# Real Religion *On what constitutes actual dharma* --- ### Enacted by God > Dharma, religious principles, are enacted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. No ordinary man can enact dharma. Therefore there is dharma-viparya. Real dharma, actual dharma, is to abide by the words of the Supreme Lord. That is dharma. — [[spoken/1970/701219sb.sur|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.34–39, Surat, 1970]] --- ### Simply Surrender > Just like Kṛṣṇa says, mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ. That is dharma, simply to surrender unto Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise it is not dharma. Man-made dharma is no dharma. That is called kaitava-dharma, cheating dharma. — [[spoken/1970/701219sb.sur|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.34–39, Surat, 1970]] --- ### Cannot Manufacture > You cannot manufacture religion. But nowadays it has become fashion. Everyone is manufacturing his own religion. Therefore there is dharma-viparya. — [[spoken/1970/701219sb.sur|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.34–39, Surat, 1970]] --- ### Followed by Mahājanas > So one should know that dharma means the laws given by God. That is dharma. And such dharma, or the path of dharma, is strictly followed by these mahājanas. Just like Brahmā, Lord Śiva, Nārada, Manu, Kapila..., Kapiladeva, Kapiladeva who enunciated sāṅkhya philosophy. — [[spoken/1970/701219sb.sur|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.34–39, Surat, 1970]] --- ### Accept from Sampradāya > So we have to accept religious principles from the leaders of the sampradāya. Otherwise it is useless. Sampradāya-vihīnā ye mantrās te viphalā matāḥ: "If you do not accept mantra initiation from the disciplic succession of the sampradāya, then it will be useless." — [[spoken/1970/701219sb.sur|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.34–39, Surat, 1970]] --- ### The Test of Religion > You can adopt any means. There are different kinds of religious system all over the world. You can become Hindu, you can become Muslim, you can become Christian, you can become something else. But the test is how much you have learned to love God. That's it. — [[spoken/1972/721017sb.vrn|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.6, Vṛndāvana, 1972]] --- ### Not External Rituals > Not that "I am Hindu. I have got such a big tuft and so much tilaka, and I take bath daily in the Yamunā, Ganges. I am strictly vegetarian," and so on, so on, so on. But the result? "I am simply attached to my family." That's all. Finished. — [[spoken/1972/721017sb.vrn|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.6, Vṛndāvana, 1972]] --- ### Quality That Cannot Be Removed > According to Sanskrit definition, "religion" means that quality of the living entity which after everything is removed... Oh, you can lose all your money, you can lose your family, you can lose your nationality, but when everything is removed, that religion remains. So what is that? What is that quality that's common to every living entity? — [[spoken/1968/680816jm.mon|Janmāṣṭamī Lecture, Montreal, 1968]] --- ### Eternal Servant > This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's philosophy that eternal servant. Either you accept or not accept, you are servant. You are never equal or greater than God. — [[spoken/1970/700508ip.la|Śrī Īśopaniṣad, Mantra 6, Los Angeles, 1970]] --- ### Do It Perfectly > Do anything, but do it perfectly. "Jack of all trade, master of none." That is not good. Be master of something. It doesn't differ. Either you follow Lord Jesus Christ or Lord Buddha or Kṛṣṇa, it doesn't matter much. But do it perfectly. That is our request. — [[spoken/1969/690510r1.col|Room Conversation, Columbus, 1969]] --- *10 quotes from Śrīla Prabhupāda on real religion* [[wiki/quotes|Back to Quotes]]