vulcanraven188 Posted March 7, 2012 Report Share Posted March 7, 2012 Hi everyone, I have a lot to say, so I figured I'd give a brief summary and people could choose to read on if they want, and otherwise they could answer based on this. I grew up in a Hindu household in America, but I never learned that much about Hinduism. Today, I am very scared because I’ve started thinking about God and don’t know what the truth is. It’s tough because there are so many religions today, and they all tell different stories of how the world was created, how we have to live our lives and worship, and where we go when we die. On top of that, i work in a science/engineering atmosphere where it is believed that there is an answer for why everything happens. It's hard to find a belief in God and where he fits in our world with science that has some disagreements with what he has said or done. I want to believe in God and build a relationship with God, but I’m afraid of making the wrong decision on religions since I don’t know what the truth is. Furthermore, it’s hard because I’ve been hearing that a lot of religions are based on culture or heavily influenced by man, and it’s not about God’s will or necessarily the truth. I’ve heard about a lot of people convince themselves to believe just because they’re afraid of dying, and they like what the religion promises. Also, I hear they might only have heard of one religion, and they convince themselves so strongly over time that it’s real that they aren’t able to see the truth. To make it even scarier, I hear about a lot of false prophets and cult leaders who gain followers simply for the gain of money and self promotion, but people blindly believe in what they’re being told. For example, Sadhguru seems to say all this stuff about Krishna/God are just stories, but he seems to promote himself and has a lot of money gained and temple to promote himself. I also hear about the new Sai Baba guy(not the original) and how he does fake tricks like making ash appear, or making rings and other things show up out of handkerchiefs, but everyone has strong belief that he is God or under God. I would HATE to fall into one of those and live my entire life the wrong way, not have a real relationship with God, and not have the afterlife I expected. I’ve slowly been learning about Swaminarayan, and he seems to be very real and genuine form of God. I am interested in him because he is so recent, so i was hoping people would have more input on him. He also seems to validate Krishna and Ram from what I've heard. I’m just very scared of it being some scam in the interest of gaining money or fame/etc. I read a little about Swaminarayan being a scam started to gain an amount of money. Can someone give me some insight? I’m really scared of everything being a scam. I hate the idea of there being no God, and I hate the idea of dying and never seeing my parents again. I'll post some extra stuff that is on my mind for further reading in my post following this. I didn't want to overburden the reader, but i'd be happy if people could address what i write there as well. again, please respond...I'm very scared and not at peace with the idea of if God exists, how i know he does exist and what he truly wants, how to avoid any scams and have the truth, and what will happen to us, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hariprasad Posted December 14, 2013 Report Share Posted December 14, 2013 Hi, Sorry for the late answear, I am sure you can go with the Swaminarayan Sampraday, I am Swaminarayan since last year. Read the scriptures like Shiksha Patri, and Vachnamrut, It contains everything, and way beyond the other Scriptures. I am not criticizing ohter scriptuers, TATVA GYAN IN swaminarayan scriptuers are explained in very beautiful manner. And also read books like BHAKTCHINTAMANI, read those charitras, you'll fall in love with him, no other AVATAR has charitras like Swaminarayan Bagvan. Just you need to be in right place which is you have to find. Jay Swaminarayan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ameyAtmA Posted January 3, 2014 Report Share Posted January 3, 2014 Dear Friend, I do hear you. Whatever you choose, remember that the way of Hindu Dharma is to abide by shruti (what was heard). Our Shruti (what the seers -- ṛshī heard, as Divine Revelation), consists of the Veda and as part of these, the vedānta (end of veda) i.e. upanishads . Veda are very cryptic, almost like a śecret code' This secret code is diciphered for us by the same Vedavyās as smṛtī (the remembered). It is not really about just following a saint, mahatma or siddha. Shruti has the upperhand. If whom you follow is God, the shruti has to say so. So, veda means knowledge that is TRUE at all points . It is like saying - "law of gravity holdṣ Newtonś Laws of motion hold true" Similarly the revelation of the shruti is eternal Truth . Once Jagatguru KRpALu ji Maharaj said "Even if God makes a statement against shruti we do not accept it. We accept bhagvad gita because it is a commentary on shruti, and not contradictory to shruti. Not simply because KRshNa spoke the Gita" Regarding Smṛtī shāstra (remembered scriptures) : Consider this: sarvopanishado gāvo, dogdhā gopālanandana... (Gita dhyāna shlok, mahābhārat) The upanishads are [like] cows, and Shri Kṛṣṇa is the milkman who milked them . Arjun was the calf who drank the milk first, straight from the cow, and the rest of us get the remaining milk . This milk is Shrimad Bhagavad Gītā . You must be aware that the gītā is THE primer for almost all Hindus Vedavyās divided the one veda into four for people in kali yug, and wrote the bramha sūtra (aphorisms, stmts of truth, on Bramhan' - the Hindu expression for the Absolute Truth). It is claimed in the shāstra itself, that Shrimad Bhāgvat mahāpurāṇ is Vedavyās ' s commentary on his own bramha-sūtra. Vyās wrote many purāṇ and upa-purāṇ, itihās (mahābhārat). Yet, he remained unsatisfied and unhappy. Then Devaṛshī Nārad said he was unhappy because he had not written the most important thing - Nāma guṇa rūpa leelā of pūrṇa purushottam bhagavān shri kṛṣṇa(Highest Person, Most Complete in all respects, having all 6 oppulences in full - wealth, fame, strength, renunciation, beauty, love) - The Bhāgvat further says, iti kalāmsha --- all the listed avatārs (bhāgvat canto 1 chapter 3) are either parts, fractions or parts of parts of the Supreme Absolute Truth - pūrṇa nārāyaṇ, However ... kṛshṇastu bhagavān svayam ---- Kṛṣṇa alone is Bhagavān (definition of bhagavān = one with the 6 oppulences in full amount above) [bhāgvat 1.3.28] Good news: Not only do the shāstra say that Shri Kṛṣṇa is God, nārāyaṇ svayam, bhagvān svayam, pūrṇa purushottam, but He is also our first hand teacher He spoke the Bhagvad Gita, and many Gitas within bhagvat puran and mahabharat such as Uddhav-Gita (bhagvat canto 11), and uttara gita (mahabharat). Both these scriptures A] Bhagvad Gita B] Bhagvat Mahapuran are full of Hari-bhakti ras and tattva-jñāna (philosophical knowledge of the Absolute - Bramhan , the Purest Conscious Truth). It teaches you what is Bramhan, who is Bhagvan, what to do (bhakti) and what are you (jñāna). om namo bhagavate vAsudevAya Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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