The concept of a single truth with multiple spiritual pathways is often viewed as controversial in religious circles. Many spiritual traditions make exclusive claims about being the only pathway to truth, creating a dichotomy between those who are "saved" and those who aren't.
• Exclusive spiritual paths can make followers feel special but may actually create delusion and keep people bound to samsara
• Many religious institutions claim to be the only place to find truth or realization
• Vedanta accepts various pathways including Abrahamic religions because they contain elements of faith and devotion
• Consciousness is fundamental to our experience and shapes our world depending on its relationship with mind
• Multiple valid spiritual approaches exist: devotional practices (chanting, puja), intellectual understanding, karma yoga (observing our actions)
• Nobody can follow any single spiritual path 24/7 – we naturally incorporate multiple approaches
• Those claiming exclusivity often remain heavily invested in the material world they claim is temporary
• Spiritual exclusivity often leads to arrogance and ego rather than humility
• If the One became many, it's logical that many paths would lead back to the One
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Episode Transcript
If I said that there's only one truth, but
there's many paths that areleading to the truth, that could
be seen as rather controversial, in fact somewhat not
acceptable or not acceptable mywords.
So I want to talk about thisbecause it seems to be that,
(00:41):
regardless of what religion asleading to the truth, whether
they speak of the truth is onething or another, but at least
they're leading to the truth.
But there are some paths whichare, like, purely exclusive.
It's either our path or there'sa door to hell or to wherever,
(01:06):
to the next life, and this typeof path, if you follow, that's
really exclusive, it can makeyou feel special, can make you
feel like really honored.
But could it set delusion,could it actually harm you in
(01:30):
the long run?
What if the exclusive path thatyou chose or that, or what if
it chose you, ends up being notso exclusive but in fact keeps
you bound, keeps you stuck inthe cycle of samsara, of the
(01:52):
world of birth and death, birthand death.
And we continuously go throughthat cycle and I've been
thinking about this a lotbecause, you know, often we hear
that this is the only place youcan get the truth.
I've been to so many placesthat say that we are the only
ones that have this Brahm Gyanor this knowledge or this.
(02:20):
We are the only path that canmake you realize God.
We're the only path that Isaccepted by Sri Krishna.
And you know, whenever that'sheard, especially today, even
(02:41):
for me, it just comes across asa little bit culty.
Let's be honest about it,because the truth couldn't be
farther from that.
In fact, the reason why Vedantawould even accept even Abrahamic
(03:04):
religions as a pathway, as a asa a realistic path, is because
somewhat there is some elementof faith or devotion going on,
so it would accept it.
It will say you know what?
There is a faith towards apersonal god, there is worship
of a personal god, so somethingis happening.
(03:25):
And say that the heaven is true.
Well, you're going to thatheaven.
You claim its eternity, that'swhere you want to be, but we
know that heaven is nevereternal.
You know, you can say that fora very long time, but you will
come back on earth.
Now, obviously, that would bethe Vedantic viewpoint, but the
fact is that we'll still be ableto see it as a pathway, a
(03:49):
genuine path, now, when it comesto really understanding this
reality, and not justunderstanding it, but
understanding, but realizingthat you are this absolute, you
know, formless consciousness,and that this consciousness is
(04:09):
the fundamental existence of ourexperience, of our lives.
Without this we would not beable to function.
Consciousness is inherentwithin everything.
It just, and, depending on themind and its relationship with
(04:32):
consciousness, is howconsciousness shapes the world
that we live in.
That that, for me, requires manyways to get there now.
For, for example, you may be ofa devotional mindset, so you
(04:52):
doing chanting or uh puja orsome sort of um worship is
absolutely fine.
You may sing kirtans and thatwill get you there, and that's
brilliant.
That's a pathway.
Yours may be likeintellectually understanding
(05:15):
this wisdom.
Therefore, it takes a lot ofmind power to understand and
then to transcend into theintellect and then transcend
that into direct realization,and it's possible.
