Four Things That Turn Me Away From Religion

“O conqueror of wealth, Arjuna, have you heard this attentively with your mind? And are your illusions and ignorance now dispelled?” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 18.72)

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कच्चिद् एतच् छ्रुतं पार्थ
त्वयैकाग्रेण चेतसा
कच्चिद् अज्ञान-सम्मोहः
प्रणष्टस् ते धनञ्जय

kaccid etac chrutaṁ pārtha
tvayaikāgreṇa cetasā
kaccid ajñāna-sammohaḥ
praṇaṣṭas te dhanañjaya

Mention a preference for a specific kind of food. Tell someone about how much you love your dog, how you can’t live without them. Describe the various tourist spots you visited on the most recent vacation.

In fact, choose any kind of preference to discuss, outside of politics, and you likely won’t run into problems. Yet the mere mention of God or religion will turn heads. The people on the receiving end have been driven away through their own life experiences, and the last thing they want to do is revisit the issue.

1. Forced upon future generations

“Follow because I say so. There is no option to decline. My parents made me do things a certain way and I am better off for it. I had a rebellious tendency when I was younger, and if they had let me choose everything on my own who knows where I would be today. This is the religion passed down from our forefathers and you will one day pass on the same to your offspring.”

2. Dogmatic insistence

“Follow because this is what the book says. We refer to it as scripture. Why is that penance recommended? Why is man put on this earth if there is no choice but to accept? Why do we have the ability to think if there shouldn’t be so many questions asked? I don’t know the answers. Don’t put so much effort into it. Just accept the principles and don’t stray too far. These other religions are not bona fide.”

3. Irrational allegiance

“Yes, the leaders have been in the news recently. They did unspeakable things. I will acknowledge that this new leader has me scratching my head with some of his stances. Still, we associate with this particular faith, and part of the doctrine is to accept whatever the leader says. If we were to question, we would lose our status as faithful members of that denomination. I am not ready to risk that over a few regrettable incidents made public.”

4. Blind faith

“Okay, I get that others were led down the wrong path by accepting a leader blindly, without questioning, but this is different. We are following the word of higher authority. Accept the principles without question. You call it blind faith, but I call your way deliberate ignorance. Everything is laid out for you. Accept and be saved. Otherwise, be forever doomed.”

…

In this way the natural inclination towards Divine life gets squashed. The fire inside which should be raging gets almost fully extinguished. Meanwhile, the propensity for service will always remain. To remove it would mean to end the very nature of existence. The Bhagavad-gita explains that such an essence can never be killed.

न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन्
नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः
अजो नित्यः शाश्वतो ऽयं पुराणो
न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे

na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin
nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ
ajo nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ purāṇo
na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre

“For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.20)

The genuine religion meets the needs of the individual. It is beyond the temporary world, which creates illusory situations that have the external appeal of satisfaction, while in reality the end result is continued misery.

The Bhagavad-gita is an explanation on the real religion, commonly grouped into the category of “faith” for the purpose of comparative discussion. Yet there are several notable distinctions. This work has the direct words of the Supreme Lord; not forwarded hearsay evidence. The teachings also have a scientific component to them; the student is not encouraged to accept blindly.

Most importantly, at the end of the presentation there is a choice. In this case the warrior named Arjuna is the quintessential student. The teacher, Shri Krishna, asks if everything has been properly explained and understood. If not, He is ready to review again; enough times until no doubts remain.

Arjuna has the choice. Accept and follow through. See the results of the bhakti path, of abandoning all other dharmas in favor of pleasing the Supreme Lord. Or follow the whims of the senses, neglecting intellect in favor of emotion. Every person has this choice, though they may not have had the full suite of options made known to them.

Vedic literature accounts for every situation of living, and so every person has the opportunity to bring their worldview into the analysis. See for yourself if chanting the holy names has a positive impact: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Judge whether Krishna is indeed the one God not incompatible with the many ways religion is practiced. Run a side-by-side experiment of the results of following material life and of taking up the timeless science that is the true dharma of the individual.

In Closing:

From all angles analysis mount,

Vedas for such variety can account.

Not that only blindly to accept,

And real questions to reject.

Follow with faith but mind too applying,

Understand on shastra vision relying.

Try yourself and see the effect,

If more peace and bliss to detect.

