This word sraddha has no exact equivalent in English; it is usually translated as faith; but it is not faith in a creed or dogma but faith in oneself, faith in the infinite power lodged in every soul; it is also faith in the power of truth & goodness, a firm conviction of the ultimate meaningfulness of the universe. It is the totality of positive attitudes, astikya buddhi, as Shankara defines it. It is the impelling force behind man’s efforts at character development, his civic virtues & social graces, his search for truth in science & religion. Its total absence from the heart marks the complete cynical attitude.

         Dealing with the importance of this virtue for human character & achievement, Swami Vivekananda says in his ‘Reply to the Address of Welcome at Calcutta’ (complete works, vol. III. Eighth edition, pp. 319-20):
         ‘I would not translate this word sraddha to you. It would be a mistake; it is a wonderful word to understand, & much depends on it….. Unfortunately it has nearly vanished from India & this is why we are in our present state. What makes the difference between man & man is the difference in this sraddha & nothing else. What makes one man great & another weak & low is this sraddha. My master used to say, he who thinks himself weak will become weak, & that is true. This sraddha must enter into you. Whatever of material power you see manifested by the western races is the outcome of this sraddha, because they believe in their muscles; & if you believe in your spirit, how much more will it work! Believe in that infinite Soul, the infinite Power which, with consensus of opinion, your books & sages preach. That Atman which nothing can destroy, in It is infinite power, only waiting to be called out. For here is the great difference between all other philosophies & the Indian philosophy. Whether dualistic, qualified monistic, or monistic, they are firmly believe that everything is in the soul itself; it has only to come out & manifest itself. Therefore, this sraddha is what I want, & what all of us here want, this faith in ourselves, & before you is the great task to get that faith. Give up the awful disease that is creeping into our national blood, that idea of ridiculing everything, that loss of seriousness. Give that up. Be strong & have this sraddha, & everything else is bound to follow.’

         Cynicism spells the spiritual death of the individual. It scorns all values. It is the final nemesis of every thorough-going materialism.It has afflicted, more or less, every civilization; but it has become the prevailing attitude of modern civilization. It sets in when man is spiritually weakened through over-emphasis on material things & physical satisfactions & neglect of the ever-present datum of his inner self. Man then loses the power to digest experiences; he is, on the other hand, digested by them. In cynicism, the onward current of evolution is side-tracked & ends up in a stagnant pool, a self-centered personality but only ‘a clod of ailments & grievances’, in the words of Bernard Shaw, ‘ever complaining that the world does not itself to making you happy’. In ancient civilizations, cynicism used to be only a peripheral mood; man & women tended to be cynical in advanced years due to jolts & defeats in the life’s battle; but it was rarely the mood of early life. Whereas, in the modern age, it has become the central mood afflicting men of all ages, beginning with the youth hardly out of his teens, & extending to the proud intellectual, & to the aged man tottering on his stick. This is the surest index of the decay of a civilization, of its utter insufficiency, its spiritual poverty. When man loses faith in himself, he loses faith in everyone & everything else as well, & the gate is opened to all-round degeneration.

         Swami Vivekananda sounded the note of warning about the centuries-old loss of by the people of India more than sixty years ago. That warning had a wholesome effect on the national mind; it induced a wave of faith in oneself & love for man in the people, & let them to political independence. But since independence there has been a slow decay of idealism & an invention of this dire disease of cynicism. Unless we recognize it has a disease & take steps to eradicate it, there is no hope for our society. We have set before ourselves the task of eradicating diseases such as cholera, small pox, tuberculosis, & leprosy. This is, undoubtedly, vital for our national health; but far more vital is the need to eradicate the deadly virus of cynicism, the loss of sraddha, corroding the human heart. This is achieved only through spiritual education; & the Upanishads hold out the priceless blessing of such an education to our people, nay, to the people of every country today. It will strengthen the inner life of man by imparting to him a philosophy of man & his destiny which is rational, practical, & universal, & in tune with the deep-felt urges of the modern age. It will help him to capture faith in man & his high destiny, & to retain his youthful zest & joy throughout life.