Gita 17.3
Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga
सत्त्वानुरूपा सर्वस्य श्रद्धा भवति भारत | श्रद्धामयोऽयं पुरुषो यो यच्छ्रद्धः स एव सः ||३||
sattvānurūpā sarvasya śraddhā bhavati bhārata | śraddhā-mayo 'yaṁ puruṣo yo yac-chraddhaḥ sa eva saḥ ||3||
In essence: A person IS their faith - the most profound equation in spiritual psychology: 'yo yac-chraddhaH sa eva saH' - whatever your faith, that indeed you are.
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "'A person IS their faith' - this is overwhelming. How can my identity be reduced to my beliefs?"
Guru: "Not your stated beliefs - your operative faith. There's a crucial difference. You might believe intellectually that the world is impermanent, but if you act as if possessions will make you happy, your operative faith is in permanence. That operative faith - what you truly trust at your depths - this is what constitutes you."
Sadhak: "Then I am a confused mixture of contradictory faiths!"
Guru: "Welcome to the human condition! Most people are exactly this - a battlefield of competing faiths. The spiritual journey is the gradual alignment of all levels of faith toward a single, sattvic conviction. When your deepest operative faith aligns with your highest intellectual understanding - that is integration. That is becoming 'shraddha-maya' in truth."
Sadhak: "How do I discover my true operative faith?"
Guru: "Watch your reactions in crisis. Watch what you spontaneously pursue and avoid. Watch where your attention goes when undirected. Your operative faith reveals itself in these moments. Then the work begins: consciously cultivating the faith you know to be true until it becomes your spontaneous reality."
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🌅 Daily Practice
Sit quietly and identify your deepest operative faiths - what you truly believe about yourself, the world, and ultimate reality. Write them down without editing. This honest inventory is the starting point for conscious faith-cultivation.
When making decisions, pause and ask: 'What faith is driving this choice?' If a sattvic option and a tamasic option both appeal, recognize this as a battle of faiths within you. Consciously choose from your highest faith, even if another part resists.
Before sleep, use affirmation to cultivate the faith you wish to embody. 'I am the eternal Self. The Divine is my refuge. Wisdom leads to liberation.' These are not positive thinking tricks but faith-building exercises. Repeated with conviction, they gradually reshape your shraddha-maya purusha - your faith-constituted being.