Four Baseless Charges The Bhakti Follower Might Encounter

“Seeing things through the authorized books or authorized teachers is the correct way to see. So, although Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and can see all that is past, present and future, to teach the people in general He used to always refer to the scriptures.” (The Nectar of Devotion, Ch 20)

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It is an arena of competing ideas, after all. Every person is free to state their case. They may or may not receive severe punishment as a result, but the option is always there to speak. Prahlada Maharaja waited until he was asked specific questions, and despite knowing the ire it would cause in the head of state, he was not shy about his preference for spiritual life.

In that case the teachers employed to shape and mold the younger generation tried their best to change Prahlada’s mind, but to no avail. The follower of the bhakti path meets many challenges, both subtle and explicit. The majority tend to be lacking a reference to authority.

1. Krishna is the worst

“Are you actually aware of His antics? I’m talking about what is clearly documented in the texts that you hold in such high esteem. Shrimad Bhagavatam. Bhagavad-gita. For starters, He is a warmonger. He urged a reluctant participant to fight, to kill people on the other side. Violence is never the proper course of action.

“Then there are His pastimes in Vrindavana. He sported with young, married women. That is quintessential sin. You are trying to become sinless, anagha, but your hero is known for stealing commodities from other homes and taking away the respect of innocent and chaste women. How could someone like that be the prime object of worship?”

2. Hinduism is a made-up religion

“You don’t really believe the stories, do you? A monkey-god leaping over an ocean and carrying a mountain in his hand. A guy with an elephant-head whose father keeps poison in his throat. His mother rides on a tiger and is ready to attack with pronged weapons.

”It’s obvious to any rational adult that Hinduism was concocted as a way to deal with the unknown. In primitive times people did not have the advantage of modern science. They had to find other ways to explain nature. It’s cool if you want to study that time period in history, but to actually derive any meaning from those texts seems silly to me.”

3. My religion is superior

“Surrender to my God. Don’t get sidetracked with this other stuff. If you don’t admit your sins and pledge allegiance to the savior, there is no hope. You will be doomed to hell for eternity. You don’t want to take that chance, do you?”

4. There is no need for books or explanations

“Just contemplate on the Absolute. You will learn everything through introspection. Wisdom is within you. There is no need of books or accepting a spiritual guide. They can only take you so far, anyway. The higher reality is meant to be realized through silence.”

…

The issue with these viewpoints is that there is no reference to authority. In this world any person can say anything. I think that today is Monday, in the month of May. Everyone at home and at work seems to agree, but one person claims that it is actually Friday. He thinks the month is January. There is no convincing him otherwise, as he does not quote an authority to back his claim.

The principles of Vedic culture descend in what is called parampara, which is a sequence of spiritually realized souls. They learn the truth from a teacher and then pass on the wisdom to one or many people in a succeeding generation; something like passing the torch.

Genuine spiritual life is thus learned through the combination of authority and the practice and adherence to principles. There is a scientific basis to achieving consciousness of the Supreme Lord. Otherwise, in the game of dogmatic insistence, one opinion is as valid as another. Every person is on an equal playing field, regardless of intelligence or reasoning.

The argument may be made that authority is determined arbitrarily, but there is always some kind of faith involved. From the Bhagavad-gita we see the proper way to understand. Arjuna accepts Krishna as the authority figure, the guru. Krishna presents the principles of spiritual life and answers any questions that Arjuna may have. In the end, it is up to the student to decide how to proceed. Bhagavan does not insist on blind faith.

Through consulting authority a person learns that the same God described extensively to be the origin of the universes, to be beyond the bounds of time and space, can most certainly enjoy with His supporters in any manner desired. He recommends violence when necessary, and the Divine figures associated with Him have extraordinary forms and abilities due precisely to the important roles they play in maintaining the material world.

If God can hold up the massive planets in the air, then most certainly it is possible for one of His devotees to be empowered to the point of carrying a large mountain in their hand. The baseless criticisms get quickly squashed when there is guidance from the spiritual master and some dedication to the association of transcendental sound: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

From dedication not to erase,

When baseless challenges to face.

Like Shri Krishna worst of all,

Or Vedas mythology to call.

Superior is religion of mine,

Surrender or hell to find!

Authority and intelligence the proper way,

Even quoting when Lord teachings to say.

