19 Apr 2014
Shri Anil: Other religions are mocking Hindus for worshiping the animals, birds, rats etc.
Swami replied: Adishesha is in the form of a serpent. That does not mean that every serpent is Adishesha. Hanuman is in the form of a monkey. That does not mean that every monkey is Hanuman. The deity of justice is in the form of a cow. It does not mean that every cow is deity of justice. The vehicle of Lord Shiva is a bull, which does not mean that every bull is the vehicle of Lord Shiva. A specific rat is vehicle of Lord Ganesha, which does not mean that every rat is the vehicle of Lord Ganesha. Rama and Krishna are the human incarnations, which mean that God is in a specific human form. This does not mean that every human being is God. We must remember that Krishna killed Kamsa, who is a human being. This itself proves that every human being is not human incarnation. If every human being is God as said by Advaita Philosophers, Gopikas need not worship Krishna since they are God by themselves being the human beings. Therefore, the actual truth is very clear.
However, there are two paths of worship: one is called ‘Saakshaat Upaasanam’ in which Adishesha or Human incarnation is directly worshiped and this path is not easily available to all the humanity. The second path is to worship a serpent or a statue of serpent assuming as Adishesha or worship a human being or statue in human form assuming as God and this is called as ‘Prateeka Upaasanam’ or the worship of a representative model. The second type of worship is easily available to all the human beings for improving their devotion. This is only a training process of the real concept. The Hindu traditional practice exists in which an ordinary human being is invited and worshiped by giving food etc., treating him as God. Such practice is called as ‘Aaposhanam’. Such independent worship of rat does not exist anywhere. Since such practice is only an intermediate step in long spiritual journey, one need not mock because it is not the final stage of final truth. You are saluting the national flag assuming that you are saluting the mother land of the entire nation and this is to develop devotion to your mother land. The flag is representative model of the nation. You need not take a helicopter and go around the nation to salute it. If people are not mocking such salutation to the national flag, why should they mock at these traditional practices of Hinduism? It is only the attitude of enmity to another religion criticising the form of God of that religion. In the divine forms of all the religions, the same single unimaginable God exists. If you mock at a divine form of other religion, you are mocking the divine form of your own religion. You respect your father in white shirt and beat him in the red shirt! Are you not finally beating your own father? You are recognising your father through colour of the shirt only and not through his characteristic personality. This unfortunate ignorance resulting from lack of sharp analysis is damaging the harmony of religions and peace of this world. Such behaviour will make God furious and such fools are going to be punished severely in this world as well as in the upper world (hell).
Shri Anil: Some devotees serve a human form as human incarnation of God and after sometime revolt with criticism that such human incarnation has given the collected funds to Its relatives.
Swami replied: You have to identify the human incarnation from Its excellent true knowledge that gives you the right direction. If you have selected a false human incarnation, the results are negative. This happens due to the false basis of identification of the human incarnation, which is other than knowledge. Thus, there is every possibility of false human incarnations.
But, on the other hand, there is a possibility of misunderstanding the true human incarnation also. You should not think that your conclusion is always final and true. If the human incarnation has given some money to Its relatives, you need not find fault with it. Such relatives may also be the true devotees and you should not condemn them simply based on the relationship. The son of a teacher may be present in a class as a student and may attain first rank in the class. You should not blame the teacher for some hidden help. There is an equal possibility of the student getting first rank based on his individual merit. This possibility cannot be overthrown. Lord Krishna stole the wealth (curd, milk and butter) of His devotees, the Gopikas, even though plenty of such wealth exists in His house. You mistake Krishna for His selfishness under such circumstances. Krishna stole the wealth of His devotees to cut their bonds with wealth (Dhaneshna) to give them salvation. Therefore, you should not come to hasty conclusions through hasty analysis. The actions of God are not so easily understood. Hence, both the possibilities exist in such cases and the truth can be found out through sharp analysis to be done in the investigation of such cases. The conclusion depends on an individual case and differs from one case to the other. Generally, the human incarnation also exhibits Its play (Maya) to test the faith of Its devotees.
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