26. Embrace change to grow
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A small story:
When Nithyananda visited USA Nithyananda saw something funny. In one state gambling is illegal. In the neighboring state gambling is legal. A river separated the two states. The border line between the states passes through the river. The casino is built right on the river! On one side of the casino it is legal to gamble, on the other side it is illegal!
In adjoining places we see that something is lawful in one state and totally illegal in another. What is the scale, or basis, for saying something is right or wrong? For some people or in some cultures, a particular food is considered to be tasty, ambrosia. For another person the same thing is poison!
What is the scale to measure the right and wrong? There is no scale. It is like weighing two different things with one scale. It is like comparing apples and oranges.
Ancient sages gave a lot of thought for this problem. They offer a solution. The correct name for Hinduism is Sanatana Dharma. It means the eternal principle in Sanskrit. Ancient sages gave two scriptures for followers of Santana Dharma not one. All other religions have only one book, the ultimate! They have only one book that is all!
There is another major difference between Sanatana Dharma and other major religions. Not only does Sanatana Dharma have two scriptures, ancient sages the authors of these books have proclaimed that these books have to be updated! Not revised, not edited, but updated.
Sanatana Dharma has Smriti and Shruti. The Smriti has social rules of conduct. Shruti are the Vedas and Upanishads. They contain the ultimate laws of enlightenment and divinity. They are the ultimate truths. These concepts will not change.
Many religions say that their holy book cannot be updated! In our life, we update everything- cars, computers, cell phones, camera, clothes, and even our homes. The software that we use in the computer to run its programs and perform tasks for us needs to be updated frequently. Everything in life, everything around us is constantly updated. So, why cannot we update the holy books that are the basis of our beliefs?
As our society changes, the Smriti also changes. That is why the ancient sages declared that Smriti can be changed. From time to time, enlightened Masters create new Smriti because no morality can remain forever. No law remains a law forever. Law and morality are based on the situation!
Embrace the change. Grow with it. This is the path to bliss.