Response to CRI Critique of SRF
We know nothing about how to think about the reality in which we live and
the nature of God when we are born into this world. Our family and our
culture train us by the accumulated knowledge that has been assimilated
into the particular environment in which we live. We generally find ourselves
in a system where we pay people, who are clergy, to tell us about the universe
in which we live. By necessity our religious teachers are sincere and wish
to pass on the heritage of religious tradition to the best of their understanding
and ability.
In time we may become dissatisfied with the explanations that we have been
handed and wonder "What are we paying these people for?"
It is said that one is drawn to the teacher that one deserves. Not necessarily
the best or highest truth is given to the seeker. It is based on the quality
of the seeking. In a similar fashion we find people, in general, follow
all kinds of different teachings based upon their basic temperament and
even based upon one’s already hardened prejudices. The Bible says,
"Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit,
do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd," Exodus 23:2 (NIV)
And yet this is done all the time in the name of religion. Misrepresentation
of another's religion often goes hand in hand with the competitive search
for an audience.
When we talk about the nature of religion and of man’s relationship with
God, we sometimes go to the very heart of what people think about their
own salvation and their own personal walk with God. To discount or shed
doubt on a person’s concept of his (or her) salvation can unquestionably
violate the individual’s sense of integrity as a child of God. Normally,
in casual conversations and in the normal course of my relationships with
people, I never talk about such subjects lest my understanding of salvation
cause unnecessary harm to another individual's solid faith in their own
way.
However, such considerations are not part and parcel of a certain section
of Christianity. So, I will make a fumbling attempt to answer some of the
charges that are characteristically brought against those of Christian
background who attempt to bring the practice of Kriya Yoga or meditation
into their spiritual life.
The following is a 1979 analysis of Self-Realization Fellowship by a writer
for Christian
Research Institute (CRI), founded by Dr. Walter Martin. You can learn
more about CRI
by visiting the Religious
Movements Page. I will interject my comments into the body of the CRI
report (purple text)
and hopefully answer or even correct some of its conclusions:
Here is the beginning of the CRI critique of
SRF:
Self-Realization
Fellowship was founded by Swami Paramahansa
Yogananda and was brought to America in l920.
International
headquarters for SRF is in Los Angeles on Mt.
Washington.
Yogananda was a Hindu Yogi and mystic of the
early twentieth
century. He emphasized that union with God is
the chief end of
man. By submitting to the necessary Hindu training,
he earned the
title of "Swami", and through his teachings gained
a following in
the United States, where he as aided by the enthusiastic
support
of horticulturist Luther Burbank.
His
followers are convinced that he as a Prem-Avatar; that
is, an incarnation of the love of God. Yogananda
was a devout,
well educated, personable man, who was acquainted
with many
dignitaries in his native India, including Mahatma
Gandhi.
The basic tenets of SRF are summarized as follows:
(1) They
hold pantheism, (the belief that ultimately,
God is the only
reality: everything is a part of God, and all
things find their
true identity in God) as a primary supposition
in their view of
things. (2) They teach that the basic ills of
man's spirit, soul,
and body may be overcome by becoming one with
the "cosmic
consciousness"; i.e., by realizing that one's
true self is not
his finite, temporal ego, but that one eternal
Self that exists
within each of us. (3) They believe that this
goal may be reached
through disciplined observance of certain practices.
These
include physical yoga (hatha and kriya), with
an emphasis on
breathing excercises, meditation (preferably
upon God rather than
a word or object), living a good, moral life
and abstaining from
all vices, restricting one's diet to health foods,
and reading
holy writings, such as the BIBLE, the BHAGAVAD
GITA (Hinduism's
most popular Scriptures), and Yogananda's AUTOBIOGRAPHY
OF A
YOGI. (4) They emphasize the unity of all religions,
teaching
that Hinduism and Christianity, as they were
originally taught,
are in perfect harmony. (5) They laud Jesus as
a great prophet,
and quote the Bible profusely.
Correction:
Jesus Christ is considered by SRF members an avatar, a divine incarnation.
One who attains union with Spirit and then returns to earth to help mankind
is called an avatar. See Swami Yukteswar's The
Holy Science.
