What is our religious identity – what is a simple answer that our kids can give to other kids at school?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
Now, if people, if other kids ask our kids, what is your religion? How should we explain it in simple language? See, there is what is called as the fundamental identity and the functional identity. The Sanskrit words are vyavaharik and parmarthik.
So, Prabhupada often stressed the parmarthik. We are not Indians, we are not men, we are not women, we are not young, we are not old, we are not Hindu, we are not Muslims, we are not Christians. We are souls who are devotees of God.
So, the transcendental identity is important, that is fundamental. At the same time, we also have a functional identity in this world. See, Vrindavan is a part of the spiritual world.
So, Vrindavan doesn’t exist in the material world. But if we had to put it on the map of the world somewhere, we can’t put it in Pakistan. We can’t put it in China.
Vrindavan will be put in the map of India. Similarly, if we have to map our identity in the religious map of this world, we can’t put it in Christianity or Islam. We will put it in Hinduism.
So, the way ISKCON communications, they have an official statement that we are Gaudiya Vaishnavas, which is a monotheistic tradition within the broad family of traditions known as Hinduism. So, we can say we are Hindus, but people often associate Hindus with polytheists or impersonalists. So, we qualify that.
So, from the functional point of view, we obviously identify ourselves as Hindus. But we explain that our philosophy is universal. It does not get restricted by religious sectarianism.
So, that’s the official statement. We are practitioners of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, which is a monotheistic tradition within the family of traditions that is today known as Hinduism. That’s how we can answer the question.
It’s a little complicated for kids to tell. But all that we can say is that, we can say that we are Hindus. But within that, we can say that we believe in one God.
So, Hinduism is in public imagination, especially in the West, it is associated with all kinds of weird things. So, if we use that designation for functional purposes, but then we move on and we make it very clear what our stress is. Some people just say they are Hare Krishnas.
Which is also fine. But then people may ask what religion we belong to. We can always say that we are Krishnas or Hare Krishnas.
We follow the Bhagavad Gita and we practice Bhakti Yoga. These are three designations which are quite universal. We are Hare Krishnas, we follow Bhagavad Gita, we practice Bhakti Yoga.
But if somebody insists on categorizing identification within the religious categories of this world, you can always say that we are monotheists within the Hindu tradition. Thank you very much. Hare Krishna.