The Incredible Power of Faith

When the disciples asked Jesus why they were unable to cast out the demon from a boy, He said to them, 'Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, "Move from here to there,” and it shall move; and nothing shall be impossible to you’ ” (Matt. 17:20).

Does faith really have the power to move mountains?  Well, haven't you read or heard of miracles taking place because of the power of faith in the Almighty (or the Unknown)?

According to our ancient scriptures:

Young Prahlada, the son of King Hiranyakashipu, could not be killed even through the most brutal methods because of his unshakeable faith in Lord Narayana; 

Young Krishna lifted the mighty Govardhana mountain to protect the people from torrential rains caused by Lord Indra (see picture);

The mighty Hanuman is said to have carried the huge Sanjeevi mountain with medicinal plants to revive Lakshmana in Lanka

There are many such miracles powered by faith in the current Kali Yuga. Here are some examples:

The massive Nandi (bull) installed in front of Lord Shiva in Chidambaram temple in Tamil Nadu is said to have moved to provide unobstructed Darshan (view) to faithful Devotee Nandanar from the low caste.

A Jain King sought to punish Appar (Tirunavukkarasar) for being a devotee of Lord Shiva. He tied Appar to a huge stone and threw him in deep waters. Appar floated because of his absolute faith in the efficacy of ‘Nama Sivaya’ manthram.

Oh…I can hear some of you say, “What you quote are all some age-old stories. How can we believe them?  Do you know of any such faith-driven miracles in recent times?”

Yes, positively yes! I know of people who have experienced the vanishing of ‘mountain-like’ huge problems because of the incredible power of faith - and people includes me too. Faith provided me the hope to survive amidst heavy odds in life and spring back. Just google - you will find countless stories of personal experiences narrated in the internet media.

Is there any scientific proof to uphold the power of faith? After all, what is science? It is simply accumulated knowledge based on human observation. No one observed the creation of the universe. It is simply a matter of implicit faith.

Want to know more on how scientific research has given the faithful reasons to rejoice? Take a look at Ari N. Schulman's article titled, “Does Faith Make You Healthier?” in the Wall Street Journal of August 9, 2013. I hope the following link works. If it does not, try cutting and pasting it on your browser.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324328904578622481104499620.html?mod=ITP_opinion_0#articleTabs%3Darticle

In my May 2006 posting, I had quoted Sri Sri Ravishankar describing Faith or shraddha as one of the six types of wealth. He said, "Faith is needed when you have found the limit of your knowing... Your willingness to know the unknown is shraddha." It would be fanaticism to think there is nothing beyond. Absence of faith is doubt -- in yourself, others, or the whole. Ninety nine per cent of people doubt the whole, because they do not believe that there is a whole that is functioning."   

One has to really experience the incredible power of faith. Try building faith in the Unknown!

Heal Thyself the Simple Way!

Who does not want to enjoy the best of health? While everyone desires good health, rapidly changing eating habits, work patterns, and living styles are affecting human health. Trends indicate that people tend to rush to specialist doctors even for minor ailments, go through a series of diagnostic tests and eventually consume potent drugs that may be prescribed as a remedy.

Mother Nature provides all the clues to heal you – such as you feel tired after a busy day when the body needs rest, your stomach gets upset when you eat too heavy and spicy food and you are unable to sleep if you suffer from stress due to worries.

Your body is endowed with powers to heal itself but you must pay attention to the natural clues, stop overloading your systems, and follow simple remedial steps.   

Did you know that many of the foods we eat have some healing power? For example:

·         Ginger has a well-deserved reputation for relieving an uneasy stomach.

·         Turmeric has disinfecting properties. It is used to heal throat infection and help to relieve colds and cough.

·         Onion serves as anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, antiviral remedy.  

·         Cinnamon helps to stabilize blood sugar.

·         Bananas are known for their antacid effect that guard against damages from stomach ulcers.   

At last, modern science is beginning to uncover the power of spices and herbs that we have used for centuries as home remedies.

In addition to the choice of simple and healthy food, one needs to develop a healthy mind through a disciplined life. The power of mind over body is amazing.

Qualities like anger, jealousy and greed can affect the stomach or interfere with digestion.

Constant worry and nervous attitudes lead to wasted energy and weakness.

It is possible to strengthen one’s mind through meditation and simple spiritual exercises. For example, yoga and other forms of meditations are known to improve health.

Phenomena like the "placebo effect" (see my earlier blog) reveal the amazing healing power of mind.

Unleash your innate healing power by heeding nature's simple clues and changing your approach to finding remedies.

Heal thyself the simple yet effective way!