Only ONE religion!

[Guruvani 0]

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 1.2.27 purport,

 

 

There is only one religion in the world to be followed by one and all, and that is the Bhāgavata-dharma, or the religion which teaches one to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead and no one else.

 

So, why do some devotees advocate that there is more than ONE real religion in the world?

[krsna 3]

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 1.2.18

 

naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu

nityaḿ bhāgavata-sevayā

bhagavaty uttama-śloke

bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī

 

 

SYNONYMS

naṣṭa — destroyed; prāyeṣu — almost to nil; abhadreṣu — all that is inauspicious; nityam — regularly; bhāgavata — Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, or the pure devotee; sevayā — by serving; bhagavati — unto the Personality of Godhead; uttama — transcendental; śloke — prayers; bhaktiḥ — loving service; bhavati — comes into being; naiṣṭhikī — irrevocable.

 

TRANSLATION

By regular attendance in classes on the Bhāgavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact.

 

PURPORT

 

Here is the remedy for eliminating all inauspicious things within the heart which are considered to be obstacles in the path of self-realization. The remedy is the association of the Bhāgavatas. There are two types of Bhāgavatas, namely the book Bhāgavata and the devotee Bhāgavata. Both the Bhāgavatas are competent remedies, and both of them or either of them can be good enough to eliminate the obstacles. A devotee Bhāgavata is as good as the book Bhāgavata because the devotee Bhāgavata leads his life in terms of the book Bhāgavata and the book Bhāgavata is full of information about the Personality of Godhead and His pure devotees, who are also Bhāgavatas. Bhāgavata book and person are identical.

The devotee Bhāgavata is a direct representative of Bhagavān, the Personality of Godhead. So by pleasing the devotee Bhāgavata one can receive the benefit of the book Bhāgavata. Human reason fails to understand how by serving the devotee Bhāgavata or the book Bhāgavata one gets gradual promotion on the path of devotion. But actually these are facts explained by Śrīla Nāradadeva, who happened to be a maidservant's son in his previous life. The maidservant was engaged in the menial service of the sages, and thus he also came into contact with them. And simply by associating with them and accepting the remnants of foodstuff left by the sages, the son of the maidservant got the chance to become the great devotee and personality Śrīla Nāradadeva. These are the miraculous effects of the association of Bhāgavatas. And to understand these effects practically, it should be noted that by such sincere association of the Bhāgavatas one is sure to receive transcendental knowledge very easily, with the result that he becomes fixed in the devotional service of the Lord. The more progress is made in devotional service under the guidance of the Bhāgavatas, the more one becomes fixed in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. The messages of the book Bhāgavata, therefore, have to be received from the devotee Bhāgavata, and the combination of these two Bhāgavatas will help the neophyte devotee to make progress on and on. :deal: :deal: :deal: :deal: :deal:

[melvin 1]

The word religion(dharma) is akin to the word realization. There`s the Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan realizations. So, one can`t say there`s only one religion(bhagavata-dharma). One should say that religions(dharmas) are simultaneously one yet they are different. Sri Chaitanya`s philosophy( acinty-bhedabheda-tattva) should apply to this given issue that there`s only one religion we should be follow.One can`t follow bhagavata-dharma if one doesn`t bring with him/her the other dharmas.

[Beggar 0]

Sri Guru and His Grace Chapter Nine

A Religious Jungle

 

Student: Why are there are so many different religions in the world?

Srila Sridhara Maharaja: In the Srimad-Bhagavatam Uddhava posed this same question, "Why in the name of religion are there so many "isms" in the world. Will every "ism" that is found here independently take me to the goal? Or is there any gradation?" Krsna told him, "When the creation began, I transmitted the truths of religion into the heart of Brahma, the creator, and from Brahma, that came to his disciples. But according to the different capacity of those disciples, what they received was a little changed when they delivered it to others. When I gave it to Brahma, that knowledge was one. Brahma told his disciples, and when they received it in the soil of their heart, it entered, but with some modification. Again, when they gave delivery to their disciples there was more modification. It became lost due to the vitiating nature of the mundane plane. One point is the difference in the receiver and another, in the succession.

So, gradually the truth was modified, and now we see that the religious world is a jungle. Some give stress on penance, some on charity, some this, some that. So many branches of religion have sprung up. And antagonistic, ascending opinions like atheism have also grown from the human mind to oppose those modified descending opinions. So, now we find there is a jungle.

Krsna appears now and then to reestablish the principles of religion. (yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati ). When religion becomes extremely degraded, Krsna comes again, or sends his representative, telling him, "Go and set it right."

There must be religious differences, but one who can catch the real internal meaning of the truth will be saved. Others will be misguided, and it will be a long time before they are delivered. Once having a real connection with a bona fide guru, he won't be lost. In this way Krsna answered Uddhava's question in the Eleventh Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, and it is quite intelligible. It is neither unreasonable nor dogmatic. If we are sincere, we won't be lost.

[realist 0]

"In this present day, man is very eager to have one scripture, one God, one religion, and one occupation. So let there be one common scripture for the whole world--Bhagavad-gita. And let there be one God only for the whole world--Sri Krsna. And one mantra only--Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. And let there be one work only--the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead" .Introduction to the Bhagavad Gita as it is

[melvin 1]

If we really want only ONE religion(Bhagavata-dharma) then we have to go to war against nations that support these other religions. Don`t fear. We will be victorious. Krsna has already arranged it just like the Battle at Kuruksetra. War, anyone?

