BELIEF IN GOD
Form Vs Spirit
ONE manner of seeing a tiger is in the museum as a dead, stuffed tiger. The other tiger is the one that you see in the jungle. The tiger in the museum is only the skin of a dead tiger that has been prepared, stuffed with cotton and mounted for display. It only appears to be a tiger, but is not the real animal. People only see this museum tiger for entertainment or for study. Nobody would feel the need to fear or run from such a tiger.
But the tiger in the jungle is a live tiger. It is a symbol of boundless power and majesty. When the tiger walks in the jungle, all other creatures stand in awe. When the tiger roars, the animals fall down in terror. Anyone who sees a live tiger in the jungle would tremble from head to toe losing all sense of awareness except fear. Such a person would not be anything like he was before seeing the tiger. This example can be used to understand the matter of belief in God. Belief in God also can be of two types. One is a traditional belief in God. The other is a conscious, living belief in God.
A conscious belief in God arises from discovering God in all His powers. One who discovers God in such a manner cannot remain like he was before finding God.
A traditional belief in God is a lifeless belief. Such a belief does not move the soul of man. It does not cause any tremor in the personality. It does not create any palpitation in the heart. In a traditional belief in God, there is an admission of God, but there is no fear of God.
On the other hand, a conscious belief in God is a completely different matter. A conscious belief in God arises from discovering God in all His powers. One who discovers God in such a manner cannot remain like he was before finding God. After discovering God, his whole personality is shaken. His very soul is stirred with the intensity of fear. All other matters vanish from his mind leaving him concerned with only the issue of God.
A conscious belief in God and the fear of God are two integral concepts. You cannot separate the fear of God from a conscious belief in God. Where these two have been disconnected, then know that it is not a conscious belief in God but only a traditional belief, and a traditional belief in God is of no value.