Belief, Faith, Trust, Astha
These words we use several times, practically every day. Sometimes we use them randomly while at other times we use them precisely. It makes no difference at some time, but it may mean a lot of difference at other time. So in order to explain the very purpose of my writing I shall take the path of practical applications instead of falling in to the controversy of grammatical intricacies.
When a child is born, it is forced to believe that the new environment in which it has come will help it survive the challenges that are to be faced by it. The child has no knowledge of the environment around. Not that the child is crippled or insane or mentally sick. But we all know that it is due to immature development of the anatomical and physiological faculties. This may or may not be a disorder or disease. In this form the child is not in a position to have the sense of belief, faith, trust or astha. The sense of realization is very less developed in a new born, so there is no revelation of the felt need. The infant at this stage needs nutrition and security. These needs are required to be fulfilled by the parents. Let us study in terms of normal beings.