16 Nov 2022
[A question by Ms. Thrylokya]
Swami replied:- Shankara established the Advaita Philosophy in order to turn atheists in to theists. He had a special purpose and a special program for it. When atheists turned in to theists, that program was withdrawn by Shankara and He advised the atheist-turned-theist to become devotee and worship God to attain pure mind so that he/she can become God practically. People are still hanging over that dropped program. When Shankara told the atheist that he shall worship God to become God, does it not clearly mean that the soul is not God already? Even a business man says to a person asking for the benefit of a dropped scheme “that scheme was old and now the second scheme is running. You cannot ask us to implement the expired scheme now”. The preachers are very fond of earning name and money from the innocent public and hence, they want to attract the minds of people for which Advaita Philosophy is the best. If anybody says to you that there is a gold filled pot buried in your house, will you not run to him and pester his feet to locate the pot? Similarly, when a preacher says that God is present in you already and that you are already God, will you not run after the preacher to know the method to become God? In this way innocent people who are mad after worldly ambitions are exploited by the preachers for the sake of their name and fame to have crowds of disciples.
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