Yesterday I wrote that the caste system comes from Hinduism and that there are sects like ISKCON in which people also support this system, inadvertently or not, by their actions. It is wrong to do this, it is wrong to support a wrong system. I think everyone who reads my lines understands this. I do not say however that all people who follow a certain system, a religion or even a sect are bad people.
There are really a lot of nice people who follow gurus or masters who are cheaters and even criminals. They themselves are not bad though. I have met many beautiful people who are followers of ISKCON, of Osho and of other gurus or sects. I have had nice talks with many of them.
Many of them were manipulated by others or have the feeling that they need the group dynamics to achieve something in life. They enjoy the spirit of doing something together and in common and often they think it is for a good cause or the health of the world. One cannot approve of a system or a rule just because the mass is following it but you cannot condemn the whole mass and everybody who belongs into that system either. You have to understand that many of them don’t know anything else, have grown up in this system or were drawn into it.
I have met even more people who left sects, their gurus or also religion behind. After this step they can see clearly. Not before that. When someone is involved in a religion or a system, he often cannot properly understand the negative aspects because of the group dynamics and unfortunately often because of manipulation of the mind.
I grew up in Hindu religion and in my childhood and teenage, everything was normal to me. I maybe have already been thinking a little bit different than the mass but all those traditions and ceremonies were normal to me as a guru. My time in the cave changed that and when I came out, I left the guru role that I had and with time I came out of religion, too. Only then I realized many things that were wrong. You need to come out of it, just as I did, to realize you are doing wrong.
I believe we can help people to get out of wrong religious traditions, habits or a wrong system. Obviously, sects often have a strong grip on people but as a good friend or relative there is also a chance to talk to a member and maybe slowly and bit by bit make him or her understand. Be an example, make clear what you see is wrong and look at your system, too. We can make a difference.
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Such good advice. What I admire most about you, Swami Ji, is that I still feel like you are one of the most religious people I’ve ever ‘met’ (at least virtually) and yet you can say about yourself that you’ve left religion behind.
The piece that is so hard for many people (of any religion) is that the separation process is so isolating and discombobulating. Religions come with their own built-in communities and norms that make it hard to leave (in spite of philosophical differences). Where do you send your kids to school? If you leave, what does that say about your children? How do you pass by the same houses of worship where your friends go and just keep walking by? All doable, but very hard.
Dear Zack,Thank you for your comment. I know that it is hard to leave a certain group of people of one belief, because you have spent your life in that way. Making a chance is never really easy. But if your inner self cannot go along with that group anymore, when you cannot agree anymore to what you did before, you will feel better after leaving.
If that community was a tolerant one and your friends real friends, I am sure you won’t lose all contact just because you don’t go to that house of worship anymore.
Difficult, I agree, but necessary to live an honest life.
Much love
tell me where’s the cave. I’ll go too.. 😀
Me also the same question
I guess many will be in Himalaya but where I lived that is here at Ashram. You both are welcome whenever you want. Love 🙂
Rightly said Swami ji…….we just need to put off our goggles.
Yes, so true
“Truth is a pathless land!” – Jiddu Krishnamurti
I am very fascinated by your experience in the cave. I learned from Thomas that you entered the cave for a sacred Hindu purpose of reciting mantras. So initially, you entered the cave in order to sacrifice and devote yourself to Hinduism and your God. But in the end, you saw that it wasn’t the way to God… it was merely a ritual that many people perform. You realized that the way to God is through love, not religion. (I apologize if I stated anything inaccurate about your experience). But I found this to be such a wonderful example… you went “to hell and back” for Hinduism only to realize that it’s not the way!
It is so important for us all to realise how important friendship can be in his situation. It can be so hard to see the situation you have got yourself into, so friends can sometimes be the only way to get through to you.