The Power of Trust
In an Awakening programme, B.K.Sister Shivani said that you cannot change anyone’s habits by condemning or criticizing or by setting rules. By rejection of the other person, a negative energy starts flowing and he becomes more disturbed and disempowered. On the other hand, by accepting him as he is, positive energy flows and he gets empowered. By accepting others, we empower them. The empowerment enables them to bring about positive changes and ultimately to become free from the particular bad habit.
In the same programme, B.K.Dr.Girish Patel narrated a story about Edison, the inventor of electric light bulb. The bulb was to be exhibited before a select gathering at a hall the next day. Edison put the bulb in a tray and asked a person to take it to the hall. Having never seen such a thing before, the person got disturbed, the tray fell down and the bulb was broken. It was a great set back, but Edison worked during the whole night to make another bulb and next morning again asked the same person to take it to the venue. His friends warned him: he is the same person who was responsible for the damage last day; he cannot be trusted to do the job. Edison replied that it was exactly why he was entrusting the job to him; my having confidence in him would empower him, while my distrust would weaken him. Even if the bulb is broken second time, it can be made again, but the heart once broken can never be fixed again.
It has been my own belief over the years that when we impose our trust on a person, he gets empowered. When many persons and friends have belief in capabilities of a person, he actually becomes capable. On the other hand, when we start distrusting a person in the family, when it is repeatedly said that he is ‘buddhu’, he gets disempowered, his self-confidence is shaken and ultimately he actually becomes ‘buddhu’, the useless.
Similarly, when thousands of people start believing in the capabilities of a person, he becomes a leader. That is why, it’s said that a great leader gets his power from people.
I also think that many sacred places of worship which are famous for wish-fulfillment; for effecting cure, for providing relief to the disabled and ill persons, may, to some extent, be deriving their power from people. When thousands of devotees pray at a particularly site, with strong belief and trust, spreading positive vibrations of good feelings, faith and trust, the atmosphere would definitely get charged with all the positivity. A visitor at that place would imbibe all the positive vibes, become composed, get inner peace and thus become free from fear and disease.
Such is the power of acceptance and trust!