How Do You Deal With The “Deity Is Stone” Argument

“We may find some mailboxes on the street, and if we post our letters in those boxes, they will naturally go to their destination without difficulty. But any old box, or an imitation, which we may find somewhere, which is not authorized by the post office, will not do the work. Similarly, God has an authorized representation in the Deity form, which is called archa-vigraha. This archa-vigraha is an incarnation of the Supreme Lord. God will accept service through that form.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, 12.5 Purport)

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Friend1: One of the most commonly misunderstood aspects of Vedic culture is deity worship.

Friend2: Through what avenue? The idea that you are making an image of God?

Friend1: Or just the fact that it’s stone. It’s a figure crafted from human intelligence or ability.

Friend2: Well, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada makes an important distinction in that regard. The deity is not imaginary; it is based on authority. Sure, there is some artistic skill in the input. You assign two people the same project to create a painting, and the results will be different.

Friend1: Yes, because of a host of factors, including ability.

Friend2: Vision, as well. With deity worship the basis is not imagination, though. Everything is authorized, or at least it is supposed to be. The hands, the legs, the feet, the paraphernalia, up to the positioning of the hands – the guidance is from shastra, which is scripture.

Friend1: I get that. There is certainly something to the process. In the beginning we may not understand, but through further immersion in the culture there is a purification in terms of vision. While a visit to the temple in the past may not have made an impact, now there is an immediate feeling combining peace, respect, awe, and inspiration simultaneously.

Friend2: For sure, and the same effect is absent from interaction with something material.

Friend1: As in, ordinary stone, wood, resin or what have you. Here is the thing. How do we handle the argument which says to give priority to those objects which are animate? First feed and serve the living beings; then God.

Friend2: What do you mean?

Friend1: Service to man. Instead of bringing offerings to the deity in the temple, feed the poor, those who are starving.

Friend2: I would first say that there is some validity to the argument. Shri Rama, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, remarks similarly in the Ramayana. He is trying to justify the need to honor the wishes of the father, King Dasharatha, by carrying through with the exile order. Rama says that if you can’t properly worship those who are animate, like the parents and guru, then how can you properly worship the Supreme Lord, who is beyond our vision?

Friend1: That is a good argument, but I guess the question is over who is worthy of worship.

Friend2: That’s the thing. A person claims that the deity is stone and that man should be served instead, but what if the man being served is worse than stone?

Friend1: Such as a criminal? But how would we know that in the beginning? I can’t tell that the hungry person will one day lead a life of crime after I have served them.

Friend2: Precisely. You don’t know. You are following the path out of sentiment, based solely on the externals. You fail to realize that worshiping the deity in the proper way is like watering the root of the tree. The component parts automatically get served. There is no need to worry so much. It may seem like a practice based in sentimentalism, but there is a science to it. It is an age-old tradition providing lasting value, whereas helping this person or that may not even benefit them in the long run.

Friend1: Are you saying we shouldn’t help the less fortunate?

Friend2: In terms of priority, there is no question.

Friend1: Are you saying that by serving the deity the hungry will automatically be fed?

Friend2: You cannot solve every ill or every injustice in society. It is simply not possible, no matter how hard you try. You were given this human birth to fulfill a higher purpose, and the Supreme Lord is so merciful as to descend as the deity to help make the achievement a reality. Don’t squander the chance.

In Closing:

No more in bodies to wander,

This best chance don’t squander.

Through illusion succumbing,

And averse to God becoming.

With the deity something more,

To help understand Him for.

Better than service any other direction,

Deity not an imagination production.

Don’t You Also Have The Imperfect Problem In Service To Krishna

“The unsuccessful yogi, after many, many years of enjoyment on the planets of the pious living entities, is born into a family of righteous people, or into a family of rich aristocracy.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 6.41)

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प्राप्य पुण्य-कृतां लोकान्
उषित्वा शाश्वतीः समाः
शुचीनां श्रीमतां गेहे
योग-भ्रष्टो ऽभिजायते

prāpya puṇya-kṛtāṁ lokān
uṣitvā śāśvatīḥ samāḥ
śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe
yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate

Friend1: I have heard the relevant arguments relating to the “service to man” issue.

Friend2: From which side?

