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Credit: DH illustration
Traditionally faith has been identified with religion which is just one aspect. It may be associated with being religious or secular. Having faith in oneself elevates self-confidence. For healthy self-esteem, one should have faith in one’s abilities, actions, methods and relationships.
When a disillusioned young man asked a Sadhu that in spite of working hard and making every effort, success eludes him and where he is going wrong.
The Sadhu gave him a sealed amulet and said, “Son, I have written some mantras and put it inside this amulet. Always keep it with you; your obstacles will be removed. But first you will have to spend a night alone in a cemetery.” Although he was happy to receive the amulet, the young man turned pale with the thought of spending a night with the departed.
The Sadhu encouraged him saying, “Don’t worry. This amulet you are carrying will save you from any trouble.”
The young man, despite being scared, did spend the night in the cemetery clutching his amulet and at the break of dawn rushed to the Sadhu and thanked him profusely saying, “This amulet is truly divine, otherwise a timid person like me could not even pass by a cemetery leave alone spending a night there.”
As time went by, the young man’s faith in the amulet (in turn in himself) soared and his ventures were becoming successful. He was even being counted as one among the peers in his domain.
A few years later when he met the Sadhu again, he thanked him for the amulet saying it brought miracles to him. The Sadhu smiled and took the amulet, broke it open to show him that it was empty. He said to him, “It was not the amulet which brought you success but the power of your faith. You were not successful in your ventures earlier because you didn’t believe in yourself. The amulet gave you confidence and success followed.”
Faith is but a journey; like a winding river, it meanders through doubts and discovery. Faith leads one from the depths of despair to the summit of success. It’s a sacred and personal quest; a source of unwavering strength in the tapestry of life. As Aiden Tozer, the American author and editor summarises, “Faith is not merely a journey for the feet, but it is also a journey for the heart.”