To Speak Out Or Not?

Dear All,

Seeing so many so-called spiritual and religious organisations, a spiritually inquisitive person might get interested in following some of their activities. Ofcourse, the spiritually disinterested but scandal searching persons will also get interested, but they are not worth talking about much.

And then such interested persons might also come across one organisation criticising some of the others. This can arouse different reactions from different people. The typical reaction is (as far as I have observed) that "why should one organisation criticise others? Let them do their thing, and you do your own thing!"

However, instead of taking such a stance, wont it be better to hear out the criticism and then use one's intelligence to decide whether that criticism is based on scriptures or whether the criticism is based on personal understanding. Criticism based on a personal understanding (e.g. things like "in my opinion..") can be rejected outright because one should not be interested in the opinions of unauthorised persons. Just like a cricketer doesnt need to consider the opinion of the general mass of public as to how he should play the game.

However, any person interested in really understanding spiritual science should surely try to understand the criticism based on scriptural injunctions. Because all spiritualists have to follow the scriptures to be considered bona fide. They should be able to logically defend their activities based on scriptures. The interested and intelligent person can in most cases clearly see whether a particular criticism is logical or not. He will also understand that though superficially most organisations seem to be following some spiritual process or the other, there are still different levels of spiritual understandings.

The main point I want to say in this article is that just saying "let people do what they are doing and you do what you are doing" might sound very correct and open-minded and so on, but it doesnt necessarily help. Just some peace agreement between so-called spiritual organisations is not going to help the people in general.

People will only be helped if they take up the process that is recommended in the scriptures for this age, and hence is the most beneficial. Why should the general mass of people be deprived of the recommended process in the name of "you keep shut and I keep shut!" Thus, any organisation which claims to be spiritual, and which claims to be motivated by the spiritual welfare of the people, must take up the process recommended for this age of Kali and that is Chanting of the Holy Names of Hari! All spiritual organisations should be aware of this injunction of the scriptures.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

So, next time you come across someone crticising some other spiritual organisation, instead of criticising the critics, see if the criticism is based on scriptures. If yes, something to think about. If not, ignore.

Makes sense?

Ofcourse, you can make sure also that the scripture referred to is a bona fide scripture. But if the evidence is given from the Bhagavad Gita, MahaBharat, or Srimad Bhagvatam (or Bhagvat Puran), then there are no doubts.

Abhijit.