Friend1: Both. The supporters claim that this is the real way to please the Supreme Lord. Feed the hungry. Provide medical assistance to those in need. Lend support to the less fortunate. They claim this is superior to worshiping a statue residing in a temple.

Friend2: Yes. Why actually try to understand God? Remain in illusion. Stay fixed on a temporary situation, on a body that is destructible.

Friend1: As I said, I have heard the arguments. One that I like from the side supporting bhakti, devotion to Vishnu or Krishna, is that you cannot be perfect in the service to man.

Friend2: What do you mean?

Friend1: Take the worst instance for analysis purposes.

Friend2: As in failure?

Friend1: Oh, no. I’m talking about success.

Friend2: Okay.

Friend1: You have successfully helped a person who was in need. They were poor. They begged for money. You happily obliged. The thing is, they went on to use that assistance to purchase a gun to shoot up a gathering of innocent people.

Friend2: That is terrible.

Friend1: But it is service to man. It is supposed to please God. We are helping the less fortunate.

Friend2: Meanwhile, through karma you are further implicated. Not only by remaining in illusion as to the true nature of the individual, but there is complicity, albeit unknowing, to a heinous crime.

Friend1: You aren’t helping anyone in the long term, and there is no guarantee that you are lifting up someone of good character.

Friend2: Yup.

Friend1: Anyway, I was wondering if the same argument could be made about following bhakti-yoga in general.

Friend2: As in, you give the holy names to someone of bad character? How exactly will they use knowledge of the soul to hurt someone, though?

Friend1: No, I am talking about the imperfection. If we are saying that service to Krishna is superior to service to man, is there not the vulnerability to imperfection?

Friend2: You have to define a condition of failure for me to properly assess.

Friend1: We speak to someone on the glories of Bhagavad-gita and Shrimad Bhagavatam. We travel from place to place and lecture to gathered assemblies on the need for abandoning interest in material life. We urge them to take up the chanting of the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. We ask that they make a sincere effort to understand their true nature.

Friend2: That is great. What is the harm?

Friend1: What if no one follows? What if not a single person becomes a devotee of the personal God as a result? I am driving at the concept of imperfection. Are you not vulnerable to the same defects that are present in the service to man?

Friend2: Absolutely not. The secret, which will stay just between us for now, is that simply taking up bhakti-yoga guarantees liberation.

Friend1: How is that?

Friend2: Because it takes so many lifetimes to make such a decision. It does not happen accidentally. A person must have exhausted their store of sinful demerits before they can try to understand Krishna in truth:

येषां त्व् अन्त-गतं पापं
जनानां पुण्य-कर्मणाम्
ते द्वन्द्व-मोह-निर्मुक्ता
भजन्ते मां दृढ-व्रताः

yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ
janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām
te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā
bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ

“Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life, whose sinful actions are completely eradicated and who are freed from the duality of delusion, engage themselves in My service with determination.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.28)

Any effort ultimately bears fruit. Even if you fail in this life to become liberated, you receive auspicious circumstances in the subsequent birth. You might get a supportive family who encourages you from the beginning of life. Shri Krishna assures the unsuccessful yogi of the opportunity to continue from where they left off. This means that there are no defects in the bhakti process. Serve the Supreme Lord and you will be watering the root of the tree instead of erroneously focusing only on this branch or that leaf.

In Closing:

Today the hungry to feed,

But tomorrow still a need.

Also vulnerability the chance,

That thief’s strength to enhance.

Not the same with bhakti way,

Where the unsuccessful to stay?

Promise that in future placed,

So that progress never erased.

Three Issues With The Service To Man Speculation On The Vedas

“The embodied soul may be restricted from sense enjoyment, though the taste for sense objects remains. But, ceasing such engagements by experiencing a higher taste, he is fixed in consciousness.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.59)

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विषया विनिवर्तन्ते
निराहारस्य देहिनः
रस-वर्जं रसो ऽप्य् अस्य
परं दृष्ट्वा निवर्तते

viṣayā vinivartante
nirāhārasya dehinaḥ
rasa-varjaṁ raso 'py asya
paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate

“I have heard you discount this concept before, but it doesn’t seem terribly off to me. It is based on a combination of the Vedas and the conclusion of saintly people. The idea is that there is certainly a God. He is a kind being. He is compassionate. Every living thing is His child; hence the term ‘harijana.’

