Prabhupada, Ahmedabad, December 12, 1972: […] Adau sraddha. The beginning of spiritual life is sraddha, faith. Adau sraddha. Adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sangah. First of all, faith, and faith has been described by Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami as, faith means: visvasa. So he explains:
‘sraddha’-sabde—visvasa kahe sudrdha niscaya krsne bhakti kaile sarva-karma krta haya
This is the sraddha. Sraddha means firm faith. As Krishna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]
So unless one has got faith. Why one should consider himself that “I must be completely surrendered to Krishna,” unless one has got faith? Therefore faith is the beginning. And to create faith, Krishna has explained about Himself in the whole Bhagavad-gita.
So one who is fortunate, after reading Bhagavad-gita thoroughly, he’ll have a strong faith in Krishna. If you have failed to achieve this status of faith, then there is no question of progress.
That is explained by Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami: sraddha-sabde visvasa kahe sudrdha niscaya. Sraddha means firm faith, with conviction, “Yes, if I surrender to Krishna, then all my business will be perfect, all my spiritual life will be perfect.”
Therefore Krishna says: sraddhavan bhajate. With sraddha, with full faith. Adau sraddha. Beginning is sraddha. If one has developed a little sraddha. Just like we are giving chance throughout the whole world by this propaganda, opening centers to create little sraddha.
And if the sraddha is there, then next stage is sadhu-sanga, if one wants to become Krishna conscious, if he has developed a little faith in it, the next stage is to associate with sadhu.
Full Lecture
pamho
agtacbsp.
its useless this adau sraddha when one is situated on the wrong track through the nasty guru hoaxes.all their endeavours faith etc…is just a waste of time better to be with Shrila prabhupada
agtsp
ys haribol