Jesus the only Way

[Govindaram]

Hare Krishna

 

It says in the Bible, and Christians always quote the verse,

why would Jesus Christ say that, and Krishna with His complete sweetness Not say He is the only way?

 

Makes me wish my screen name was I_Love_Krishna

 

 

[I_love_krishna_]

They say it in the bible to tell the Romans and whatever to stop worshipping Jupiter and Uranus etc.

 

 

Krishna is always sweet , never says a harsh word! /images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

You can call yourself I_love_krishna, but ... I am afraid that would create a confusion in the forum.

[Guest guest]

it is a "relative" statement... not absolute..

 

in that time and for that people jesus was the only way to make spiritual advancement

 

we can say also that the principle of the love for god and to sacrify ourselves for god represented in that time and place by jesus was the only way

 

this concept can be accepted if we think about mahamantra, prabhupada, our spiritual master etc.

[PN Prasad]

Jesus is love-yes.

 

Jesus is the only way can be written as...

 

Love-yes is the only way.

 

Loving all the living entities without enmity and Loving Lord Krishna and His devotees is the only way.

 

Infact loving Lord Krishna should automatically result in all of us loving all the living entities.

 

So, Jesus is the only way.

[PN Prasad]

I feel that the attitude of loving everyone and loving God is more important here.

 

Jesus loved everyone and loved God. He sacrified his life for the sake of preaching the glories of God.

 

So, Jesus (that loving and sacrificing attitude of Jesus) is the only way.

[Govindaram]

Hare Krishna

 

To devotees of Krishna he is the Only, Jesus Christ to Christians, the only way is not Krishna though, Jesus IS, the only way is the mercy of a pure devotee of Krishna.

Ohh Narada Muniji please make your presence on this Earth.

 

Narada Muni Ji Ki Jai!!!!!!!!

[Guest guest]

Jesus, no way. Mohammed is my way. /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[Govindaram]

Srila Pranhupada had made the way, Krishna Krishna Krishna.

 

Chant His names and be happy!

[gHari]

Krsna does say that He is the only way. They "follow Me in all respects" or something like that.

[gHari]

Yes, Christian brother this is also confirmed by Lord Krsna that everyone follows His path in all respects in Bhagavad-gita 4.11:<blockquote><center><font color="red">ye yathA mAM prapadyante

tAMs tathaiva bhajAmy aham

mama vartmAnuvartante

manuSyAH pArtha sarvazaH

</center>

ye--all who; yathA--as; mAm--unto Me; prapadyante--surrender; tAn--them; tathA--so; eva--certainly; bhajAmi--reward; aham--I; mama--My; vartma--path; anuvartante--follow; manuSyAH--all men; pArtha--O son of PRthA; sarvazaH--in all respects.

</font>

As all surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of PRthA.

 

PURPORT

Everyone is searching for KRSNa in the different aspects of His manifestations. KRSNa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is partially realized in His impersonal brahmajyoti effulgence and as the all-pervading Supersoul dwelling within everything, including the particles of atoms. But KRSNa is fully realized only by His pure devotees. Consequently, KRSNa is the object of everyone's realization, and thus anyone and everyone is satisfied according to one's desire to have Him. In the transcendental world also, KRSNa reciprocates with His pure devotees in the transcendental attitude, just as the devotee wants Him. One devotee may want KRSNa as supreme master, another as his personal friend, another as his son, and still another as his lover. KRSNa rewards all the devotees equally, according to their different intensities of love for Him. In the material world, the same reciprocations of feelings are there, and they are equally exchanged by the Lord with the different types of worshipers. The pure devotees both here and in the transcendental abode associate with Him in person and are able to render personal service to the Lord and thus derive transcendental bliss in His loving service. As for those who are impersonalists and who want to commit spiritual suicide by annihilating the individual existence of the living entity, KRSNa helps also by absorbing them into His effulgence. Such impersonalists do not agree to accept the eternal, blissful Personality of Godhead; consequently they cannot relish the bliss of transcendental personal service to the Lord, having extinguished their individuality. Some of them, who are not firmly situated even in the impersonal existence, return to this material field to exhibit their dormant desires for activities. They are not admitted into the spiritual planets, but they are again given a chance to act on the material planets. For those who are fruitive workers, the Lord awards the desired results of their prescribed duties, as the yajJezvara; and those who are yogIs seeking mystic powers are awarded such powers. In other words, everyone is dependent for success upon His mercy alone, and all kinds of spiritual processes are but different degrees of success on the same path. Unless, therefore, one comes to the highest perfection of KRSNa consciousness, all attempts remain imperfect, as is stated in the SrImad-BhAgavatam (2.3.10):

<center><font color="red">

akAmaH sarva-kAmo vA

mokSa-kAma udAra-dhIH

tIvreNa bhakti-yogena

yajeta puruSaM param

</center></font>

"Whether one is without desire [the condition of the devotees], or is desirous of all fruitive results, or is after liberation, one should with all efforts try to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead for complete perfection, culminating in KRSNa consciousness."</blockquote>

[gHari]

John 14

 

 

Jesus Comforts His Disciples

 

1"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God[1] ; trust also in me. 2In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4You know the way to the place where I am going."

 

Jesus the Way to the Father

 

5Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"

 

6Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you really knew me, you would know[2] my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."

8Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."

 

9Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? 10Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. 12I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

 

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

 

15"If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-- 17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[3] in you. 18I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."

 

22Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?"

23Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

 

25"All this I have spoken while still with you. 26But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

 

28"You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. 30I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me, 31but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me.

 

"Come now; let us leave.

[gHari]

yasya deve parA bhaktir

yathA deve tathA gurau

tasyaite kathitA hy arthAH

prakAzante mahAtmanaH

 

"Unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master, all the imports of Vedic knowledge are automatically revealed." (SvetAzvatara UpaniSad 6.23)

 

[gHari]

Woman: How do you explain the fact that Jesus said that "I am the way, the truth, and the light," and that "No man comes to the father but by me"?

