What I have always loved about Hinduism and Buddhism is the freedom of choice. There are so many different paths to follow, and you can choose what works best for you. Back in high school, our Hinduism teacher explained the concept with this analogy:
I don't deal well with rigidity and exclusive systems. I don't understand groups who say that only their path is the correct path, and all others lead to hell. I like the freedom that Eastern philosophies provide, and I love the peace that comes with it. You can choose the methods that suit you. In my own case, chanting didn't work well for me. I wanted to do it, but I was finding it very hard to concentrate, and it started to feel like a chore. I didn't look forward to it. So I stopped for a minute and asked myself, "What would God want? Would he want you to come to him with a smile, and talk to him for a couple minutes with sincerity, or would he prefer that you chant for 2 hours but feel like it's a chore?"
I'd pick the former. So I dove into different forms of connecting with Krishna. Reading about him was one way, listening to devotional music, writing about him, thinking about him, etc. I think that people should adopt whichever method works best for them, as long as it's in line with the main principles. Being a good person and causing the least harm is always the way to go, and if you are acting in accordance with that principle, it doesn't matter to me which religion you identify with. The core of all religions is the same - love. There is no reason we can't take the best parts of all religions and apply it to our lives. We don't have to be at war with each other just because our idea of God differs from one another.
My Hinduism teacher taught us that different people respond to different things. Some people find it easier to connect with Krishna, some with Ganesh, some with Jesus. In line with this idea, God created different ways for people to approach him and learn about him in a way that they can best understand. And so we have the freedom to choose what resonates with us the most, and in this way, Krishna shows us his mercy and compassion.
"Different beliefs are like taking a different path to get to the top of a mountain. The path is different but the destination is the same."In the Gita, Krishna says:
"As all surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of Pṛthā." (BG 4.11)
I don't deal well with rigidity and exclusive systems. I don't understand groups who say that only their path is the correct path, and all others lead to hell. I like the freedom that Eastern philosophies provide, and I love the peace that comes with it. You can choose the methods that suit you. In my own case, chanting didn't work well for me. I wanted to do it, but I was finding it very hard to concentrate, and it started to feel like a chore. I didn't look forward to it. So I stopped for a minute and asked myself, "What would God want? Would he want you to come to him with a smile, and talk to him for a couple minutes with sincerity, or would he prefer that you chant for 2 hours but feel like it's a chore?"
I'd pick the former. So I dove into different forms of connecting with Krishna. Reading about him was one way, listening to devotional music, writing about him, thinking about him, etc. I think that people should adopt whichever method works best for them, as long as it's in line with the main principles. Being a good person and causing the least harm is always the way to go, and if you are acting in accordance with that principle, it doesn't matter to me which religion you identify with. The core of all religions is the same - love. There is no reason we can't take the best parts of all religions and apply it to our lives. We don't have to be at war with each other just because our idea of God differs from one another.
My Hinduism teacher taught us that different people respond to different things. Some people find it easier to connect with Krishna, some with Ganesh, some with Jesus. In line with this idea, God created different ways for people to approach him and learn about him in a way that they can best understand. And so we have the freedom to choose what resonates with us the most, and in this way, Krishna shows us his mercy and compassion.
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