[suchandra 1]

"In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, in another chapter, Twelfth Canto, it is said, kaler dosa-nidhe rajan. These instructions were given by Sukadeva Gosvami to Maharaja Pariksit. So he addressed the king, "My dear king, in this age the faults are like the ocean," kaler dosa-nidhe rajan. Dosa-nidhe. Nidhi means ocean. "There are so many faults in this age that it can be accepted as the ocean of faults." Kaler dosa-nidhe rajan asti hy eko mahan gunah.

"There is one great opportunity. Although it is full of faulty things, still there is one hope. That hope is," kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet, "if one simply chants the holy name of Krsna, Hare Krsna, then gradually he becomes purified from the contamination of this age." Kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah: "He becomes free from the contamination of this age." It is just like vaccine. In contagious disease, there is vaccine, cholera. So this mantra, maha-mantra, this is not ordinary sound. This is spiritual. So by chanting this mantra -- Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare -- one becomes free from the contamination of this age. And not only he becomes free from the contamination of this age, but param vrajet, he goes back to the spiritual world." Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.5.11

 

source: krishnascience.com

[Kulapavana 0]

 

If we really want only ONE religion(Bhagavata-dharma) then we have to go to war against nations that support these other religions. Don`t fear. We will be victorious. Krsna has already arranged it just like the Battle at Kuruksetra. War, anyone?

 

if you really think like that, then you are a nut...

[Kulapavana 0]

 

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 1.2.27 purport,

 

So, why do some devotees advocate that there is more than ONE real religion in the world?

 

Remember?

 

"All of them--as they surrender unto Me--I reward accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of Prtha."

 

Krsna does not say that there is only one real religion, nor that there should be only one religion.

 

We have enough religious supremacists in this world.

[melvin 1]

USA and allied countries are at war with nations in the middle east. They have already captured Afghanistan, Iraq, etc. It will be just a matter of time that Pakistan go to war with India(Kashmir issue). The USA and allied countries are waiting what country will win, Pakistan or India. If India wins they sure gonna capture her, too.

Why don`t India pre-empt the USA and allied countries instead. So that this One religion issue is resolved once and for all?

[Vikram Ramsundar 0]

 

So, why do some devotees advocate that there is more than ONE real religion in the world?

 

More intolerance and fundamentalism! If this is reflective of standard Chaitanya Vaishnava thought, then the greatest act of piety one could do would be to save Krishna from the Hare Krishnas.

[Guruvani 0]

 

More intolerance and fundamentalism! If this is reflective of standard Chaitanya Vaishnava thought, then the greatest act of piety one could do would be to save Krishna from the Hare Krishnas.

 

I think the way that this apparent extremism can be explained is that the idea is that the religion of ONE supreme God above all gods is more-or-less the ONE religion that the Bhagavat and the Vaishnavas advocate.

Srila Prabhupada praised Jesus and Mohammed because they both preached the message of one supreme God.

 

I think the meaning is that there are not many Gods or an impersonal reality above all others.

The ONE religion is the religion of worship and service to the ONE supreme God.

 

So, in that way all the Monotheistic religions are more-or-less Vaishnavism.

 

That is how I resolve this apparent extremism at the basis of the Bhagavat siddhanta.

[Murali_Mohan_das 0]

There is only one religion, though none can claim to have every piece of it.

 

The Gaudiya Vaishnavas can certainly claim to have access the most profound and well-developed theistic conception (just as the Christians can), but, revelation is ongoing, isn't it?

 

The example of the blind wise men describing the elephant (or the train analogy recently popularized here) is given. Each wise man thinks the elephant is something completely different from the other wise men. As long as our senses are limited, we cannot see the whole picture.

[Beggar 0]

 

The Gaudiya Vaishnavas can certainly claim to have access the most profound and well-developed theistic conception (just as the Christians can), but, revelation is ongoing, isn't it?

 

Anybody can "claim" anything. As Srila Sridhar Maharaj says, "there is gradation everywhere." Is the conception given to the world by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu "the most profound and well-developed theistic conception" or not? It sounds like you are saying that its something like a horse race and that the Christian theologians could receive some revelation in the last stretch and win by a photo finish. I sure hope not, because I put all my remaining money on the Gaudiya Vaisnavas!

[Murali_Mohan_das 0]

I try to be careful in how I chose my words. As you observe, anybody can "claim" anything.

 

Srila Sridhar Maharaja's proclamation is Gospel to me.

 

That said, I hope to become more of a swan and less of a honking goose.

 

 

Anybody can "claim" anything. As Srila Sridhar Maharaj says, "there is gradation everywhere." Is the conception given to the world by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu "the most profound and well-developed theistic conception" or not? It sounds like you are saying that its something like a horse race and that the Christian theologians could receive some revelation in the last stretch and win by a photo finish. I sure hope not, because I put all my remaining money on the Gaudiya Vaisnavas!

[Guruvani 0]

 

I hope to become more of a swan and less of a honking goose.

 

Just don't become a chicken in the process!

[Murali_Mohan_das 0]

Funny!!

 

 

Just don't become a chicken in the process!

[gHari 0]

God is one. Then religion is one. And that is Surrender to God.

 

The more surrendered we become, the closer we get. That is the path. Because of our varied skills and weaknesses we will travel that path of surrender on a variety of vehicles. Day to day, moment to moment, life to life we will ride customized versions of different vehicles like karma-yoga, impersonalism, atheism, apathy, guna-shuffle, bhakti-yoga, Islam A&B, Christianity XYZ, dhyana-yoga, Melvinism, Gaudiya schism branches ABFKOGRZ, and on and on, as many as there are jivas.

 

But there is one path, one religion - no need to kill anybody.