(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 03 October 2013, Melbourne, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 2.3.8)
It is due to our rebelliousness that we do not want to take Krsna consciousness as it is. This is the issue and then we say, “Well, I have changed my religion. I actually realized after a long time that Krsna consciousness was not it! Initially, I had full faith but then over time, I saw that people did not live up to the standards actually. I saw that it was a big farce and now, I worship Durga or I am going to Church daily. I am very happy! So happy. Yeah, happy because now I can do any damn thing. I do not have to follow the same rules anymore. I have just given up Krsna consciousness and I have taken on another philosophy with easier standards. Great then I do not have to feel guilty about not surrendering.”
“And why are there so many religions in the world, Swamiji?” So that people can justify material desires in the name of religion. That is why there are so many different religions in the world. So people can justify different material desires and just put a nice religious sugar coating over it and feel so good about themselves, “It is all right to eat this animal, it is our religion. Every Christmas, it is part of our religion to live for the turkeys!” So, in this way, justifying – that is actually the truth. If you really look at it that is what Srimad Bhagavatam is saying,
dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo ’tra paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satāṁ
vedyaṁ vāstavam atra vastu śivadaṁ tāpa-trayonmūlanam
śrīmad-bhāgavate mahā-muni-kṛte kiṁ vā parair īśvaraḥ
sadyo hṛdy avarudhyate ’tra kṛtibhiḥ śuśrūṣubhis tat-kṣaṇāt, (Srimad Bhagavatam, 1.1.2)
It speaks about all these kinds of dharmah, all these cheating religions which are simply aiming at fulfilling material desires and it is everywhere in the world. Everywhere in the world!
