Are you in a cult?

Are you part of a cult?

What is organised religion, and what is a cult?

Organised religion is a structured system of faith or worship, especially one followed by a large number of people, such as Christianity, Islam, or Judaism. Similarly, a cult can be defined as a system of religious veneration and devotion directed towards a particular figure or object. 

The timeless Vedic Sanatana Dharma is neither of them. However, care needs to be taken lest one be talked into organised religions or cults, or even inadvertently slip into such systems, which stand and thrive on conditioning the minds of their followers, who cease to ask questions but blindly obey what they are told even if they happen to be absolutely bizarre, far-fetched, and illogical stories.

A brief self-test: 

Ask yourself:

• Do I experience deep offense when someone expresses a negative opinion about my religious leader and community or holds a viewpoint that contradicts my own?
• Do I unquestioningly accept whatever is told to me by my religious group or leader, even if it lacks a rational explanation?
• Do I hold the belief that the words of my religious leader supersede the teachings of sacred scriptures like the Srimad Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads?
• Do I experience anger and frustration when someone I know personally disagrees with my beliefs or with the actions and teachings of my religious leader, with whom I don’t even have any personal acquaintance?
• Am I willing to sever ties with a longtime acquaintance simply because they hold different beliefs, criticise my religious group or leader, or question my own beliefs?
• Am I willing to abandon those who have always supported me simply because they do not approve of my religion, religious leader, or beliefs?
• Do I believe that my religious group and its leader are my ultimate refuge and that there is nothing beyond them in terms of spiritual guidance?
• Do I cherry-pick verses from different scriptures to support and justify my existing state of mental conditioning?
• Do I hold the belief that my religious leader is so spiritually advanced that by devoting myself to him or her and to my religious group, I can transcend the unyielding and uncompromising law of cause and effect, also known as karma?
• Do I firmly believe that my leader possesses greater holiness than myself and that the touch or even a mere glance, whether in person or through their image, has the power to erase my past karma, grant me a fresh start, and bestow upon me a life free from troubles and difficulties?
• Do I have the belief that my religious leader possesses the knowledge of my desires and that by solely dedicating myself to him or her, my religious leader will miraculously make my life wonderful, even if I neglect to perform necessary actions or uphold righteousness to attain my goals?
• Do I firmly believe that offering prayers to my religious leader, whether they’re alive or deceased, can alleviate my sufferings, even though these challenges are actually consequences of my own erroneous choices and a part of my karmic balancing or spiritual evolutionary process?
• Am I willing to dump my family, friends, and wealth in devotion to my religion and religious leader?

Well, should your answer be ‘yes’ to any one of the above questions, some of them, or all of them, you can be sure that you are part of a brain-numbing cult. It also means that it is time for some introspection or to seek professional help in order to check the level of brainwashing that you have been subjected to and to find ways to free your mind from slavery so that you can get back to rational thinking and to the attitude of asking questions that ancient scriptures of the Vedic Sanatana Dharma advocate.

Remember, Freedom, both physical and mental, is the greatest blessing after one’s own life and good health. Guard it with all your might because it is the only factor that will help you be a true seeker and guide you on the path of your own spiritual advancement.

May you stay abundantly blessed with excellent health, peace, love, prosperity, and above all, freedom.

Thank you.