1st lesson
I have a significant message for you at the end of this episode. After about 25 years break I took to spiritual readings again sometimes around Christmas of 1998. The first book on my hand was that of Paramahansa Yogananda’s Autobiography of a Yogi borrowed from Unionville Public Library in Markham, Canada. The book had received worldwide acclaim. Paramahansa Yogananda had been fairly successful in USA and gathered a fairly large following of white men and women. His book had a very significant impact on me. I bought several copies and gave as gift to my colleagues. I recommended it to many more. This book speaks of Jesus Christ very highly on numerous occasions, and draws a parallel between Christianity and Hindooism. It cemented my earlier impression that Christianity happened to be a great humanitarian religion. Today as I added a note about Trinity and Tridev, I thought it necessary to check if my 5 year-old-memory weren’t failing me. In the process, look, at what I unexpectedly stumbled on!
Author equated Hindoo teachings with teachings of Jesus
"Hindoo scriptures teach that family attachment is delusive if it prevents the devotee from seeking the Giver of all boons, including one of loving relatives, not to mention life itself. Jesus similarly taught: "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me." - Matthew 10:37 (Bible).
An Autobiography of a Yogi, Paramahansa Yogananda, p 85 fn
Thus, declaring that Jesus similarly taught, Yogananda draws a parallel between Hindooism and Christianity. A reader takes his word for granted, because Paramahansa Yogananda sounds very sincere throughout this book and he creates an impression that he knows Christianity and Hindooism like the back of his hand. So, trusting him and at the same time unsure of the truth in his statement, I decided to check the Bible and, lo, what I find!
Did the author tell the whole truth to his readers and followers?
Bible, Matthew 10:34 Think not I am come to send peace on earth: I come not to send peace, but a sword.
10:35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against the mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
10:36 And a man’s foe shall be they of his own household.
10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
Now think for a moment. Are the teachings of Hindooism and Jesus truly ‘similar’ as Paramahansa Yogananda made us to believe?
Let us expand on what Hindooism teaches us
Let me put it in my words. Hindooism teaches that any attachment whatsoever of any kind, be it towards parents, wife, children, relatives, friends, money, power, position, fame, or anything for that matter, which we come across in our day to day life in this mortal world, can effectively come in the way of attaining soul’s final dissolution into the Supreme Soul, which frees the soul from the cycle of birth and death.
The logic is simple, as long as we remain attached to these worldly things, we would naturally want to remain wrapped up in their thoughts, and we wouldn’t try adequately enough to advance towards the process of dissolution into the Supreme Soul.
Let us now expand on what Jesus of Bible taught
But Jesus says in no uncertain terms that he has not come to earth to bring peace, instead
he has come to bring sword (war) and he has come to put son against father, daughter against
mother, daughter-in-law against mother-in-law, and turn the family of a man as his foe (enemy);
and in that context, one who loves his parents more than
Jesus, in other words, does not turn against his parents, is not worthy of Jesus.
Why did the author deliberately suppress major part of the statement made by Jesus as documented
in Bible?
On what basis Paramahansa Yogananda draws a parallel between Hindooism and Christianity in this particular context, and how does he use Mathew 10:37 by suppressing 10:34, 10:35, 10:36? Does Paramahansa Yogananda bring his readers and followers closer to the Truth or does he take them farther from the Truth? Why is it that he deliberately omitted stating 10:34, 10:35, 10:36 that indicate the context in which 10:37 was said?
Don’t think it was an unintended mistake; the author knew Bible rather too well to make such a clever mistake
Please do not pamper yourself with the thought that it was a simple mistake on his part. You would be fooling yourself if you do believe that. Paramahansa Yogananda knew Bible too well and gives the impression of having understood Jesus so well that he could not have simply made a mistake. You got to read the whole of Autobiography of a Yogi sincerely to know that it is simply not possible that it could have been an unintended mistake. This is one of the people whom I respected dearly, only to be disillusioned later!
Spiritual gurus promote their own-brand-religion
At his Self-Realization Fellowship Sunday gatherings at Toronto, I saw Shri Krishn and Jesus placed side by side at the altar. In today’s world these things create pretty good impression. Today, we live in a world of ‘Brand’ images. This is how different spiritual gurus promote their own-brand-religion! Today even religion is for marketing. As you will proceed through this work, you will see that this comes from the influence of Christianity. You tend to become the kind of company you keep, and the kind of influence you allow on yourself.
Therefore, you must be mentally prepared to look at things afresh disregarding your preconceived notions
When you read or listen to such celebrities, your impressions are formed based on what they convey to you. It is important that you train your mind to disregard those preconceived notions if you wish to derive any benefit from my work.
You must not trust, nor distrust whatever you have learned so far. You must be mentally prepared to absorb unexpected shocks, and also prepared to look at things afresh, if you wish to proceed with my work; otherwise, it is a wasted effort, please do not spend your time
2nd lesson
You may find a particular kind of repetition in my works
You may find me expressing the core message in different ways, with different set of examples, in different scenarios, in different words, in different places.
Some of you may think that we are intelligent enough, why not say it once, and we understand. Granted that you are capable of understanding the message through a single expression. You may even not need to read my work, as you may be aware of the message already. But then, has it percolated down to your thoughts so deep that it already finds its expression in all your actions? If you were to ask this question to yourself, you may often find a big NO for the answer! Why?
This is how our minds are preprogrammed on a regular basis through exposure to mass media and prevailing education system
Most of our actions are guided not by ‘what should be done’ but by ‘what we are used to doing or seeing as done by others so often’. What we are used to doing often depends on ‘what we are used to thinking’. What we are used to thinking often depends on ‘what we have been taught all along’ or ‘what we get to see or hear so often’. What we get to see or hear or read so often depends generally on ‘what receives regular media exposure’. What receives regular media exposure mostly depends on ‘what they want to show you or let you know’. Who are they? They could be those who control the media or they could be those who are associated with media in one way or other. Similarly, ‘what you have been taught all along’ depends on ‘who designed your school text books and with what underlying motive?’. ‘What their underlying motives are’ depends on ‘who they are’ and ‘what their ideology is’. If they are from CommunistMarxist block they will design text books in one manner. If they are Christian missionaries they will design them in another manner. They all have their vested interest and hidden agenda. They won’t give you truth.
This is why we need the repetition of alternate thought process to counteract the age-long repetition caused by education system and mass media
The point is, our actions are often guided by our preconceived notions or preprogramming of our minds, which is attained through the education system of which we are part of, and through repeated media exposure. This is where we need the repetition of alternate thought process to counteract the repetition caused by education system and mass media.
You need to also appreciate that the reading habits of people are not same
There is yet another reason. I do not expect all my readers to read all my books, and also read them sequentially. These books are all interconnected and revolve around one basic theme, that is, the human life and its various aspects. Nor do I expect all my readers even to read one of my single books in continuity from start to end. Different people have different kind of reading habits. Some just open a book casually and start reading one section that may attract their attention at that given point of time. Therefore, I need to repeat things over without which that section of that book may not be complete. Yet, my primary reason remains to be the one I have explained in earlier paragraphs.