 

PrabhupAda: What is that? Hm?

 

MadhudviSa: She's asking how can we explain that Jesus said he is the only way?

 

PrabhupAda: Yes, he is the only way. We also admit. Because he is the representative of God, so if you want to approach God, you must approach through His representative. That is his version. "I am the only representative of God," then you have to reach God through him, that is fact.

[krishna_s]

Although I always enjoy reading Srila Prabhupada's erudite commentary, I am not clear what this Gita purport has to do with the current thread.

 

Krishna does say, "Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of PRthA." But right before that He says "As all surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly." He isn't talking about just any religion here, but rather of the various yoga systems that had been discussed to date.

 

Please look at Srila Prabhupada's purport. Regarding the "Everyone follows My path...." Srila Prabhupada lists the following types of transcendentalists:

 

1) those who meditate on all-pervading Supersoul (i.e. those who perform Ashtaanga yoga)

2) those who meditate on impersonal brahmajyoti (i.e. jnaana-yogis)

3) Those who are devotees of Krishna in the various rasas (daasya, sakhya, vaatsalya, maadhurya)

4) Those who are fruitive workers (followers of karma-kaanda or sakaama-karma-yogis)

 

No mention is made by Srila Prabhupada about Christians, or even followers of other religions in a general sense. Given his liberal views towards other religions in theory, it seems odd that he would not mention them at least in passing if Krishna's words were meant to be inclusive of non-Vedic doctrines.

 

As an aside, Christians do not believe that Jesus's words about being the only way are merely relative. This is a presumption by devotees (probably beginning with Srila Prabhupada) which happens to suit both themselves as well as liberal Christians who tend to be sympathetic to non-Christian religions. But it is a fact that mainstream Christians today believe very much in the literal sense of those words. I don't agree with it, and obviously no one else does here either. But it isn't our place to interpret other peoples' religions for them. It would be far healthier to understand and respect the differences rather than insisting on artificial compatibility. Many of my Christian friends feel that the position of Jesus is marginalized when he is presumed to be a prophet for a particular time, place, and circumstances; and devotees can't understand why Christians object because they think their devotee views of Christianity are actually inclusive and tolerant. But it is a fact that nobody likes to have their religion reinterpreted for them. If it's wrong for Christians to do it to Hindus, then you can expect that Christians will object when Hindus do it to them.

 

regards,

 

- K

[gHari]

Bg. 4.1 - The Personality of Godhead, Lord SrI KRSNa, said: I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, VivasvAn, and VivasvAn instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to IkSvAku.

Bg. 4.2 - This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost.

Bg. 4.3 - That very ancient science of the relationship with the Supreme is today told by Me to you because you are My devotee as well as My friend and can therefore understand the transcendental mystery of this science.

Bg. 4.4 - Arjuna said: The sun-god VivasvAn is senior by birth to You. How am I to understand that in the beginning You instructed this science to him?

Bg. 4.5 - The Personality of Godhead said: Many, many births both you and I have passed. I can remember all of them, but you cannot, O subduer of the enemy!

Bg. 4.6 - Although I am unborn and My transcendental body never deteriorates, and although I am the Lord of all living entities, I still appear in every millennium in My original transcendental form.

Bg. 4.7 - Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion-at that time I descend Myself.

Bg. 4.8 - To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I Myself appear, millennium after millennium.<blockquote>PURPORT: [...] In the Caitanya-caritAmRta of KRSNadAsa KavirAja, the following verses (Madhya 20.263–264) summarize these principles of incarnation:

<center>sRSTi-hetu yei mUrti prapaJce avatare

sei Izvara-mUrti ‘avatAra' nAma dhare

mAyAtIta paravyome sabAra avasthAna

vizve avatari' dhare ‘avatAra' nAma</center>

"The avatAra, or incarnation of Godhead, descends from the kingdom of God for material manifestation. And the particular form of the Personality of Godhead who so descends is called an incarnation, or avatAra. Such incarnations are situated in the spiritual world, the kingdom of God. When they descend to the material creation, they assume the name avatAra."

There are various kinds of avatAras, such as puruSAvatAras, guNAvatAras, lIlAvatAras, zakty-Aveza avatAras, manvantara-avatAras and yugAvatAras--all appearing on schedule all over the universe. But Lord KRSNa is the primeval Lord, the fountainhead of all avatAras. Lord SrI KRSNa descends for the specific purpose of mitigating the anxieties of the pure devotees, who are very anxious to see Him in His original VRndAvana pastimes. Therefore, the prime purpose of the KRSNa avatAra is to satisfy His unalloyed devotees. [...]</blockquote>Bg. 4.9 - One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.

Bg. 4.10 - Being freed from attachment, fear and anger, being fully absorbed in Me and taking refuge in Me, many, many persons in the past became purified by knowledge of Me-and thus they all attained transcendental love for Me.

Bg. 4.11 - As all surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of PRthA.

 

 

Regarding ManuSyAH,in another lecture on a different verse Prabhupada notes:<blockquote>Then further He says,

<center>yadi hy ahaM na varteyaM

jAtu karmaNy atandritaH

mama vartmAnuvartante

manuSyAH pArtha sarvazaH</center>

ManuSyAH. Now just see. Here it is said. ManuSyAH means all men. All men. So KRSNa is not for a particular society or particular religious community or particular country or particular time. No. KRSNa is the leader of all men for all the time in all the countries in all the worlds and all the universes. So He is not a sectarian Personality of Godhead. We should know. ManuSyAH. ManuSyAH, it is plural number: "All men." All men. So He said, "If I do not set example by My practical work, then because I am the leader of all men, all living entities, they will be wrongly directed." Wrongly directed.

