In ancient India there were many different belief systems as there are now – why is this?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

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In India, there are so many different belief systems.
Some of them are old, traditional. Some of them are superstitious. So, if you look at the Bhagavad Gita, it gives a particular understanding.
So, is it that in the future, everyone will come to the understanding of one God? You see, the Bhagavad Gita itself is a very inclusive book. I’ve talked about one supreme God, as compared to other religions, for example, Christianity or Islam. If you talk about one true God, the other God is a false God.
That’s why they have the idea that to worship the one true God, you should reject the worship of other false Gods. That’s why many times, they conquer a territory, they destroy the idols there. They feel this false God is false, and we should worship the true God.
But in the Vedic understanding, it’s not true God and false God. It’s the supreme God and subordinate Gods. So, especially in 7.20 to 23 of the Bhagavad Gita, how even the Nirthas, the other Gods, the Devi Gods, persistent Gods, they are also empowered by Him.
So, for those who are not spiritually evolved enough to worship the supreme God, God gives them alternative ways of worship. So, different people have different mentalities, and according to their mentalities, they are attracted to different forms of worship. And the Bhagavad Gita allows different forms of worship by which people can be elevated step by step by step from where they are to one step higher.
So, this is the inclusiveness. At the same time, along with inclusiveness, there is also speculation which comes up. Concoction which comes up.
So, if there is systematic spiritual education, then a lot of the superstitions that are there, they can be avoided. They can be transcended. So, we need that.
And in our own small way, we can try to provide spiritual education to others. We can understand Gita’s wisdom and share that wisdom with others. And it’s not going to happen that everybody will come to one kind of worship.
It’s always because of the multiplicity of mentality. There will be multiplicity of forms of worship also. But what can happen is if people are more philosophically informed, then there can be less on one side superstition about one’s own belief system.
Sometimes one’s own belief system might be completely irrational. One’s practices may be totally outrageous. Some rituals just don’t make any sense and they are harmful actually.
People do them because this is our tradition. But if there is philosophical understanding, then at least irrational belief systems or irrational superstitions, they can be avoided. That’s with respect to one’s own practice.
Otherwise, with the proper philosophical understanding, even intolerance can be avoided. Because if I understand okay, this is the at this level, this part is working for me. Others will get another level.
Other part can work for them. So, we can recognize value of other parts. If we are philosophically grounded, if we are not properly philosophically grounded, then we think if my path is right, then others’ path must be wrong.
And then to prove their wrongness, I criticize them, I counter them. So, intolerance is often a result of insecurity. When I am insecure about my own path, others following others’ path, their path becomes a threat for me.
If I am with proper philosophical understanding, secure in my path, then I can see this path is working for me, let them follow it. That way, with proper philosophical understanding, superstition in one’s own path and intolerance about others’ path, that can be avoided. That can lead to much more sinner and fruitful individual spiritual practice for different people.
Thank you.