Radhanath Swami on Developing Faith

We must know how important it is to hear from the scriptures and the great souls with a humble disposition of mind, so that we can really and truly understand spiritual principles and gradually develop faith. The whole purpose of scriptural knowledge is to give us some faith, faith in a higher principle and a faith in the truth. Knowledge is not just so that we can become a jnani and say, "Yes, I know the truth." The whole purpose of this knowledge is to change our life, to change our whole outlook on reality, to teach us how to give up sinful activities and live for a higher purpose. By hearing from the great souls, by learning how to practically understand those truths beyond our experience, we develop a faith, we develop a conviction, we develop a vision. The purpose of this vision is to change the direction of our life, to change our whole way of thinking, feeling and willing.