</blockquote>

Everyone has to approach Krsna. Prabhupada emphasizes this in a Bhagavatam lecture, referencing BG 4.11:<blockquote>Because you are a living entity, you are part and parcel of KRSNa, so actually you are trying to go to KRSNa. Just like a child is crying. The idea is that the child wants mother. Or mother's breast milk. That is his demand. But sometimes we do not know. We try to make the child comfortable in different ways. Similarly, all of us are searching after KRSNa. That is the fact. KRSNa, being the Supreme, we are all, being parts and parcels, our natural tendency is to approach KRSNa. ManuSyAH pArtha sarvazaH. Mama vartmAnuvartante manuSyAH pArtha sarvazaH. In the Bhagavad-gItA you'll find this. Mama vartmAnu... "They are all trying to come to Me." But they are being hampered by different types of mAyA. So the spiritual advancement means ultimately to approach KRSNa.</blockquote>

[gHari]

Lecture on BG 4.11:<blockquote>Pradyumna (leads chanting): Translation: "All of them, as they surrender unto Me, I reward accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of PRthA."

PrabhupAda:<center>

ye yathA mAM prapadyante

tAMs tathaiva bhajAmy aham

mama vartmAnuvartante

manuSyAH pArtha sarvazaH

[bg. 4.11]

</center>

Everyone is seeking to find out KRSNa. Directly or indirectly. KRSNa means the all-attractive. All-attractive. BhagavAn means the all-attractive Supreme Personality of Godhead. So indirectly or directly, everyone is seeking KRSNa, the all-attractive. Ananda-mayo 'bhyAsAt. The Supreme Bliss.

 

We can give an example. Just like we take care of our body. We want to keep body very fit, healthy and beautiful, very nicely kept. Why? Why we take care of our body? Because I, the spirit soul, part and parcel of KRSNa, I am living in this body. Therefore I take care of my body. Nobody takes care of the dead body. This is a fact. Either I take care of my body, or my family's body, or my wife's body, or my children's body.

 

Why? Because the part and parcel of KRSNa is there. The soul is there. And as soon as the soul is gone, the part and parcel is gone from the body, the body has no value. Throw it away. The same body. This is practical. Therefore I love my body because the part and parcel of KRSNa is there. Or you love your body. I love your body. Only for the reason, jIvanaM sarva-bhUtAnAm--the part and parcel of KRSNa is there. Then why the part and parcel of KRSNa is taken care of? Because it is part and parcel of KRSNa. Therefore ultimately, my love goes to KRSNa, all-attractive.

 

So everyone is seeking for happiness, but they are misled. Although they are trying to approach KRSNa, they are misled. One can directly come to KRSNa, but they do not want. They indirectly. So indirectly and directly, everyone is seeking KRSNa. Mama vartmAnuvartante manuSyAH pArtha sarvazaH. In the SrImad-BhAgavatam it is stated that

<center>

vadanti tat tattva-vidas

tattvaM yaj jJAnam advayam

brahmeti paramAtmeti

bhagavAn iti zabdyate

[sB 1.2.11]

</center>

The Absolute Truth, tattva, that is tattva. Vadanti tat tattva-vidaH. Who can speak of tattva unless one is completely conversant with the tattva? Tattva means truth. So vadanti tat tattva-vidaH. Those who are conversant with the Absolute Truth, they say. What do they say? Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaM yaj jJAnam advayam [sB 1.2.11]. The Absolute Knowledge without any duality, advayam.

 

What is that? Now, Brahman, ParamAtmA and BhagavAn. The Absolute Truth is described in different ways by different people according to angle of vision. But the object is the same. There may be different types of religious systems, but the object is KRSNa. Somewhere it is openly expressed, and somewhere it is covered. Just like Brahman, Brahman realization, impersonal realization, Brahman realization.

 

For the jJAnIs, those who are seeking out the Absolute Truth by speculative knowledge, they want to make these varieties of material world as void. The Buddha philosophy, zUnyavAdi. Because they are disgusted with these material varieties, therefore they want something opposite. That opposite is voidism, zUnyavAda. The zUnyavAda or, little more further, that is brahmavAda, without any varieties, simply the light, brahmajyoti. This is also another realization. SUnyavAda, to make this material world null and void, they come to the impersonal Brahman effulgence. This is Brahman realization.

 

And then, for the yogis, the localized aspect, ParamAtmA. IzvaraH sarva-bhUtAnAM hRd-deze 'rjuna tiSThati [bg. 18.61]. By meditation. This is ParamAtmA realization. And then, ultimately, BhagavAn, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

 

Just like we general, people in general, we can see the sunshine, but everyone knows.... At least, scientists know that the sunshine is coming from the sun globe. If you have got power to go to the sun globe, you can see what actually the sun globe is. And if you go still further, penetrate into the sun globe, then you will see there is a sun god, sun god. His name is also described in the Bhagavad-gItA: VivasvAn. In the beginning of this chapter, Fourth Chapter, KRSNa said, imaM vivasvate yogaM proktavAn aham avyayam [bg. 4.1]. So within the sun globe there is the person, the predominating deity whose name is VivasvAn. So it requires a little qualification, how to go to the sun planet. Sun planet is a fact. It is not fictitious. We are every day seeing. But we have no such power to go to the sun planet. Neither we have got the power to enter into the sun planet. That is inability.

 

Not that it is illusion. KRSNa is illusion or KRSNaloka is illusion. No, it is not illusion; it is fact. Goloka-nAmni nija-dhAmni tale ca tasya [bs. 5.43]. In the Vedic literature we find description of the planet of Goloka VRndAvana, the abode of KRSNa. It is stated, goloka-nAmni nija-dhAmni. Nija-dhAmni. Nija-dhAmni means the personal abode. KRSNa is person. God is person.

 

Just like governor. The governor is a person, and he has got his personal place, the government house. Similarly, the Supreme Lord.... Brahmeti paramAtmeti bhagavAn iti. He is person, and He has got His abode. That is stated in the Brahma-saMhitA.