To continue:
(6) They consider mystical
experiences important as a means of realizing
one's union with
God. Yogananda's life was replete with supernatural
signs and
miracles, according to his autobiography. The
faithful are
encouraged that when they reach a certain point
of spiritual
growth they too will experience contact with
the spiritual world
in such manifestations as trances, or visions
of departed
masters. (7) They also hold the classical Hindu
doctrine of
reincarnation.
Although SRF's attempts
to promote unity between Hinduism
and Christianity appear commendable, such a goal
can only be
realized by subtly glossing over significant,
irreconcilable
differences between the two. The end result finds
Hinduism
unscathed by the transaction, while Christianity
becomes stripped
of its essential and distinguishing characteristics.
The
characters and terminology of Christianity are
retained, but
their historic meaning and significance are traded
for the
esoteric pantheism of Hindu theology.
Let's examine some of
the reasons why Christianity, in its
original form, can not be harmonized with Hinduism,
or any other
religion.
The God of the Bible
is distinctly an infinite, personal
Being, whose essence is Spirit. (2 Chronicles
6:18. Jeremiah
10:10. Exodus 3:14,15. John 4:24.) He created
the world out of
nothing, not out of Himself. (Genesis 1:1. The
Hebrew word for
"create" is "bara", which indicates something
coming out of
nothing). Thus the universe essentially is not
God, although His
infinite Spirit is present in all parts of it.
God created man as
an entity distinct from Himself, to exist into
eternity as a
finite reflection of His own image; spiritual,
personal, and
moral. (Genesis 1:26,27, Psalms 94:9, Numbers
23:19, 1
Corinthians 2:11, 1 Peter 1:16.). His purpose
for creating man
was so that He and man might experience a personal,
intimate
fellowship for all eternity (John 17:3, 1 Cor.
1:9, 1 John 1:3).
The Christian goal of union with God is not to
lose one's
identity through absorption into the Divine Self.
Man does not
need to be freed from his own personal, finite
identity; it is a
gift from God, created in His image. For the
Christian, to be
united with God is to enter into a unity of will
and devotion
with that distinct Person who is the Absolute.
Earthly marriage
speaks to us of this union in that two persons
become intimately
united without losing their individual indentities.
Self
realization then is realizing one's own dignified
identity as a
being created in God's own image, and going on
from there by
faith in Christ to become a child of God (Jn.
1:12), in order to
find our ultimate fulfillment; eternal fellowship
with God. It is
not realizing that our true Self is God, for
such thinking is the
very thing that has always led man away from
the true God
(Genesis 3:4,5, Isaiah 47:8-10, Ezekiel 28:2).
Yogananda does not teach that we are God. This is a common boogy-man that
is often used. In one of his audio tapes, Paramahansa Yogananda says it
is a curious thing that so many people in the West claim to be gods. The
drop or the wave in the ocean cannot say it is the entire ocean. The wave
can say the ocean has become me, but not that I have become the ocean.
Of course this is why Jesus was persecuted by the Pharisees when He said,
"I and my Father are One", they did not understand. "How could this be?"
asked the Pharisees.
In the same way do modern pharisees look at the practitioners of kriya
yoga and the science of self-transformation. The SRF goal is not to become
a God, unmindful of moral law as illustrated by the verses sited above.
But, it is to come in harmony with God’s will for the spiritual aspirant.
How can this be done without seeking the Lord’s face?
Does one say, "Oh, I am a Christian. So I better not do anything that might
make me better, or more holy, or closer to God."? What a terrible
strait-jacket this theology becomes.
What ever became of "have the mind of Christ"? Is there no such thing as
higher consciousness? Why do we listen to good and elevating music and
read good books and literature? It is because we know that these things
bring our thinking higher and bring us to a closer understanding of God’s
goodness. Are we merely to become "slobs for Christ"? I don't think so.
To continue:
This
brings us to the question of how one reaches this union
with God. SRF's approach will only lead one into
contact with
fallen spirits posing as God, or departed masters:
it can never
lead one into contact with the true God.
This
statement seems to be totally unsupported and based only upon conjecture
and bigotry.
To continue:
This failure is due to
an ignorance of the true nature and cause of
man's separation
from God. Man is not separated from God because
he is ignorant of
his true union, as SRF affirms. Man is separated
from God because
he is guilty of breaking the moral laws which
God established in
the universe for the good of His creation.
