Re: Vaishanava Organizations/Institutions
Namaste Nataraj Das
I confirm all you wrote, it is exactly what I experienced the last years and I decided more or less for the same solution. I attend whenever there is something interesting for me, but I do not talk about my conviction. That has the advantaga that I do not have to reconsider every word of mine. On the other hand I do not have to listen to any advice that tries to convince me, that I am on a inferior respectively wrong path.
What you talk about is group dynamics and is the same in any community. A group defines itself through a conviction or a common understandig. It is self-contained and the homogeneity must not be disturbed. Influence from outside is unwanted. For most of the people the group is a shelter that provides a footing.
Even the so called spiritual groups act like this. If you visit a Sai Baba community refrain from talking about Amma. If you are together with Amma devotees don’t mention that you read books of Swami Shivananda. If you are together with Shivananda devotees don’t get the idea to sing a bhajan from the Sai Baba collection.
Yes it is religious fanaticism … our God is the best/better than yours, our Guru is the best/better than yours.
At the end the highlight of my experiences: Near my city there are two temples – a Vinayaka temple and a Gaudiya Krishna temple. Once, coming from Vinayaka temple, I had Vinayaka Prasad with me when I went to the Krishna temple. I offered them of the Prasad. They refused and told me ‚We eat Krishna Prasad only‘. I apologized for my folly.
Good luck, stay as you are and don’t worry!
Hare Krishna!
Dance with Shiva - live with Shiva - merge with Shiva
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