“The presentation is that the highest ideal for the human being is service to man. This is actually service to God. It pleases Him the most. I don’t have to go into great detail, as you can already identify the type of work that falls into this category. My question is why do you discount the notion? Why are you not in support? Do you think that the Supreme Lord will not be pleased if we help out those in distress? What is the basis for your counterargument?”

1. Imperfect

The starting point should always be authority. Any person can say anything. In the battle between competing dogmatic insistence or blind allegiance, there is no clearly defined winner. The opinion of one person is as good as the next. This means that there is equal weight given to the opposing argument, however a person chooses to define it.

If I say that disservice to man is the highest ideal, who can properly argue? I can claim that man is generally sinful, as they do great harm to others. Therefore, disservice is the way to go. Act as a sort of governing body, providing punishment to those who are deserving.

My argument holds as much weight as the one on the other side. We can debate each other for hours and hours without reaching a conclusion. Moreover, neither path is perfect. You cannot serve all of humanity, and neither can I properly punish every person who has done harm to others.

2. Partial

The saint following in the Vaishnava tradition of spiritual life will immediately notice this flaw:

“Why are you only serving man? Do you not think that God created the animals? From where does their strength come? They have a vital force inside, as well, and you would surely agree that everything has a source. This world did not emerge from nothing.

“Then why do you limit your application of benevolence to the human species? Why do you provide medical treatment to an ailing human being while simultaneously cutting the throat of an innocent cow? Why do you not care for the rivers, streams, mountains, valleys, meadows and trees with the same level of interest? Why do you not lament their condition at having their natural intelligence suppressed due to the bodily condition?”

3. Unscientific

The Vedas are scientific in nature. That is to say blind faith is neither encouraged nor suggested. Learn the principles of spiritual life from someone who has seen the truth. They are described as tattva-darshi, and they were able to reach that position through the help of their own teacher.

The scientific view says that serving only the bodily condition of another living entity is not really service at all. The common comparison is to the medical patient who is ill. They may have certain dietary restrictions imposed by the doctor. In a mood of compassion, if I were to offer something from the prohibited list, that “service” might end up killing the recipient.

In the same way, simply feeding the hungry and providing financial assistance to the less fortunate will not do much for them in the long run. The practice of deity worship is an easy target for ridicule, but there is a science to it. At the foundation is the idea of connecting with the Supreme Lord in truth, understanding that He has transcendental features. One who knows Him then sees the spiritual equality of every living being and can then support them accordingly. They can elevate them to the same level of consciousness, which pleases Bhagavan the most. This is a higher taste, which feeds the hunger of the soul.

In Closing:

In speculation argument’s realm,

Any fool provided speaker’s helm.

Endless debate and no resolution,

Imperfect every proposed solution.

From shastra the standard raised,

Where direct service praised.

Higher taste to the soul giving.

Way that eternally happy living.

Isn’t Someone Following Bhakti A Case Of Sour Grapes

“The bhogis are the karmis, those who are working very hard to exploit the resources of the material nature, like the scientists, for example, who are doing research to further such exploitation. Their intention, actually, is to steal. On the other hand, the tyagis, those who are unable to steal, have a ‘sour grapes’ philosophy: ‘Oh, these things are useless. There is no need of them.’ Mostly, of course, people are bhogis; that is, they are trying to use everything to enjoy sense gratification. But still there are those who are baffled in sense gratification and who therefore say, ‘No, no, we don't need these things.’” (Shrila Prabhupada, Teachings of Queen Kunti, Ch 21 Purport)

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Friend1: You know, like the rest of us, I’ve heard the use of the term “sour grapes” many times. Maybe only in my situation, but I never really knew the origins of it. I didn’t stop to consider the component words.

Friend2: What do you mean? Like you just associated the term with a specific emotion, but didn’t call to mind a sour taste or the fruit identified as grapes?

Friend1: Exactly. “Counting your chickens before they hatch.” “Putting the cart before the horse.” You hear these sayings and know what they mean based on the context of the use, but you don’t really think about the origin.

Friend2: I see what you are saying.

Friend1: Anyway, the sour grapes thing relates to a jackal. Or a fox; I am not sure of the exact animal. They are reaching for some grapes that are in sight. They try and try until finally giving up.

Friend2: And then to avoid feeling like a failure they claim that the grapes were sour.

