If chanting Hari’s name is the only way, how can chanting Allah elevate people?
Answer Podcast
Transcript
This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
So, I mentioned Harer Nama. I mentioned that Prabhupada said that Muslims are worshipping God in their own way. And we are worshipping in our way.
But then Narada Muni says that Harer Nama, Hari’s name is the only way. See, if we take that verse extremely literally, then it should be Harer Ram only. It is not even, Harer, it is only the name of Hari, not even Krishna, not even Ram.
We should be chanting only the name of Hari. If we say Harer Nama Kevalam, if I am going to take it absolutely literally, it means only Hari and no other name also. But it’s not that way.
It is a generic call to chant the names of God. So, there are different names in different traditions. So, Allah is also name of God.
Yahweh is also name of God. Christ is also name of God. Buddha is a name of God.
So, Prabhupada, from Bhaktivinoda Thakur onwards, Acharyas have always been very inclusive in their understanding. So, they have presented bhakti in a way that through different traditions people can approach God. Now when Prabhupada interacted with Christians, his approach was two ways.
If somebody was a devout Christian, somebody was already a Christian pastor or somebody was very dedicated to practicing Christianity, then Prabhupada did not insist that they become Hare Krishna devotees. He told them, understand the Bible properly, practice the teachings of Jesus properly. He would quote, thou shall not kill, why are you eating meat? So, that was for those who are committed to a particular path, Prabhupada did not try to pull them to another path.
But for those who are nominal Christians, born in a Christian family, but only rarely go to church and not practice anything, he told them that actually practice the process of bhakti as is revealed by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Because of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s mercy, the higher taste is much more accessible in this path. So, if you consider going towards God like climbing a mountain, there are different paths to go to the top of the mountain peak.
So, different religions are like different paths to reach the mountain peak. All of them take one to the top. But there can be some paths which are more difficult and some paths which are more easy.
So, the path of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, because of His special mercy, there is a higher taste which is much more easily available than other paths. There are many aspects to this, about why Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s path is easier. But easier is not exclusive.
So, people can chant the names of God in any tradition and they can become elevated and even liberated. But we practice, see when we are following a particular path, at that time we should climb on this path. It’s not that we go and explore that path and we go and explore that path and we go and explore that path.
Then we just be crossing around on the foothills, not climbing up on any path. So, Brahmapada would say that once you have understood your path, then all comparative religious studies, that is simply Sanskrit education. Follow your path and move onwards towards Krishna.
So, the principle of Hare Rama is a generic call to chant the names of God. Does that answer your question? Okay, Krishna. Thank you.