True Religion Means Accepting God

True religion is not a rubber stamp or a sectarian designation; it is the factual acceptance of the Supreme Authority. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that regardless of whether one claims to be a Hindu, Muslim, Christian, or Buddhist, the actual test of religious life is whether one has surrendered to the order of the Supreme Lord. In the material world, the conditioned souls are often rebellious, wishing to claim proprietorship over God's creation. However, perfection in human life is achieved only when one recognizes the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the ultimate father, proprietor, and master, and agrees to abide by His laws.

Essence of Religion

Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that dharma, or religion, is strictly defined as obedience to the laws of God. It is not a man-made concoction or a matter of blind sentiment. Just as a good citizen is one who accepts and obeys the laws of the state, a religious person is one who accepts the supremacy of God and acts according to His direction.

• Dharma means obedience to the laws of God. That is dharma. Either you become Christian or Hindu or Muslim, whether you accept God as the supreme authority and whether you abide by the laws of God, then you are dharmic.
• Religion means to accept God. So if you are Muslim, I am Hindu, if I accept God, if You accept God, then where is fight? If we accept that God is the proprietor, God is the father, then where is the question of fight?
• A religious person, it does not mean whether he is Hindu or Muslim or Christian or Buddhist. He must accept God and surrender unto Him. This is religion.
• Our definition of religion is to accept the orders of God. That's all. It doesn't matter what religion you are following. You may be Christian, I may be Hindu, that may be Muhammadan, but the test of religion is how one has developed his God consciousness.

Rational Acceptance, Not Blind Faith

There is a misconception that accepting God requires one to abandon reason or science. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that Kṛṣṇa consciousness is based on profound philosophy and logic. We do not accept God blindly; rather, we verify His identity through the symptoms described in the revealed scriptures, the śāstras.

• Actually it is not blind faith. It is full faith in God. "God is speaking this; I'll accept it." Sa mahatma sudurlabhah. That is the position of mahatma.
• Everything has got a test. But these rascals, without testing, accepting another rascal as God. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, when He was asked that how to accept one God, He said, "Well, there is in the sastra mention, the characteristic."
• Bhagavad-gita gives you full information so that you can accept God with your reason, with your argument, with your knowledge. It is not blind following.
• We are accepting Krsna as God not blindly, but by testing. By testing. His character is mentioned in the books. Therefore, we accept God, not by blind faith, but by testing. Although we cannot test, but sastra gives us the chance of testing.

Subordinate Position of the Living Entity

The fundamental illusion of the conditioned soul is the desire to be independent and great. However, sanity returns when we realize that God is great and we are minute. Real liberation is acknowledging this subordinate position and engaging in the service of the Supreme Lord, rather than falsely declaring oneself to be God.

• As soon as one accepts that God is there and I am subordinate, and my business is to surrender unto Him, then immediately he becomes Krsna conscious.
• All the bhaktas who have basically accepted that "God is great; I am small, very small particle. Therefore, as the small serves the great, my real duty is to serve God," this is liberation.
• Just like the finger is part and parcel of my body. Its duty is to serve the whole body. Similarly, if we accept, if we understand that, "I am part and parcel of God," then my duty is to serve God.
• A great personality means to accept the supreme great; he is a great personality. Not that fool who declares himself "I am the great." He is a rascal.

Universal Fatherhood of God

In all bona fide religious traditions, the concept of the Supreme Lord as the Father is present. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that even in Christianity, God is approached as the Supreme Father who provides daily bread. The Vedic culture expands on this by explaining that since God is the father, all living entities are brothers, and thus there should be no conflict if we center our lives around the Supreme Father.

• In every religion, God is accepted as the supreme father. The Christian religion also, they say, "O father, give us our daily bread." So God is accepted, actually He is the father.
• At least the Christian religion accept that supreme father, God, and the material nature is mother. And we are all sons. Not only human beings, every living being, even the dogs. This is philosophy, real philosophy.
• God is accepted as the original father. The Christian, they go to the original father: "O Father, O God, give us our daily bread." So we also accept. That is the godly conception. That is the beginning of religious conception.

Protection Through Surrender

The material world is a place of suffering, but for one who accepts the shelter of the Supreme Lord, the danger is immediately mitigated. Surrender, or śaraṇāgati, means having the firm conviction that the Lord will protect His devotee. This acceptance of the Lord's shelter is the only way to cross the ocean of material nescience.

• Saranagati, or surrender, means acceptance or firm belief that wherever the surrendered soul lives he is always protected by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; he is never alone or unprotected.
• For one who has accepted the boat of the lotus feet of God, who is the shelter of the cosmic manifestation and is famous as Murari, the enemy of the demon Mura, the ocean of the material world is like the water contained in a calf's hoofprint - SB 10.14.58.
• A humble devotee who may not be a great sage, but simply by his implicit acceptance of the Lotus Feet of the Lord as the goal of his life means that he is under the protection of yogamaya.
• The atmosphere created by the presence of great devotees of the Lord on the bank of the Ganges and Maharaja Pariksit's complete acceptance of the Lord's lotus feet were sufficient guarantee to the King for going back to Godhead.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the purpose of all knowledge and civilization is to bring the living entity to the point of accepting God. As Śrīla Prabhupāda illustrates, one may be a great scholar or scientist, but if one fails to accept the Supreme Cause, their knowledge is imperfect. True religion is simply the agreement to serve the Lord. When we stop competing with God and instead accept Him as our maintainer, protector, and dearest friend, our life becomes perfect. This simple yet profound acceptance is the key to solving the problems of the material world and returning home, back to Godhead.

Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani

Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Accepting God. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.

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