Isn’t the breaking of moral laws caused by ignorance of man’s true nature?
Did not Jesus say, "Forgive them, for they know not what they do"?
To continue:
This
disobedience originated with Adam, and has spread
throughout the entire human race (Romans 5:12).
The story of Adam is one of obvious fallen consciousness. This theme is
mirrored in the Mahabharata tale from which the Bhagavad Gita is small
part. King Soul, in union with God, is tempted by a "game of dice" to become
involved in the material world and thus become ensnared in its separation
and forgetfulness of the Divine state. See page xl in the introduction
of Paramahansa Yogananda's commentary of The
Bhagavad Gita: God Talks With Arjuna.
To continue:
According to the
Bible, even the most moral, disciplined man is
still a sinner
(Romans 3:23), and thus incapable of reaching
God through his own
efforts, for God will not overlook his sin, or
its just penalty.
Guilt and shame are always a good way to control people. And perhaps this
judgmental type of thinking should, in this age, finally be abandoned.
To continue:
With man incapable of bridging the gap, it was
up to God to do
something about it, which He did by sending His
Son, in the form
of a man, sinless, to pay man's penalty through
his sacrificial
death. For those who recognize that through their
own efforts
they can not please God, and are willing to accept
that through
Christ's finished work in the cross all that
was necessary for
their salvation was done, God, in response to
their faith, will
reinstate them into union with Himself.
Apparently, Christians never make any effort. But, of course, they do.
Even CRI recommends exercise of will and good judgment to improve one's
life. Yogananda has called the Bible's Ten Commandments, "The Guidelines
to a Happy Life." For it is in a balanced life that one is able to soar
in spirit to the abode of God's presence. No unbalanced person will perceive
God simply by counting on the completed work of Christ. With a moral background,
one can then proceed further by practice of correct meditation posture,
control of one's life force through Kriya Yoga, and interiorization of
the mind, where Zion truly is located. Through Kriya practice, one eventually
arrives at the breathless state where there indeed is no striving; only
the support of God. This is the only true Sabbath, resting even from bodily
restlessness. "Be still, and know that I am God" Psalms
46:10 (KJV)
To continue:
This true form of
enlightenment brings one into awareness of a
living, loving,
personal God who transcends the universe, not
an impersonal
cosmic consciousness who is the universe.
Who says that cosmic consciousness is impersonal? Paramahansa Yogananda
has always taught that God is both personal and impersonal. "He is the
nearest of the near, the dearest of the dear." Are they confusing the SRF
teachings with something else? Or is this argument merely convenient?
To continue:
Such experience as
cosmic consciousness is counterfeit and dangerous,
because of the
demonic element, and even more, because of the
eternal loss such
deception can lead one to.
Where is this statement supported by scripture?
To continue:
Hindus would be better off totally
rejecting Christianity than trying to unify it
with Hinduism.
In the book, "Science
of Religion", Paramahansa Yogananda states that there is no way that
religious custom and practice will be universalized. And perhaps that is
the real problem here. Yogananda taught from a non-dual point of view,
where the only important thing is the universal experience of happiness,
or better described as bliss, through God-union that is shared by great
saints of all religions. His synthesis of customs that are adopted
by Self-Realization Fellowship are not meant to be a form practiced by
all religious peoples of the world. It is a particular church where meditation
is the main "activity."
To continue:
Jesus Himself made it all too clear. "JESUS
SAID TO HIM; "I AM
THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE; NO ONE COMES
TO THE FATHER BUT
THROUGH ME." (John 14:6).
The quote from John 14:16
seems exclusive for the following reasons:
(1) It is taken out of context
by which it makes a wrong impression.
What does "cometh
unto the Father" really mean?
Is it a future
promise that comes to one immediately upon death for having professed Jesus
Christ as Savior?
Is this a
claim of exclusivity by Jesus?
A few verses
later, Jesus makes this statement:
John 14:10
"...the words
that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth
in me, he doeth the works." (KJV)
By following
with this context, Jesus Christ is saying that it is the Father
who is saying "I am the way, the truth..."
This takes
away from the exclusive claims of sectarians, because the same Father-God
has been speaking through prophets and saints throughout human history.
This takes nothing away from the Divinity of Jesus
Christ unless exclusivity is the only religious experience one can attest
to.
