Why there are issues among the followers of Gods and spiritual paths?
A devotee (Name hidden) asked like this:
“Prabhuji can you please elaborate on Nabadwipa Dham Mahatmya by Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur? Several Gauriya Vaishnavas outside Iskcon considers the book as fictional and not authentic. I have even heard that it has offended other Vaishnava Sampradayas. Is this true?”
REPLY:
I am running ours as a freelance site because a certain things that can’t be discussed in the official media of sampradhayas and organizations, can be discussed here with a balanced view without wearing a single coloured glass.
If I write only for a certain concept/ path (colour glass), I can’t write about the good aspects of others. Though others do good, I have to find faults in them and write to please the followers of the concept/ path followed by me.
I need full freedom to write the facts. Yes, the facts. Not fanatic stories.
Your question is also a topic of that kind.
The Hindu religion has no single principle or single vedic literature or single prophet to follow.
It is like the plant that grows everywhere without the need for any strict process of cultivation.
In this religion, anyone can become a guru. Anyone can announce himself as a guru and show himself as a big guy. If a so called spiritual personality has hundreds of followers, even the ministers come and meet him.
These spiritual personalities develop contacts with the political personalities also. This enhances their personality. So, the people think that he is a popular guru who is respected even by the politicians.
So, a person who can speak well can become a spiritual leader now a days.
Even yoga masters are considered as spiritual gurus now a days.
All the people have problems in their life.
They are wandering from temple to temple, god to god to tell their problems and get them solved.
If their problems are not solved or delayed, they go to any so called spiritual personality who claims that he is empowered by god to solve all the problems of the followers.
The people want their problems solved at any cost or by any means.
They are ready to go anywhere or anyone to get their problems solved.
So, there are hundreds of ‘popular’ spiritual personalities in the Hindu religion.
They are respected based on popularity, not the true values.
So, naturally, thousands of literature.
The persons who has to part a spiritual organization because of misunderstanding or problems, go and start another group and compete with his former group.
Thus, there are always accusations by one against another in our religion.
The brothers fight with themselves.
This religion gives any freedom to speak anything in the name of god.
Anyone can create new concepts and make it a practice.
New gods are created in due course of time.
Even the men is made as gods and worshiped. When a new spiritual group becomes popular, the people go there forgetting their previously worshiped gods.
Freedom, freedom, freedom – everywhere.
No controlling authority for Hindu religion. Because there are hundreds of Gods, paths and branches with different concepts.
One says Brahmam is supreme. One says Siva is supreme. One says Ganesha is supreme. One says a dead man is supreme. One says that only the parents are supreme. One says the gurus are supreme.
But, the FACT is ‘sleeping’ somewhere. There can be only one supreme.
Who is supreme?
Many so called spiritual personalities are making business by keeping different gods or dead men as their promotional gods.
If a person praises Lord Krishna as Supreme, the followers of other gods will be hurt, and Vice versa.
If one religion claims supremacy, others will be hurt and accuse this religion.
If you start thinking like this, you will lose your sleep. You can’t worship any god at all.
Similarly, if an Acharya writes a book, others will comment against it.
It is natural.
If there are hundreds of paths, every other group will accuse if any of the writing hurts their sentiments.
Only if there are no issues, you should wonder.
If there are many paths for the same target, such issues will always be there.
Same target – liberation. But, how many paths?
Hundreds, hundreds of paths who show different paths to get liberated.
For them, there are many supreme gods(!) such as Krishna, Siva, Ganesha, Shakti, Paramathma, mother is a god, father is a god, guru is a god, every man himself is a paramathma/god.
So, if you like to be peaceful in this world, follow a single God at a time and allow others to follow their chosen gods.
No other way. We are helpless.
The scenario has been completely corrupted for hundreds years.
You and I can just tell that Krishna is the Supreme Lord. You can’t make all the 800 crores of people accept it.
Krishna Himself says that only one among thousands will THINK of Him. And, even among them, only one among thousands will KNOW Him.
So, other people will be following some other gods or men for some other purposes/ needs.
See, Srimad Bhagavatham itself is accepted only by the devotees of Krishna. The devotees of other gods won’t accept and follow it. Because Vyasa deva has written separate puranas for the satisfaction of everyone. They will follow those puranas.
If this is the case even for the bonafide 18 puranas, what to say about a book written by an Acharya mentioned by you?
It will have many opponents to comment against it.
These things can’t be avoided and natural since this is a religion with no single controlling authority.
Let it be.
Let us go to perform today’s duties.
Our life is short. Let us stop with a single God.
We have chosen Krishna based on many considerations.
Let us worship Krishna with faith.
At the same time, let us also respect the gods mentioned in the vedic scripts.
Let us not accuse other paths.
Please go and do your today’s duties.
Your family too needs your care and attention.
It is also important for us since we are in families, and we are not the sanyasis.
Let the renouncement exist in our hearts.