<center>

goloka-nAmni nija-dhAmni tale ca tasya

devI-maheza-hari-dhAmasu teSu teSu

te te prabhAva-nicayA vihitAz ca yena

govindam Adi-puruSaM tam ahaM bhajAmi

[bs. 5.43]

</center>

Goloka-nAmni, the planet.... We have given our picture of Goloka VRndAvana. As far as possible taking description from the zAstra, we have given. The Goloka VRndAvana is described in the Brahma-saMhitA:

<center>

cintAmaNi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vRkSa-

lakSAvRteSu surabhIr abhipAlayantam

lakSmI-sahasra-zata-sambhrama-sevyamAnaM

govindam Adi-puruSaM tam ahaM bhajAmi

</center>

So Govinda has got place. Goloka-nAmni. The place name is Goloka VRndAvana, goloka-nAmni. Nija-dhAmni. That is His personal abode. Although every dhAma, every planet, everywhere, all over the universe, all over the creation, that is KRSNa's dhAma, God's place.... BhoktAraM yajJa-tapasAM sarva-loka-mahezvaram [bg. 5.29]. He is the proprietor of everything. IzAvAsyam idaM sarvam. Everything, that is the property of KRSNa, or the Supreme Lord. This is KRSNa consciousness. This is KRSNa consciousness. One has to learn this, that everything belongs to KRSNa. IzAvAsyam idaM sarvam. This is Vedic instruction. We have created trouble because we have forgotten the real proprietor. We are trying to become proprietor individually and collectively. "This is India. This is our India.This is America. It is our America.It is Germany, our." Nothing our. Everything KRSNa's. This is KRSNa consciousness. Everything belongs to KRSNa.

 

And everyone has got the right.... Because everyone is the son of KRSNa. KRSNa says in the Bhagavad-gItA,

<center>

sarva-yoniSu kaunteya

mUrtayaH sambhavanti yAH

tAsAM brahma mahad yonir

ahaM bIja-pradaH pitA

[bg. 14.4]

</center>

As the sons have got right to enjoy the property of the father, similarly, we, all living entities, not only human beings, but trees, planets, animals, everyone, all living entities, sarva-yoniSu, they are all sons of God, or KRSNa, and everyone has got right to live at the cost of KRSNa. And He's also feeding everyone. Eko yo bahUnAM vidadhAti kAmAn. All the necessities of life is being supplied by KRSNa. In Africa there are millions of elephants. They are also supplied food, at a time, forty kilos. And the ant is also, within the hole of your room... [break] ...according to law. Don't encroach upon others' property. MA gRdhaH kasya svid dhanam. Tena tyaktena bhuJjIthA. Whatever is allotted for you, that is... Everything is prescribed. Everything is there. But the... Why this arrangement is made? They do not know. The arrangement is made that mama vartmAnuvartante manuSyAH pArtha... Of course, particularly the name of manuSyAH has been... Because in the human life God consciousness can be developed, not in the animal life. Therefore here particularly it is mentioned, mama vartmAnuvartante manuSyAH pArtha sarvazaH. "Everyone is trying to approach Me, but according to different angle of vision, according to capacity." The capacity is somebody's trying to go up to the Brahman effulgence, somebody's trying to understand the Supreme ParamAtmA within everyone's heart, and somebody's trying to understand and go directly to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

 

The VaiSNavism is directly. Directly... KRSNa says, sarva-dharmAn parityajya mAm ekaM zaraNaM vraja [bg. 18.66]. If you go directly... Just like if you reach the sun planet or the predominating deity of, namely, the sun god, VivasvAn, then naturally you know what is sunshine and what is sun globe. Similarly, if you directly go, if you directly can understand what is KRSNa, then you understand what is impersonal Brahman and what is localized aspect, ParamAtmA. It is... BrahmaNo 'haM pratiSThA. KRSNa says.

 

What is this Brahman? Just like the sunshine is situated on the sun globe. Sunshine, although it is very big, it is covering the whole universe, but it is coming from the sun globe. So similarly, the Brahman effulgence may be very, very great, but it is coming as the bodily effulgence of KRSNa. That we get information from Brahma-saMhitA:

<center>

yasya prabhA prabhavato jagad-aNDa-koTi-

koTiSv azeSa-vasudhAdi-vibhUti-bhinnam

tad brahma niSkalam anantam azeSa-bhUtaM

govindam Adi-puruSaM tam ahaM bhajAmi

[bs. 5.40]

</center>

So actually, either you try to realize impersonal Brahman, or by yogic process, the localized ParamAtmA, or directly you want to realize the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they are all the same. All the same. But this differentiation is due to my angle of vision. Therefore KRSNa says, ye yathA mAM prapadyante tAMs tathaiva bhajAmy aham [bg. 4.11]. If you want to realize only the Brahman effulgence, all right, you can do that. Or if you want to realize ParamAtmA by yogic principle, by meditation, all right, KRSNa says, it is also all right. And if you want to realize the Supreme Personality of Godhead in directly contact with Him, directly playing with Him as cowherds boy, directly dancing with Him like the gopIs, directly treating Him as your son like YazodA-mAtA, you can do also.

 

KRSNa is open to everyone, and you can approach KRSNa in any capacity--as Brahman, ParamAtmA, or BhagavAn, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But it is up to you to relish which one is relishable for you. That is up to you. But KRSNa is prepared to accept you in any way you like. So Brahman, ParamAtmA and BhagavAn, they are the same one truth, but it is difference of realization.

 

Just like you see one big mountain from a distant place. You'll see just like something, hazy cloud. If you go still further, you'll find something greenish. But if you go actually to the mountain, you'll find so many varieties. So many varieties. There are houses, there are trees, there are men, there are animals. Similarly, to the spiritual world. First of all, this material world becomes...

