Fear and Faith

Nandi, Vaishakha shudi 15

I am very glad to know that you are not subject to fear. Why should one who knows that God is there to protect us all be afraid? But His protection does not mean that we may not be robbed or that we may not be bitten by a snake. Such incidents do not show that He protects us any the less but that we had not enough faith in Him. The river is always willing to give its water to all, but how is the river to be blamed if or does not go near it believing the water to be poisonous? All fear is a sign of want of faith. But faith cannot be acquired by force of intellect. It comes but slowly after deep meditation and continuous practice. We pray, sign hymns, read books, seek the association of men of God, and perform the spinning sacrifice in order to attain that faith.