Faith and reason looms large in our life. We often get confused on: What is the most essential thing for a successful, happy and peaceful life?—faith or reason? The age-old argument between faith and reason is—which one is the right way of living?
Faith and reason play a very important role in our daily living and in course of our decision-making. The debate between faith and reason is not a philosophical one; rather it is a very practical aspect how we organise our life and the way we want to live it.
Faith is a way of believing in the passage of something through the ages as right. It is the way of considering a set of rules as true and final. It could be about either wearing certain clothes, eating certain foods, visiting a temple, or even our other habits.
Reason is the process of questioning mind to logically enquire and understand the meaning and essence of the something told or said. In reasoning, we apply commonsense in matters of faith and belief. Reason is a scientific and argumentative method of knowing more about ourselves as well as surrounding.
A young mind attempting to make sense of our world should understand the difference between reason and faith logically, if not taken in conflict. Our faiths on traditional things and beings come down as a system from parents to parents. Children always want to lead a lifestyle of their own choice on the basis of their reasoning which assumes a conflict.
The only means to bring resolution is to accept both faith and reason as two very different dimensions of life. There are innumerable situations where reasons fail, and faith succeeds; on the contrary, where faith fails and reason succeeds. The difficulties we encounter in our everyday life because of our ignorance of justly and rightly applying faith and reason. We often use reason by questioning on certain primary beliefs such as religion, God, tradition, etc. without being aware that they are merely a matter of faith. Simultaneously, we apply lots of traditional blind beliefs and faiths in the matters requiring reasoning and logic. Reasoning is a short term analysis of a situation for understanding its impact, but faith is a durable viewpoint on the whole meaning and objective of life. Logic is moving step-by-step carefully and awarely least you fall down. But faith is to believe that there is a usual path throughout the course which has no cause of accident or falling down
The precisely logical mind can achieve many things; it can obtain wealth, gain accolade, even can live a luxurious life, etc., but hardly with meaning, happiness and fulfilment. On the other hand, a mind completely relying on faith finds peace of mind, certainty and happiness but hardly with wealth or success. The most ideal combination of life is a precisely logical mind blended in a faithful heart. Your realisation must find that reasoning is the quality of the mind while faith is the quality of the heart and that is the foundation of resolution to all your day-to-day difficulties.