 

Just like Lord Buddha, he did not say anything further than making this material world as void, zUnyavAda. That is a fact. If you are...

 

In the previous verse it has been stated, vIta-rAga-bhaya-krodhAH [bg. 2.56]. If you are attached to these material varieties, then you cannot enter into the spiritual varieties, or in the spiritual world. KRSNa is so kind. If you have got a pinch of desire to enjoy this material world, then you'll have to remain here as, either as Lord BrahmA or as a small ant, according to your karma. But when you completely become free from material attachment, then the spiritual world is... So when the Buddha philosophy says zUnyavAda, nirvANa, nirvANa, it means the same thing, vIta-rAga, you have to become detached. You have to make this material enjoyment zero.

 

The bhakti also says, bhakti formula, anyAbhilASitA-zUnyam: [bhakti-rasAmRta-sindhu 1.1.11] "You have to make your heart cleansed of all material desire." Then spiritual life will begin.

<center>

yeSAM (tv) anta-gataM pApaM

janAnAM puNya-karmaNAm

te dvandva-moha-nirmuktA

bhajante mAM dRDha-vratAH

[bg. 7.28]

</center>

This is the process. So artificially, the Buddha philosophy or SaGkara philosophy, they, artificially if you want to make it nirvANa, zero, that is not possible. AvyaktAsakta-cetasAm... Te..., klezo 'dhikataras teSAm avyaktAsakta-cetasAm [bg. 12.5]. Avyakta means zero, impersonal. If you become attached to simply making zero, or impersonal, that is not possible. Because we are accustomed. We are... As living beings, we want varieties. Variety is the mother of enjoyment. We cannot remain in the zero position.

 

You have got experience. Just like when you fly on the plane, after some hours, four, five hours, you become disgusted. You want to come down. Everyone has got this experience. Because the sky is zero, we cannot remain there more than four or five hours or six hours. We must come down. In the sea also. We have got all these experience. If you remain on the ocean for three, four days... Because it runs on. When I first went to America, I went by ship. So thirty-five days. So after four, five days, it was disgusting. As soon as we saw one island, then we became relieved. (Laughter) You see?

 

So the zUnyavAda philosophy will not give you happiness. After zUnya, after making this zUnya... Suppose you are passing through the sky, zUnya, if you get another, if you go the moon planet or other planet, then you become happy. Then you become happy. But if you don't get any planet, then you have to come back again on this planet. Similarly, the zUnyavAda philosophy will not make you happy unless you...

 

Therefore in the SrImad-BhAgavatam it is stated,

<center>

ye 'nye 'ravindAkSa vimukta-mAninas

tvayy asta-bhAvAd avizuddha-buddhayaH

Aruhya kRcchreNa paraM padaM tataH

patanty adho 'nAdRta-yuSmad-aGghrayaH

[sB 10.2.32]

</center>

The meaning is that "My Lord, AravindAkSa..." KRSNa is addressed... Because His eyes are just like the petals of lotus flower, He's called Aravinda, and AravindAkSa. BarhAvataMsa, aravindAkSa. So "My dear AravindAkSa, lotus-eyed KRSNa, "Ye 'nye 'ravindAkSa. "The persons who are thinking that they have become liberated, now they have become NArAyaNa..." Oh. Ye 'nye 'ravindAkSa vimukta-mAninaH. They are thinking like that. MAninaH means falsely thinking. Ye 'nye 'ravindAkSa vimukta-mAninas tvayy asta-bhAvAd... "They have no information of Your lotus feet or You. They do not accept Your personality." Tvayy asta-bhAvAd avizuddha-buddhayaH. "Their intelligence is not clear." Avizuddha. It is still impure. Because they could not understand.

 

The full knowledge is brahmeti bhagavAn iti, brahmeti paramAtmeti bhagavAn iti. The three things one must know. That is full knowledge. But if you understand partially, either Brahman or ParamAtmA... But if you understand BhagavAn... Kasmin tu bhagavo vijJAte sarvam idaM vijJAtaM bhavati. This is Vedic injunction. If you understand KRSNa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then you understand Brahman and ParamAtmA. But if you simply understand Brahman or ParamAtmA, you do not understand KRSNa. Therefore it is said avizuddha-buddhayaH, intelligence is not yet pure. Ye 'nye 'ravindAkSa vimukta-mAninas tvayy asta-bhAvAd avizuddha-buddhayaH, Aruhya kRcchreNa paraM padaM tataH [sB 10.2.32]. They, after undergoing severe penances and austerities, they approach the Brahman effulgence, param... Patanty adhaH. Again falls down.

 

The same example. You may go very high. Just like nowadays, the attempt is being made. They are going to the moon planet or Venus planet. We do not know whether they are going or not, but we hear from the advertisement. So because they do not get any shelter, they come back. Aruhya kRcchreNa paraM padaM tataH patanty adhaH anAdRta-yuSmad-aGghrayaH [sB 10.2.32]. Because they do not get any shelter, the shelter of lotus feet of KRSNa, from this impersonal conception of philosophy, they again come to this material world.

 

Therefore you'll find there are so many big, big swamis. First of all they give up this world. Brahma satyaM jagan mithyA. "This world is mithyA. Let us take to Brahman. Let us become Brahman." But after keeping in, some days in so-called Brahman, they again come back to open hospital, school. Because there they could not get anything. Therefore something must be done, profession. So open hospital and raise fund. That's all.

 

So unless you get shelter on the lotus feet of KRSNa, you'll be attracted by these material activities. But when you are attracted by the lotus feet of KRSNa, then vIta-rAga-bhaya-zoka... Then, as we... VIta-rAga-bhaya-krodhA man-mayA mAm upAzritAH [bg. 4.10]. MAm upAzritAH. When you take shelter at the lotus feet of KRSNa, then you become vIta-rAga-bhaya-krodhAH [bg. 2.56]. Otherwise, you'll be attacked by, attracted by this material world. So therefore, artificial zUnyavAda philosophy, it may be, for the time being, necessity, zUnyavAda...