Friend1: Yeah. “I didn’t want them anyway. Not worth the effort.”

Friend2: Oh, and we human beings have a similar mentality in so many areas. That is because it is very easy to fail. They publish volumes of literature on how to succeed, on how to stay positive, but no one needs to be taught how to fail at something.

Friend1: Could not we say that someone taking up bhakti-yoga is a case of sour grapes?

Friend2: What gives you that idea?

Friend1: They are essentially giving up on life. If serious, they immediately avoid the four pillars of sinful life: meat eating, gambling, intoxication, and illicit sex. They end up labeling everything around them maya.

Friend2: The illusory energy pervading the material world. That which fools us into taking something unreal to be real.

Friend1: And hiding our true identity as Brahman. Couldn’t someone say that is the easy way out? Call everyone around you a karmi, which is used derisively:

“Eww, look at that person. They are totally in maya. I will avoid their association, lest I get contaminated. Oh, that person is so engrossed in the bodily concept of life. I am not like them.”

Friend2: Where is the sour grapes angle?

Friend1: That they couldn’t succeed in material life. Or maybe they didn’t want to get a job. You know, the hippie mentality.

Friend2: Interesting.

Friend1: I can’t be like everyone else so I will condemn their way of living. Some of these people were heavy into drugs and alcohol. Since they couldn’t control their addiction, they tell everyone that any kind of indulgence is bad. They use shastra as an excuse, as a way to affirm their bitterness.

Friend2: I have certainly never heard this line of reasoning before. Usually, we say that the atheists are the ones with sour grapes.

Friend1: Why is that?

Friend2: They can’t understand God. They have no concept of spiritual life. They are also frustrated with material life. They cannot explain the cause of birth to anyone. They do not understand the reason for living. Therefore, when they see anyone following religion, they condemn the idea as a fantasy or fairytale.

Friend1: I cannot understand dharma so I will declare it to be sour, not worth pursuing.

Friend2: And even if the person in bhakti is accurately accused of sour grapes, look at the benefit they get. Shri Krishna says that a person only surrenders to Him after having exhausted every option in sinful life.

येषां त्व् अन्त-गतं पापं
जनानां पुण्य-कर्मणाम्
ते द्वन्द्व-मोह-निर्मुक्ता
भजन्ते मां दृढ-व्रताः

yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ
janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām
te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā
bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ

“Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life, whose sinful actions are completely eradicated and who are freed from the duality of delusion, engage themselves in My service with determination.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.28)

Friend1: In that sense failing at becoming wealthy ends up being beneficial.

Friend2: Or not wanting to work or succumbing to substance abuse. Those are not good reasons to follow service to the Supreme Lord, but the key is that the right kind of service purifies the situation. Every sinner has a future and every saint has a past. Once in the shelter of the Divine, the past makes no difference. Whether you found Bhagavan through birth in a high family or after lying in the gutter from homelessness is irrelevant.

Friend1: Okay, but how do you explain to someone that bhakti is not sour grapes?

Friend2: Let them see the other side first. You can only make a proper assessment after some knowledge and experience. If I leave a review for a restaurant at which I have never eaten, is there any value to my opinion?

Friend1: No. That is cheating.

Friend2: At least taste the grapes on this side. Make a proper comparison. Then see if they are sour or not. So many saintly people experienced material life to the fullest and realized that there was nothing to it. They were still unfulfilled, and actually that is guaranteed to be the case. The individual is spirit soul and the soul is meant to connect with the Supreme Soul in a link known as yoga.

In Closing:

After failing at chase,

Sour grapes the case.

Could not devotee be accused,

By the skeptic abused?

First the other side see,

For proper comparison to be.

Truth that material always lacking,

Yoga for higher taste tracking.

Three Reasons Vishnu Might Not Descend To Deal With Today's Asuras

“The hair on Narasimhadeva's head shook the clouds and scattered them here and there, His glaring eyes stole the effulgence of the luminaries in the sky, and His breathing agitated the seas and oceans. Because of His roaring, all the elephants in the world began to cry in fear.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.8.32)

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सटावधूता जलदाः परापतन्
ग्रहाश् च तद्-दृष्टि-विमुष्ट-रोचिषः
अम्भोधयः श्वास-हता विचुक्षुभुर्
निर्ह्राद-भीता दिगिभा विचुक्रुशुः

saṭāvadhūtā jaladāḥ parāpatan
grahāś ca tad-dṛṣṭi-vimuṣṭa-rociṣaḥ
ambhodhayaḥ śvāsa-hatā vicukṣubhur
nirhrāda-bhītā digibhā vicukruśuḥ

“You have probably heard this question many times before, but I have to ask. The concept of an avatara is really awesome. Not the son of God. Not a divinely inspired person. Not someone who is in contact with beings from a different dimension.