(2) A lack of understanding of the Master-disciple relationship in much
of the Christian tradition leads one to grossly misinterpret the intention
and meaning of John 14:6. In that sacred relationship, the disciple does
justifiably look upon his own Spiritual Master as the perfect and exclusive
channel, path and mentor to introduce the said disciple to God. So the
Master is the way, the truth and the life for their disciples in all mystical
traditions. Three thousand years before Jesus, Lord Krishna also asserts
in the Holy Bhagavad Gita that he is the way and the truth also.
(3) It is historically very
evident, that in all mystical traditions associated with many great religions
there have been many individuals who have found salvation/self-realization
through their respective Spiritual Masters [Gurus]. And claims to their
being only one way or channel to the divine reality is based solely on
arrogance and ignorance. For such an attitude of exclusivity is never part
of a true spiritual master's behavior or consciousness. But rather one
of perfect humility.
(4) The normal Christian interpretation
of this verse is also erroneously based upon such misconceptions as to
what the term "the only begotten son of God" is as well. There is
a mistaken application of personal identity here, whereas the real reference
is that of a universal principle.
I believe that "coming to the Father" is a present reality and experience
that can only come in deep and profound meditation. Coming unto the Father
ought to mean speaking to God face to face and not just in imagination
or fancy. And not by standing on scripture alone. I have known of too many
who rely upon the raw free grace of Christ while in reality the spiritual
life shown seems to be another form of atheism. By counting on salvation
through proxy, one sometimes ignores the call for profound relationship
with the immortal presence of God and one often pursues merely materialistic
goals.
To continue:
"JESUS THEREFORE SAID TO THEM AGAIN,
"TRULY, TRULY, I SAY TO YOU, I AM THE DOOR OF
THE SHEEP. ALL WHO
CAME BEFORE ME ARE THIEVES AND ROBBERS; BUT THE
SHEEP DID NOT
HEAR THEM. I AM THE DOOR; IF ANYONE ENTERS THROUGH
ME, HE SHALL
BE SAVED, AND SHALL GO IN AND OUT, AND FIND PASTURE.
THE THIEF
COMES ONLY TO STEAL, AND KILL, AND DESTROY; I
AM THE GOOD
SHEPHERD; THE GOOD SHEPHERD LAYS DOWN HIS LIFE
FOR THE SHEEP."
(Jn. 10:7-11) If they want to consider Jesus
a prophet, then to
be consistent with the definition of the term
"prophet", they
must acknowledge that the words He spoke were
the true words of
God.
Once again, Jesus is considered by SRF members as an Avatar, "God Descended
Into Flesh." His words have been appropriated here to justify narrow sectarianism
as the essential thrust of his teaching. I think this is a travesty. And
as my friend, Alberta Fiorella, once said, "This is how wars start!"
To continue:
These are only two
of many passages in the New Testament
that demonstrate the exclusiveness of Christianity.
We must
recognize that Christianity springs directly
from Judaism,
It is most likely wrong to limit God's manifestation to only one people
in time. God is not so provincial. Indeed the Biblical figure of Melchizedek,
"king of Salem, priest of the most high God", was neither Judaic or Christian.
See Genesis14:18, Psalms 110:4, Hebrews 5:6, 5:10, 6:20, 7:1, 7:10,
7:11, 7:15, 7:17, 7:21.
To continue:
and in the Hebrew Scriptures one truth is continually
hammered home:
"FOR ALL THE GODS OF THE PEOPLES ARE IDOLS, BUT
YAWEH MADE THE
HEAVENS." Psalms 96:5). The personal God who,
for the ultimate
benefit of the entire human race, revealed Himself
in a unique
way to the nation Israel, is sharply distinguished
from the gods
of the other nations, including the gods that
were and still are
worshipped in India.
I am convinced that the idols of the Old Testament are representative of
the outer carnal and material desires that keep one from the inner realm
of God perception. This outer realm of "idols" is worshipped by Christian,
Hindu, Jew, and Moslem alike until it is discovered that "the kingdom of
God is within you." Luke 17:21(KJV)
Critics of Hinduism proudly point out the multifarious "gods" of India.
This is a complete misreading of India. God is infinite in his aspects.
