How do we convince people that scriptures are true not fictional?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
So, how do we convince people that the scriptures are true? Can they not just be books of fiction written by someone? Yes, that’s possible that they may just be books of fiction. At the same time, we’ll see there are significant differences.
The first difference you could see simply in the quality of the people who are studying scripture and teaching scripture. Usually, the people who study fiction, enjoy fiction, they are not really very deep thinkers. Their idea is you just don’t want to think much, just stop thinking, start enjoying.
And if you’re just bored with life, just go into the fictional world and enjoy that world. That’s how people watch movies or read novels or whatever. But if you look at the quality of the people, objectively speaking, if you look at the kind of philosophy that is there, Bhagavatam, Shukadeva Goswami or Achyut Goswami, you’ll see they are very deep thinkers, very deeply philosophical people, very intelligent people.
So, these people who are very intelligent, even from objective standards of today, they are phenomenally intelligent people. So, why would such people not just enjoy, not just write fiction, but dress it up as if to appear as if to reality when they have actually given up the reality of this world. They have renowned this world, many of them, for the sake of absorption in the world, in whatever character they are talking about in scripture.
So, two things I am relating over here. One is that these are not just sentimental people who are attracted to something. They are philosophical people who are deep thinkers.
And secondly, these deep thinkers are not only giving philosophical arguments to describe how Krishna and his pastimes, they are a higher reality. But not only are they giving philosophical reasoning for that, but they are also giving their own example, that they are ready to give up the pleasure of this world for the sake of absorption in Krishna. So, just the sheer quality of people who are actually studying, teaching and discussing this scripture, you will see that there is a categorical difference from the quality of people who are consumers of fiction.
That’s the first point. Second point is the effect. If we study Krishna Leela, if we hear Krishna Leela, we will find our heart getting purified.
We will feel ourselves being transformed. We will start experiencing higher consciousness. This will not happen by reading any other fiction.
And this is something, this transformation, it’s almost like scientific. Scientific in the sense that anyone in any part of the world, if they start chanting Krishna’s name, if they start practicing Krishna Bhakti, they will find their bad habits going away. They will find themselves becoming better persons.
Transformation happens. It won’t happen just by reading any fiction story. Fiction story may give us even some inspiration also sometimes.
But that’s all that is. Here there is not just inspiration, there is tangible transformation that happens. Not just among one or two people, among so many people.
Especially those who approach it, approach it not just as again mythology or just an entertaining story, those who approach it with philosophical understanding. That transformation takes place. And thirdly, as far as ordinary fiction is concerned and Krishna Leela is concerned, as is described in scripture, scripture offers us a complete world view that helps us make sense of life.
Now, I may read Harry Potter and I may love it. It’s fine. But Harry Potter doesn’t really explain to me who am I, what is the purpose of life.
There is no philosophical explanation at all over there. So, we cannot know for sure that scripture is describing higher reality. But we can logically infer.
And what scripture itself tells us is that it is like a guidebook for life. तस्माच्यास्त्रं प्रमाणं ते कार्या कारे विवस्तितों यात्मा शास्त्र विधानोक्तं कर्मकर्तुमिहारसी In 16.24, in the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says that therefore, based on shastra, know what is to be done and what is not to be done. And by acting thus, you will attain success in life.
So, suppose I get a very high-tech device. Maybe, what is the latest device? Maybe some smart watch. I have so many buttons and so many menus.
I just don’t know what all it is. And somebody tells me this is a manual. Now, if I assume that the cover page has got torn or something like that.
If I have a book, how do I know whether that book is the manual for this device? Two ways. One is that that book will help me to make better sense of the device. Oh, this button is for this.
This menu icon means this. It will help me to make better sense. And secondly, it will help me to better operate the device.
To better work and get more productivity out of the device. First is making sense and second is operating. Same way, we can look at scripture.
And we can evaluate. Does studying scripture help us make better sense of life? And secondly, does scripture help us to live life better? And we will find that these two things do happen. Scripture helps us.
Not only is scripture sensible, it helps us make sense of life. And when we live according to scripture principles, we will find that our life becomes better. We will feel more peaceful.
We will become more joyful. So, in that way, we can infer that scripture is a revelation which is coming from God. And it is meant to be a guidebook for life.
It contains stories. But these are not just fictional. They are transcendental.
Krishna Leela is fantastic. But it is not fantasy. It is the highest reality.
Okay. Hare Krishna.