 

Just like Lord Buddha preached his philosophy, zUnyavAda philosophy, nirvANa philosophy, because it was needed at that time. It is not permanent philosophy. Any philosophy except KRSNa philosophy... Nothing is permanent. They are temporary. They have got temporary use. The real use is KRSNa philosophy. Real use, KRSNa philosophy. Sarva-dharmAn parityajya mAm ekam... [bg. 18.66].

 

So when there was... People may question that "Lord Buddha is accepted as an incarnation of Lord KRSNa." Kezava dhRta-buddha-zarIra jaya jagadIza hare. "Then why he preached atheistic philosophy?" He preached, "There is no God." SUnyavAda. But there was necessity at that time. Why? That is explained by Jayadeva GosvAmI:

<center>

nindasi yajJa-vidher ahaha zruti-jAtaM

sadaya-hRdaya darzita-pazu-ghAtam

kezava dhRta-buddha-zarIra jaya jagadIza hare

</center>

At that time, people were killing animals like anything in the name of yajJa. In the Vedas there are prescriptions that in the yajJa a pazu can be, an animal can be slaughtered. In some yajJa, not all. TAmasika-yajJa.

 

Anyway, Vedic injunction is there. So when Lord Buddha started this nonviolence, ahiMsA paramo dharmaH, the Vedic scholars approached him that "How you can prescribe this ahiMsA? There is already sanction in the Vedas, pazavo vadhAya sRSTAH... How you can stop it?" So Lord Buddha said, "I don't care for your Vedas." Therefore he is considered as atheist. Anyone who doesn't care for Vedas, they are technically called as atheist. Veda nA mAniyA bauddha haila nAstika. NAstika means atheist.

 

Anyway... Then SaGkarAcArya came. SaGkarAcArya wanted... Because by the propagation of Lord Buddha, whole India became Buddhist. And SaGkarAcArya wanted to establish Vedas again. So they were temporary necessities, for certain reason. Because people were addicted so much in violence, in killing the animals, therefore Buddha philosophy was needed. Again, this Buddha philosophy was driven out. The SaGkara, impersonal philosophy was established. But again, the AcAryas, RAmAnujAcArya, MadhvAcArya and other VaiSNava AcAryas.. . At last, Caitanya MahAprabhu. They established that brahma satyam means brahmeti paramAtmeti bhagavAn iti zabdyate. Both, three, Absolute Truth.

 

So these are the philosophical development. So KRSNa is summarizing this philosophical development here in this one line, that mama vartmAnuvartante manuSyAH pArtha sarvazaH. Either you follow Buddha philosophy or SaGkara philosophy or VaiSNava philosophy, the ultimate goal is KRSNa. MattaH parataraM nAnyat kiJcid asti dhanaJjaya [bg. 7.7]. So you have to approach KRSNa through these different types of philosophy. They are partial realization. Just like Brahman realization means eternity realization. ParamAtmA realization means eternity and knowledge. And BhagavAn realization means eternity, knowledge and blissfulness. Sac-cid-Ananda. IzvaraH paramaH kRSNaH sac-cid-Ananda-vigrahaH [bs. 5.1]. If you realize KRSNa, then you realize simultaneously... Kasmin tu bhagavo vijJAte sarvam idaM vijJAtaM bhavati. You realize Brahman, you realize ParamAtmA, and you realize BhagavAn.

 

That is our duty. Therefore KRSNa says, bahUnAM janmanAm ante jJAnavAn mAM prapadyate [bg. 7.19]. Because ultimately KRSNa. AhaM sarvasya prabhavo mattaH sarvaM pravartate, ahaM sarvasya.. [bg. 10.8]. And KRSNa says... VedAnta says also, janmAdy asya yataH [sB 1.1.1]. Brahman, ParamAtmA, they are expansion of KRSNa. KRSNa is the original. MattaH parataraM nAnyat kiJcid asti dhanaJjaya [bg. 7.7]. This is the truth. Therefore KRSNa says that either you follow the Brahman path or ParamAtmA path, either as a jJAnI or yogi or as a bhakta...

 

Therefore KRSNa says, mama vartmAnuvartante manuSyAH pArtha... Anyone actually who is seeking after self-realization, there are three divisions. Either you have to realize as impersonal Brahman or as localized ParamAtmA or as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But if you realize the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then automatically you realize impersonal Brahman and ParamAtmA also. Just like if you have got one crore of rupees, then one hundred rupees, ten rupees or one thousand rupees or one lakh of rupees, they're all included, similarly, if you realize KRSNa...

 

Therefore KRSNa says, bahUnAM janmanAm ante jJAnavAn mAM prapadyate [bg. 7.19]. That everyone is trying to realize the Absolute Truth. Either in the shape of Brahman or ParamAtmA or nullifying these material varieties, zUnyavAda, they are trying to approach KRSNa. So KRSNa is so kind that He's giving direct opportunity, direct opportunity that "You can surrender unto Me, and I'll take charge of you." Sarva-dharmAn parityajya mAm ekaM zaraNaM vraja, ahaM tvAM sarva-pApebhyo mokSayiSyAmi [bg. 18.66].

 

So why not take this opportunity. Our KRSNa consciousness movement is to preach or to train people how to approach directly. It is possible. One may say that "If it is so difficult subject matter, how one can approach KRSNa directly?" No. That is KRSNa's grace. You can... Just like in a building, high building, there are two ways. The staircase is there and the lift is there. You can take either of them. If you go to the topmost flat step by step, you can go. But if... Why don't you take this opportunity of taking the lift and go immediately, within a minute?

