean like that, "a kind of faith." No. Faith is blind.
Lecture on SB 2.4.3-4 -- Los Angeles, June 27, 1972:

Dharma means religion. Religion... not exactly in the same way as we understand in English language: "a kind of faith." Dharma. Generally, people understand that "I have got my own dharma." "I am Hindu; I am Christian; I am Muslim; I am this; I am that." But in Sanskrit language, dharma does not mean like that, "a kind of faith." No. Faith is blind. Today you are Hindu, tomorrow you are Christian, today you are Christian. So this faith-changing is not dharma. Dharma means "which you cannot change." That is dharma. Not that whimsically I change. That dharma is service. Every one of us rendering some service to others. That is dharma.

It is based on science, philosophy, śāstra, knowledge. It is not a blind faith.
Lecture on SB 5.5.3-4 -- Bombay, March 29, 1977:

So if you do not take Kṛṣṇa consciousness seriously in this human form of life, then you must know that you are drinking poison knowingly. Don't neglect it. Try to understand. It is based on science, philosophy, śāstra, knowledge. It is not a blind faith. And we are prepared to answer you in any way. The method is very simple; even a child can take advantage of it. Not that we are manufacturing. It is sanctioned in the śāstra.

Dharma does not mean, as it is stated in some of the English dictionary, "a kind of faith." Faith may be blind. That is not dharma.
Lecture on SB 6.1.45 -- Laguna Beach, July 26, 1975:

There are two things: you can act piously or impiously. There is no third, no third path. One path is pious; one path is nonpious. So here both are mentioned. Yena yāvān yathādharmaḥ, dharmaḥ. Dharma means constitutional. Dharma does not mean, as it is stated in some of the English dictionary, "a kind of faith." Faith may be blind. That is not dharma. Dharma means original, constitutional position. That is dharma.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The faith is not blind. There is proof. He, the cobbler was not blindly believing that Nārāyaṇa was pulling an elephant through the hole of an needle.
The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 13, 1972:

So this is called faith. The faith is not blind. There is proof. He, the cobbler was not blindly believing that Nārāyaṇa was pulling an elephant through the hole of an needle, but he sees practically the potency, the power of the Lord, bījo 'haṁ sarva-bhūtānām (Bg 7.10), how He keeps all the potencies of the banyan tree within the seed. So otherwise there is no meaning, "all-powerful." He can do whatever He likes. Inconceivable.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

There is no blind faith. "Here is God, Kṛṣṇa! You take His name, you take His address—everything."
Arrival Talk -- Aligarh, October 9, 1976:

Because they are also afraid. Because the Communist movement means godlessness. And our movement is, "Here is God." There is no blind faith. "Here is God, Kṛṣṇa! You take His name, you take His address—everything." Practical. So that is a great cause of fear for these Communists. So they are against us. So now I shall request the śreṣṭhas, those who are leading persons in India, they should join this movement, take it seriously. It is not a bogus movement. It is a scientific movement.

Religion is also not a blind faith. Religion means the order of God.
Arrival Talk -- Aligarh, October 9, 1976:

When Bhagavad-gītā says dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, that is not meant for the so-called Hindus. It is meant for the Muslims, meant for the Christians, everyone. It is science. Religion is a kind of faith. That they describe. But religion is also not a blind faith. Religion means the order of God. That is religion. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Just like law means the order of the state. Similarly, religion means the order of God. So if you have no conception of God, if you do not know what is God, what is order, then where is religion? It is all bogus.

General Lectures

Take advantage of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is not a blind, sentimental religious faith.
Sunday Feast Lecture -- London, July 25, 1976:

So anyone can drink poison if he likes. Nobody can check. But it is a fact that if one does not become Kṛṣṇa conscious in this human form of life, he is drinking poison knowingly. That's a fact. So people should be very careful, take advantage of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is not a blind, sentimental religious faith. It is a great science, vijñānam. Jñānaṁ me parama-guhyaṁ yad vijñāna-samanvitam. Jñānaṁ te 'haṁ pravakṣyāmi yad vijñāna-samanvitam. These are the words. It is vijñāna, a great science.

Philosophy Discussions

If there is no conception of God, there is no direction of God, that is not religion. Religion is not a kind of blind faith.
Philosophy Discussion on David Hume:

Prabhupāda: No. Our principle is to know God from God, and religion means the principles given by God. Just like the law means the principle given by the state, similarly the principles given by God, that is religion. Otherwise it is pseudoreligion. If there is no conception of God, there is no direction of God, that is not religion. Religion is not a kind of blind faith. Religion is factual. That factual religion can be given by God Himself, and if we know God and what is His instruction, then we are religious.

Faith should not be blind. That is useless.
Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Hayagrīva: Uncertainty is a necessary ingredient for faith.

Prabhupāda: No. Faith, faith should not be blind. That is useless. Faith... Just like I believe in the government. This is not faith, this is fact. There is government, and I am under government's law, so I have to obey the orders of government. This is not faith; this is fact. Similarly, to one who knows God and becomes dependent on Him, that is not faith; that is fact. He is happy by his depending on God. Just like a child, he knows that "Here is my father and mother." He voluntarily depends on the parents and he is happy.

Philosophy must be on the fact, not on faith. Faith may be blind faith. That is different thing.
Philosophy Discussion on William James:

Devotee: This seems to have a similarity to the divisions of faith according to the three guṇas.

Prabhupāda: No. The philosophy is not faith. Faith is a different thing, and fact is different thing. Philosophy must be on the fact, not on faith. Faith may be blind faith. That is different thing.

Those who do not accept the authorities, they are in blind faith.
Philosophy Discussion on Ludwig Wittgenstein:

Prabhupāda: Truth is truth. Either we appreciate or not appreciate, it does not matter. Truth is truth.

Śyāmasundara: So they fall back on kind of a blind faith...

Prabhupāda: But you are in blind faith. Those who do not accept the authorities, they are in blind faith. Just like one who does not know that what is soul, he is in blind faith, accepting this body as self. He is in blind faith.

The evidence is there, but he is in blind faith. The whole world is working in blind faith.
Philosophy Discussion on Ludwig Wittgenstein:

Śyāmasundara: He has no real evidence that my self is the body either.

Prabhupāda: He is blind, because it is not the fact. The evidence is there, but he is in blind faith. The whole world is working in blind faith—"I am Pakistani," "I am Hindustani," "I am American," "I am Englishman." Simply bodily identification. The whole world is a set of fools only. That's all. That is stated in the śāstras: yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). Anyone who accepts this bag of three dhātus, kapha, pitta, vāyu, as self, he is an ass.

Page Title:Blind faith (Lectures)
Compiler:Labangalatika, ChandrasekharaAcarya, Visnu Murti
Created:23 of Mar, 2010
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=21, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:21