That (faith in mundane religion) is faith, but because one is not intelligent, he takes irreligion as religion. He should be also very intelligent, faithful and intelligent. Not blind faith

Expressions researched:
"that is faith, but because one is not intelligent, he takes irreligion as religion. He does not . . . he should be also very intelligent, faithful and intelligent. Not blind faith"

Conversations and Morning Walks

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Gurukṛpā: This faith in the mundane religions, that cannot be called real faith? Prabhupāda: No, that is faith, but because one is not intelligent, he takes irreligion as religion. He does not . . . he should be also very intelligent, faithful and intelligent. Not blind faith. He must be faithful, and intelligence . . . he must know what is actually religion. So therefore sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83). Associate with sādhus means those who are actually on the platform. So if he associates with the sādhu—the sādhus accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead—he will get the understanding that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. Then his faith becomes fixed up in Kṛṣṇa. This is the way.

760502 - Conversation - Fiji

Prabhupāda: The rascal who says . . . you can say that, that Quantas will carry him to London. You can say that. But if on account of his wrong faith if he does not purchase the ticket, then who will be loser? The Quantas will be loser or he will be loser? If you have no faith, then you are loser. You remain. Rot in this place. Do not try to go to London. What do you think? Eh?Indian man (1): The traveler is the loser.Prabhupāda: What is that?Gurukṛpā: The traveler is the loser.Prabhupāda: Yes, traveler is the loser. If you have no faith, then loser. You are loser. You will never understand. Therefore śāstra says, mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Big, big stalwart ācāryas, mahājanas, they are accepting; therefore we accept. That is sense. And if you sit down, "No, no, I have no faith," you'll sit down and remain a rascal, that's all. Ādau śraddhā. Therefore faith is the first thing. Ādau śraddhā. If he has got intelligence, he'll see: "So many big, big . . . Lord Brahmā accepts. Lord Śiva accepts. Vyāsadeva accepts. Nārada accepts. The ācāryas accept. So am I more than them? No. I will accept." And that is perfection of . . . mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). And if still you remain faithless, then you are rascal. Same example can be . . . Qantas. So many hundreds are purchasing ticket. They have also never seen London, but on faith they're purchasing ticket. So you have no faith, you don't purchase—therefore remain here. Without faith you cannot begin to work. The same example, you have gone to a barber shop. He is shaving, and people blindly closing eyes, and he has got a razor. He can immediately cut. But why do you do this? Because you have faith that, "These people are professional barbers. They are shaving so many other people. They will not kill me. All right. Go on." This is faith. And if you have no faith, then you will never have clean shaven. You go away.So beginning is faith, but faith should not be blind. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). You have to take faith from great personalities. That is faith. Just like you American boys and girls, you began with faith. Without faith nothing can be . . . ādau śraddhā. Just like people come, and they get some faith that, "So many people are following Swāmījī." So he associates for some time, then he offers himself for initiation. This is the way. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā (CC Madhya 23.14). And bhajana-kriyā, if he agrees with spiritual master and takes his word, then anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Spiritual master says: "You should not do this," and if he follows, then automatically his unnecessary burden is cleansed. This is the way. But faith is the beginning. And that is quite natural. Faith means by seeing others, respectable persons, following, "And why not I shall follow?" That is faith. That is not also blind. You can see that so many others are doing, "So why not I myself?"Gurukṛpā: This faith in the mundane religions, that cannot be called real faith?Prabhupāda: No, that is faith, but because one is not intelligent, he takes irreligion as religion. He does not . . . he should be also very intelligent, faithful and intelligent. Not blind faith. He must be faithful, and intelligence . . . he must know what is actually religion. So therefore sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83). Associate with sādhus means those who are actually on the platform. So if he associates with the sādhu—the sādhus accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead—he will get the understanding that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. Then his faith becomes fixed up in Kṛṣṇa. This is the way.Gurukṛpā: So what is the exact meaning of that verse, śraddhā-śabde? That verse . . .Prabhupāda: Yes, śraddhā. That faith increase, and when it is increased so much that he fully understands, "By worshiping Kṛṣṇa, everything is done," that is first-class faith. Śraddhā-śabde viśvāsa kahe sudṛḍha niścaya (CC Madhya 22.62). If he becomes fixed up, "Yes, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality," that is first class, means fulfillment of faith. In the beginning it might be doubtful, neophyte. But when that is . . . that faith is fixed up, "Yes, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality," that is the fulfillment of faith. Faith also there are different stages, improvement. Devotional service means different grades of faith. Today I am in one stage of faith, next day another stage, next day another stage, next day another stage. And when you come to the stage that vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19), oh, that is final. Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. That takes time. And quickly also, if one is fortunate. If one is intelligent—"The śāstra says: 'Vāsudeva is everything,' so why not take Vāsudeva as everything?"—then he gains the result immediately. And if he thinks, "All right, let me see for some time," so he may waste his time, but the point is the same. Point is the same, but he has not developed his faith to such extent. He'll have to wait. And intelligent person, he says: "Why shall I wait? Let me take finally vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). That business is finished." Sa mahātmā. Therefore it is said, sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ.That kind of staunch faith is not very easy. It is for the great personality. Immediately accepts. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). Immediately accepts: "Yes." Then sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. That is not very easily done. That means yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām (BG 7.28). He is completely free from all reaction of sinful life. Puṇya-karmaṇām—he is only engaged in pious activities. Yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānām, te dvandva-moha . . . he has no more, I mean, doubt. Dvandva-moha-nirmuktāḥ. He has no doubt, "Yes, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Person." That's it. That's all. If you take by argument, reason, you may waste your time. But if you are intelligent, you can take it on the evidence of mahājano yena gataḥ, all the mahājanas.svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥkumāraḥ kapilo manuḥprahlādo janako bhīṣmo . . .(SB 6.3.20)They are mahājanas. "Prahlāda has taken, Bhīṣmadeva has taken, Janaka Mahārāja has taken, Lord Brahmā has taken, Lord Śiva has taken, Nārada has taken, Kapila has taken . . . what I am?" (laughs) That is intelligence. "Why I am waiting on my intelligence?" That is real. But this rascal is thinking more than Brahmā, Nārada, Kapila, Prahlāda. He is thinking he is more than them. That means rascal, overintelligent. Overintelligent means rascal. Intelligence means you must have reason. And if he is going beyond reason, only depending on himself, then he is overintelligent rascal. You understand overintelligent rascal? Don't be overintelligent. That is very risky. Be intelligent. Overintelligent means rascal. Spoiling. Just like milk: you are heating, and if you give overheat, spoil so many. That kind of heating is not required. You just push on heat as much required. Otherwise you'll spoil by your intelligence.Devotee (2): Śrīla Prabhupāda? They say that one should try to . . . in order to approach the spiritual master one must . . .Prabhupāda: Purchase?Devotee (2): Approach. Approach.