 

So KRSNa consciousness is that. If you are actually serious to go to the spiritual world, take the bhakti-yoga process. Therefore KRSNa is preaching personally bhakti-yoga. Mayy Asakta-manAH pArtha yogaM yuJjan mad-AzrayaH. So take opportunity of this KRSNa consciousness movement. It is very, very easy. And anyone can take it. You have seen that our process, chanting, this process is accepted even by a small child. He also dancing, he's also chanting. Don't think that these things will go in vain. The small child who is dancing and chanting, it will be recorded in his history. PuJji-budha. KRta-puNya-puJjAH. This is called ajJAta-sukRti. The center is open to give chance people to hear about KRSNa, to chant about KRSNa, to see KRSNa, to take prasAdam of KRSNa. So we request, take advantage of these facilities and be fully KRSNa conscious and make your life successful. Thank you very much. (end)

</blockquote>

[gHari]

Which yogas is Christ teaching?

 

The prime message: "The Kingdom of God is at hand. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God". Jnana-yoga? Karma-yoga? Bhakti-yoga? Surrender?

 

He mentions the Comforter who is also the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit, the Holy Ghost. Are we to hear aSTAGga/DhyAna yoga, buddhi-yogaM here?

 

Then "Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment." Is this bhakti yoga? Of the nine processes of bhakti-yoga, how many are recommended by Jesus?

 

Surrender?:<blockquote>Matthew 6

25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not life more than meat, and the body more than raiment?

26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

</blockquote>

It may well be that different people are capable of or understand his teaching as or execute the teachings as a variety of levels of surrender to Krsna, from karma-yogas through jnana-yoga on to love of God.

[krishna_s]

I'm sorry, but I simply cannot agree with your position, which is that Christianity is validated in some sense by BG 4.11: "As all surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of PRthA." You have posted a lot of material to try to support this view, so allow me to extract what I believe are the most salient points for your position:

 

1) Regarding context of Krishna's words in 4.11, which lead one to believe He is referring to various Vedic paths (karma yoga, jnaana yoga, etc) and not also to non-Vedic doctrines, you quote a purport by Srila Prabhupada 3 verses prior in which he refers in passing to the descent of shaktyaavesha avataaras. Of course, Krishna Himself did not speak of this - He refers only to His own descents in each yuga in BG 4.8, and Srila Prabhupada uses this to point out that He may send even His empowered servants (shaktyaaveshas). To be honest, I don't even recall if Srila Prabhupada says that Jesus is a "shaktyaavesha avataara," and I would appreciate clarification on this. But for the time being, let us assume that he used those exact words. The point remains that Krishna was speaking of His own descents: "To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I Myself appear, millennium after millennium." Furthermore, Krishna had only taught about karma yoga, saankhya yoga, and buddhi yoga up to that point. Srila Prabhupada's purport also, only speaks of these various yoga systems, and not of any non-Vedic religions. Even if we accept that there are religions outside the Vedic realm which are bona fide, it is by no means clear which ones they are from BG 4.11.

 

2) I agree that manuShyAH means "all men," but I do not agree that this can be extended to mean that all belief systems are therefore on Krishna's path. By that logic, even "religions" which contradict principles of Sanaatana dharma and lead one away from Krishna must be accepted under this definition. You would be forced to include Rajneesh, Sai Baba, and many other undesireables by the logic of your interpretation. It therefore gets back into what is a bona fide system of religion and what is not. Saying that Jesus is a pure devotee does not validate Christianity (and even if it did, that certainly does validate modern-day Christianity). Recall that Buddha is Vishnu Himself, yet Vaishnava Vedaantins do not accept Buddhism at all.

 

Srila Prabhupada's explanation of "manuShyaAH" was meant to drive home the point that Krishna-consciousness (aka Sanaatana-dharma) is nonsectarian, not that Sanaatana-dharma is just one among many, equally good religions.

 

3) The mere fact that one is looking for Krishna does not validate the means by which he happens to be doing so at any given time. This is only logical, because if "everyone is looking for Krishna," then either all belief systems are therefore valid paths or at least some of them are not. If some of them are not, then the phrase "everyone is looking for Krishna" implies that some people, looking for Him, can nevertheless look in the wrong place, or that even looking for Him in the wrong place, one can still find Him. If the latter is the case, then we can no longer object to any religious system, be it Sai baba or whatever. If the former is the case, then we are still back in square one, as to what is the right means by which to find Him.

 

Even if it is said that "all belief systems" are on Krishna's path, because depending on the path, Krishna rewards accordingly with either good or bad results, that still does not validate any particular religion, since the idea behind a bona fide religion is that it uplifts one rather than leading one to a lower position.

 

4) Agreed that there are many sentiments in Christianity which echo many devotional sentiments. Indeed, one would be hard pressed to find a religion which shares absolutely no similarities with Sanaatana-dharma. But even Shankaraachaarya and other contemporary Advaitins praise bhakti-yoga, surrendering to the Lord, etc, but this does not make their concept of bhakti as akin to "bhakti-yoga." In summary, it is not enough to point out similarities; one must explain the discrepancies as well. With Christianity, there are certainly many discrepancies which need to be explained.

 

To summarize my point: One cannot conclude that any religion other than what has already been explicitly spoken of by Krishna has been validated by His statement "Everyone follows my path in all respects." There may be valid non-Vedic religions, but this verse does not identify them, nor does it give one reason to determine which ones are valid and which are not.

 

yours,

 

- K

 

 

[Guest guest]

non vedic religions simply does not exist

 

in every path we can find a certain (maybe mixed) following of god's concepts: bhagavan, paramatma, brahman

 

in every path we can recognise the three kind of followers ,, kanista, madyama, uttama

 

and so on...

 

so it is possible to judge and identify any religion by the cognitive instruments given by vedas and bhagavad gita... and it is as a paradox possible to find some indian philosophical positions mor far to sanatana dharma than the message of christ

 

if we assume that before kali yuga all the world was under vedic tradition, it is very easy to understand that every religion is more or less connected to that culture

 

 

[theist]

Veda is misunderstood as only certain books written in the past in India. Veda is all pervading. Veda exists at all points in time and space. It is a question of their manifesting or not which they do according to time place and circumstance of the intended audience.

