The fifth among the virtues to be cultivated is Sraddha.
Sraddha means unwavering faith in the sacred scriptures or sastras
and in the moral codes they contain as well as in the Atma and the
Guru. Faith is the sign of Sraddha. Gurus are worth worshipping.
They show us the path of fulfilment, the Sreyomarga. The sastras
are designed to ensure the peace and prosperity of the world and
the spiritual perfection of mankind. They have before them this
great aim. They show the way to its realisation. So, one must
place faith in such holy sastras, Gurus, and elders. The Gurus, on
their part, must instruct people only in the knowledge of the One
Atma that is immanent in all Beings, [Sarva jivaat-maikya Jnana].
He who has Sraddha will achieve this Jnana. They must themselves
have full faith in it and live according to that faith without the
slightest deviation.