”This is the Supreme Lord Himself. Bhagavan, descending to the world of duality. He remains above. A less intelligent person may distinguish between saguna and nirguna, seen and unseen, but the external perspective has no impact on the actual existence.

“I also understand the conditions which trigger a descent. Shri Krishna presents the truth plainly. When the sadhus, the saintly people, get harassed. When there is a decline in dharma paired with a rise in adharma, at that time God the person arrives to deal with the situation.

“The obvious question relates to today. Where is He? Why isn’t He here to save us? Where is the avatara to provide rescue, especially to the cows and the brahmanas. Sure, the priestly class may have degraded into a system of privilege based on accidental birthright, but the cows surely are innocent. Where is their protection? Why isn’t Bhagavan addressing the situation directly, as He has done countless times in the past?”

1. Perhaps the asuras of today aren’t up to the standard of Jaya and Vijaya

In the past the corresponding parties actually fell from the spiritual world. Technically, they did not fall in the sense that they were doomed due to personal desire, but there was some transgression arranged by the Great Coordinator that led to a curse resulting in multiple inauspicious births. This was the case with Jaya and Vijaya, two gatekeepers in the spiritual kingdom.

Perhaps the asuras bringing harassment today are not fixed residents of Vaikuntha, where they eternally serve the Supreme Lord. One contributing factor to the Divine descent is a desire to fight. Since there are no contravening emotions in the place free of anxieties, any such conflict would have to take place in the land of duality.

The asuras of today may be considered less distinguished in a sense, perfectly capable of being dealt with by the material energy, who is depicted as a powerful lady seated on a tiger, holding a trident. Each of the three prongs in that weapon represents a source of misery. Though the bad people, so to speak, may be in positions of power today, they are actually suffering, with the final blow arriving at the time of death. That moment will be painful and unwelcome, and most likely unexpected to the victim.

2. The demigods are still worshiped to an extent

One of the first things the powerful asuras described in Vedic literature do is stamp out any remaining traces of worship of the devas. These are the demigods, who are something like the administrators of the material creation. Their strength is maintained through the oblations offered in yajna, which is sacrifice.

The Rakshasa named Ravana was so vile that the men under him would travel to remote areas looking for brahmanas and munis. The man-eaters would then sneakily attack right at the time of yajna, thereby rendering the religious efforts fruitless. In a similar manner, the Daitya named Hiranyakashipu actually took over the position of the demigods and prevented them from receiving their just share of offerings from sacrifice.

While today there is undoubtedly a general decline in adherence to dharma, there is still some worship taking place. In certain pockets the devotional spirit is flourishing. There is constant recitation of the hymns of the Vedas and derived works, and the people are generally pious. They understand the concept of an afterlife and they pay respect to the laws passed down for man’s overall wellbeing.

3. Look at the precedent set

The most obvious distinction to consider is that the asuras from today may simply not be wicked or powerful enough. From the likes of Ravana and Hiranyakashipu we see the precedent set. The latter had boons sufficient for protection almost to the point of immortality. The idea was that only the Supreme Lord could handle the situation. No one else was capable.

All hope is not lost. Simply because the present time period does not correspond with an avatara in the enumerated list does not mean that connection to the Divine is impossible. On the contrary, the golden avatara known as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu provided a means for every person to be rescued, even while living in the dark age known as Kali.

That way is the chanting of the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. The sound vibration is equivalent to the person called out; this unique property applies only to Bhagavan. He is actually always around, and through the help of the bona fide guru we gain the vision necessary to perceive.

In Closing:

From guru vision to receive,

So that Divine to perceive.

Not waiting for avatara to come,

Who many times has done.

Attention perhaps not catching,

Since not yet to Ravana matching.

Today’s asuras not totally to scare,

Opportunity from Chaitanya there.