[Guest guest]

i think that in the time and place of jesus

he may be the only one qualifed to send some one to god.

 

it is not true in india where the vedas say how one can go to god.

 

per vedas, no one has monopoly over god or haven.

 

jai sri krishna!

 

[Jahnava Nitai Das]

 

non vedic religions simply does not exist

 

 

If that is the case then all religions must be measured against the Vedas and supplementary literature, which would thereby disqualify virtually all modern religions commonly referred to as non-Vedic. In other words it is impossible to claim all world religions as Vedic (i.e. following the Vedas), by virtue of the fact that the Vedas refute their validity.

 

Our scriptures have interesting names for religions that do not conform to the teachings of the Vedas, such as kaitava-dharma, mleccha-dharma, chala-dharma, etc. It is clear from these names that the "all paths are equal leading to the same goal" view is not supported within Vedic scriptures.

 

Vidharma, paradharma, upadharma, dharmabhasa and chala-dharma are the five forms of irreligion according to the Bhagavatam. It is interesting to note that their foundation is dharma, a semblance of religiousity.

 

Bhaktivinoda Thakur writes in this regard:

 

Varieties of False Religion

 

The devotee does not accept as real religions those religions that are filled with atheism, skepticism, materialism, pantheism, and impersonalism. He knows them to be vidharma, anti-religious movements, chala-dharma, false religion, or dharmabhasa, mere semblances of religion. These are all adharma, atheism, and the position of their followers is regrettable. The devotees must try to protect people from these false religions.

 

 

[theist]

 

Varieties of False Religion

 

The devotee does not accept as real religions those religions that are filled with atheism, skepticism, materialism, pantheism, and impersonalism. He knows them to be vidharma, anti-religious movements, chala-dharma, false religion, or dharmabhasa, mere semblances of religion. These are all adharma, atheism, and the position of their followers is regrettable. The devotees must try to protect people from these false religions.

 

 

Well there go so many systems indiginous to India thought to be religious. Even those that rely upon iconography and terminology familiar to the region and its writings.

 

Seems Bhaktivinode was more concerned with that relgion that has no beginning or ending and is inherent in the soul.

 

JNdas, what does chala-dharma refer to?

[gHari]

K,

 

I wasn't trying to use 4.11 to validate anything, just noting that this is my response to the Christians. "Everyone follows Krsna's path in all respects." I wouldn't try to validate Christ to your mind any more than I would try to validate the mahamantra to your mind. They are pudding, beyond the jurisdiction of the mind.

 

The entire world, all worlds are set up to lead one to Sri Krsna. Everything points to Sri Krsna. It's just the way it is. Everyone follows His path in all respects. It is He who is the object of the Search, He is the Cause, He is the Reason.

 

That path, Krsna's path will validate 'the way the truth and the life' and evaluate the travels on the way of each follower. The degree to which one surrenders to Sri Krsna is the degree to which one will be rewarded, whether one is Christian, Muslim, Vaishnava or atheist. Yes, even the sinner is on the path, being encouraged or discouraged by maya moment to moment to turn him in the right direction. All men follow Krsna's path in all respects.

 

Krsna's path is absolute. Religious endeavour may hit the path or miss it. It all comes down to words versus reality. Words are meaningless unless they find Krsna's path. It is the only way.

 

gHari

[Jahnava Nitai Das]

My view is that we don't need to Veda-ize other religions to validate them in our minds. There are non-Vedic religions, and there are good, universal principles taught in them that may lead to purification and advancement.

 

The view that all religions are actually the same, all derived from the Vedas in ancient times, etc., seems to be stretching things too much. Unfortunately it is often a popular view amongst devotees (just read Steven Rosen's books).

 

There are different religions, within those religions there are different teachings, and the destinations of the practitioners will be different.

 

The Bhagavatam, being a literature for the top most rasika bhaktas (i.e. not us), is very strict in its definitions of dharma and rejects virtually everything that does not lead directly to bhagavata-prema. As such, even the paths of karma, jnana, and mixed bhakti are all rejected, what to speak of other religious paths. Our acharya's are so strict in this that they reject the writings of those great devotees who have a slight tinge of impersonalism. For example Mahaprabhu rejected Jagannath Das, the author of Oriya Bhagavatam, which appears to common people to be pure devotional sentiment (i.e. bhakti); Bhaktisiddhanta rejected the songs of Mirabhai, which are also full of devotional sentiment; and Prabhupada rejected the writings of Tulsidas, which also appear to be filled with bhakti for Lord Ram.

 

Who can honestly say that the paths of devotion given by Jagannath Das, Tulsidas and Mirabai, should be rejected, but the path given by Mohammad is somehow a path equal to bhakti-marga that comes to the same point of realization. How is it that Oriya Bhagavatam that speaks directly of Lord Krishna's pastimes is impure literature, but the Koran that speaks about invading your neighbors lands is a pure scripture? There is certainly a double standard amongst devotees in general.

 

Those who follow Mirabai and Tulsidas are not bonafide, but someone who follows the Koran and whose main religious festivals revolve around personally slitting the throats of cows and watching them bleed to death in pain, is going to attain Vaikuntha. Such a ludicrous position is propogated by many devotees in the name of harmony and broadmindedness. Tulsidas Ramayana is not pure, but scriptures of other religions such as Koran and Bible, despite being interpolated and manipulated for thousands of years by men, are pure and on the level of Bhagavatam.

 

Thus it is only fair for us (ISKCON/devotees in general)to be criticized by the Hindu community for propogating such absurd views. On one side we condemn saints like Tuslidas as impure, but we hold the Koran and Bible to be pure and equal to the Bhagavatam.