He cannot be fully contained in any one "form" or aspect. All forms are
merely representations of the one God that is universal. God in his aspect
of "love" is without form. God in his aspect as Jesus is with
form. This is widely understood by almost every Hindu, but conveniently
ignored by critics. Even Christians call God by many names; Jehovah Rapha,
Jehoveh Jireh, Jehovah Nissi, the Rose of Sharon, Lamb of God, El-Shadai,
the Rock, Yahweh, Redeemer, Lord, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Idol worship is clearly not defined in the Bible as "yoga". You can not
find yoga in any Bible concordance.
(See the Yoga
of Spirit-Filled Christianity.) CRI's interpretation of the Bible is
designed to suit sectarian goals and to fend off a true teaching and revelation
of Jesus on how one can live a more spiritual life. Does one want to merely
go through life shouting "Jesus!", or "Buddha!", or "Krishna!" without
having any inner relationship with God? I am afraid that this childish
or adolescent approach to God is all too common.
What is important is that each spiritual person should have a concept of
God that he or she can love. It need not be a cookie-cutter idea
of God that is spelled out by a theological expert or church elders. One
size indeed does not fit all. One must go to that place where he or she
is alone with God. No one need intrude in that space. There we can "seek
him out in secret now." No robbers or thieves or inquisators need apply.
To continue:
Rather than teaching
reincarnation, the Bible tells us that
it is appointed unto all men to die once, and
afterwards to be
judged (Hebrews 9:27).
It can be said that one of the central stories of the Bible is one
of reincarnation. Please see chapter 35 of
Autobiography
of a Yogi, by Paramahansa Yogananda, for complete Biblical references.
Here are a few:
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet
before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:
Malichi 4:5 (KJV)
But I say unto you, That Elias (Elijah)
is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever
they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.
Then the disciples understood that he spake unto
them of John the Baptist.
Matthew 17:12-13 (KJV)
For
more on this subject go to this site on Christian
Reincarnation.
To continue:
It would be easy and tempting for a member
of SRF to simply close his eyes to the exclusive
claims of Jesus
Christ. Many seek to appease their consciences
by giving honor to
Christ, and yet they refuse to make the absolute
surrender to
Jesus alone that He so clearly demands (Matthew
10:32-39).
I
dare say, that I have not seen a more devoted or surrendered group of disciples
of Jesus Christ than my fellow kriyabans (practitioners of Kriya
Yoga) in Self-Realization Fellowship. I have been to Evangelical and
Charismatic Christian churches and there are many fine people there. But
one must have more than a faith and a conviction. One must have a profound
experience with God in the deep quiet of meditation where one is alone
with God. Those who do not practice deep stillness are missing something.
Assertions of superior theology are not the answer to this missing element.
To continue:
Truly, it is acknowledged everywhere, even among
Hindus, that no
man in history has deserved more honor than Jesus
Christ. Yet, if
one truly honors Christ, the wisdom of giving
serious
consideration to the things He said, in the context
in which He
spoke them, should be self-evident. To take His
words out of
context, and attempt to conform them to a foreign
theology, is to
risk facing the above mentioned judgment unprepared.
Again,
we have a threat from an un-loving God. Surely this concept of God comes
to us from the Dark Ages.
Prepared by Elliot Miller, Research Consultant.
Copyright l979 by Christian Research Institute,
Inc.
In
a July 18, 1999, radio broadcast, a local church ministry interviewed a
Christian missionary who had just returned from Russia. The missionary
talked of being unwelcome in Russia, because of the influence of the established
Russian Orthodox Church.
Upon his return to the U.S. he noted how many U.S. churches have compromised
their beliefs. The radio pastor asked for examples of how the American
Church has compromised. And these are his examples:
| 1. Churches are supporting national health care. |
| 2. Churches are supporting gun control. |
I realized that this was a very different man from myself. Many years in
the past, I was accused of worshipping a "different Jesus." And I am somewhat
comforted by that thought today.
Before following anyone's teachings or line of thought using scripture,
ask yourself, "Does this person experience bliss? Is this person looking
toward the bliss of God within? Or is he concerned with what everyone else
thinks and believes? Can this person sit still for even a minute and actually
commune with God?"
If not, disregard any theology of fear and turn toward those you would
like to emulate.
Doug Couch
August 15, 1999
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