That's a pathway when we becomethe observers in our actions of
(05:39):
karma yog.
That is a genuine pathway.
You could have a mix of manypaths within you, and and that's
what I really want to point to,is that nobody has the
exclusivity of the truth.
Everyone follows differentpaths.
Now someone may say well, youknow, I'm a hardcore uh, such
(06:01):
and such in such religiousinstitution there that you
belong to Now.
I'm a hardcore follower ofso-and-so, but guess what you'll
notice with those people?
They are just as invested inthe world, as that they claim is
a testing ground or is not real, or is not the place where we
(06:24):
need to always be, where sin ispossible.
If you think about it, they aretotally invested in the world.
And when you have many pathsand you accept that there's many
paths to the truth, one, you'veautomatically become boundless
(06:52):
by your just mindset, justmindset alone, which then leads
a door to open up boundlessnessinto even experience.
Trying to make is, if you thinkyour path is exclusive and just
one and that this is the onlyplace you can get it, then you
fundamentally will have toaccept the world as it is the
reason why I'm saying I know I'mprobably jumping so many steps
(07:14):
like to get to what I'm saying,but what I'm trying to say is
that you cannot be exclusivejust to one path.
You may claim that the oneperson that you're following is
the ultimate Messiah and is theonly one, and that's the only
one of today and there's no oneelse, and that may be true to
(07:37):
you.
That's what's real for you,right?
So I'm not questioning that.
But are you worshipping 24-7?
Are you practising yourdevotion 24-7?
Are you practising your path24-7?
And see, nobody can follow anypath 24-7.
(08:02):
We're always doing multiplepaths.
Now, for example, when you'resleeping, you can make that into
a spiritual practice.
Just remember the ultimate inthat moment before you fall
asleep, and you know that willbe churning in the background.
You see, we have to keepworking on this.
(08:24):
We have to keep working onunderstanding that there's many
paths within our own practiceand therefore, if those paths
are leading us to that one truth, then that's all that matters.
And anyone that then belittlesother people's paths because
(08:44):
they think they're inferior,because they have a superior
path one, you've opened the doorto comparison and to a super
ego.
So you don't necessarily becomehumble in that light.
You actually become morearrogant and egotistical.
And that's what I found, notonly in my own life, through my
(09:07):
own reflections, whenever I feltlike something is the only way
and what that brings, andespecially when I see other
people.
And you know, when people saythat theirs is the only path and
they can guarantee, and allthis stuff, I actually doubt
that they have fully, you know,have that full, 100% faith.
(09:31):
I think there's more doubt thanthere is faith, because those
that are comfortable in knowingthat they have the truth and how
they got to the truth and howthey are practicing the truth,
they never have to make someonefeel inferior or make themselves
feel superior, because, in theend, it's that one same truth
(09:53):
that's playing the whole gameand it appears to be many, and
that's the funny part of this.
So, and and just to just sinceI've got the thought, if the you
know, let's say that the onebecame the many.
Well, if you think about thisfundamentally, if the one can
(10:16):
become the many, then why is itthat there's only one path
towards one truth?
Why is it that there's only onepath towards one truth when,
obviously, the one created manyor manifested as many, then many
will be the path to that one.
Anyway, let me know what youthink.
Welcome to the Beard of Mysticpodcast.
(10:37):
I'm your host, rahul N Singh.
I always forget to mention this.
Now, I'm always meant tomention it after the hook line,
or my supposed hook line.
It's not really a hook line,but I always forget to mention
this.
I'm always meant to mention itafter the hook line, or my
supposed hook line.
It's not really a hook line,but I always forget.
But anyway, do like this videoor the podcast, do comment, do
subscribe and you know, you canfollow me on any Of the social
(10:58):
media apps.
I'm on there somehow and Buy mymerch and hope to see you in
the next video.
Okay, take care, namaste.
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