Pseudo Spiritualism vs. Real Spiritual Life

[Gauracandra]

This week's Srila Siddhaswarupananda television program is concerned with real spiritual life vs. pseudo-spiritual practices.

 

Haribol. Haribol.

 

Gopala. Govinda. Rama. Madana Mohana. Krishna. These are some of the names of a person. Jehovah. Allah. These are not names of a non-person. When you speak of a name you speak of a person.

 

There is a popular idea that God is an impersonal force. But this is not the conclusion of the greatest saints. So many swamis and yogis teach that God is an ocean of light, a void, the “univeral mind”. This is very unfortunate because if a person accepts this then they cannot become His loving servant.

 

The other night we discussed why we were away from God. The reason is we are envious of God and want to be the central enjoyer. This is my disease. The only way I can know the Supreme Person is through a particular relationship.

 

For this reason, only a limited number of people will be attracted to the path that we teach. If I came to Manila to teach something different there would be bigger crowds. If I taught that you are God, you are the enjoyer, and you are still on a spiritual path, then the crowds would be bigger. Then you can have it both ways – you can play “yogi”, play “spiritual path” and still enjoy yourself as if you are the center, playing “God”.

 

Most people are attracted to pseudo spiritual life. In the Philippines there are so many fake gurus and spiritualists. This one lady wrote in the newspaper an article on “The New Male Spiritualist” She wrote: “Copulation is corney unless it is cosmic. Fornication is not unless you are enjoying yourself as if the 70,000 Boddhisattvas are cheering you on.” [Note: I couldn’t get most of what the lady wrote, but that was the gist of it].

 

So you have these 70,000 Boddhisattvas cheering “GO FOR IT!!! GO FOR IT!!! OM TAT SAT!!!” This is their idea of yoga. This is the New Age definition of yoga. You are not to be a small enjoyer. No, you should enjoy the entire universe. Everything exists simply for you. So it is still the same consciousness that I am the enjoyer and everyone exists for my exploitation.

 

Those who aren’t Tantric yogis, who don’t know “OM”, who aren’t New Age, go to pornographic movies. There is no difference. The consciousness is the same.

 

We aren’t talking about worldly morality here. I’m not criticizing her because she wants to have sex. We are talking about the difference between real spiritual consciousness and pseudo-spiritualism. Pseudo-spiritualism puts you in the center. Like the cosmic sex Rajneesh teaches in America. A true spiritualist does not think “I am the enjoyer.” He instead thinks “I am the servant of the Supreme Person. He is the Lord. I am not the center. God is.” But the impersonalist cannot appreciate how God can be served.

 

First, be free of this consciousness that “I am the enjoyer.” The problem with these pseudo paths is that the people begin to think they know what spiritual life is. Our natural function is to serve. Those who don’t like this fact will think we are talking about lower spiritual life, sentimental religion. They will think “Doesn’t he know we are all God?” So they become very uncomfortable with the idea that they are in fact servants. But if you teach enjoying yourself on the “cosmic level” then they think “Oh yeah, that guy is an advanced teacher.”

 

Once Jesus was asked “How are we to know you are who you say you are?” to which he responded “If you want to do the will of my Father then you will know.” The people who don’t want to be servants of God will run away. They can’t accept that He is a person and that they can’t be truly happy away from His will.

 

It is much easier when you don’t have anyone to serve. When another person is involved then a relationship is more difficult. You must work at your relationship with another person. Now with the Supreme Person it is even more difficult. Surrender to God is not an easy thing. Its both a one time and constant engagement. Everyday you will struggle to do His will.

 

Those who deny the existence of the Supreme Person don’t have to give to someone. They are afraid of the Supreme Person because it means they aren’t the central enjoyers. But unless you accept that you are a servant of the Supreme Person then you can’t come to the highest platform of Bhakti (devotion).

 

Caitanya Mahaprabhu in the 15th Century said that this teaching that God is an impersonal void will ruin your chance to achieve love for God.You can’t love a thing. You can only truly love a Person. So if you fall into this impersonalism this is the greatest misfortune.

 

We can continue this later.