Just like they have made twenty-carat gold, fourteen-carat gold, sixteen-carat gold. That is mixture. That is not pure gold. We are preaching, "If you say it is religion, it is pure religion, not carat, fourteen-carat religion or twenty-carat religion."

Dharma and Gold

Not fourteen-carat religion

Religion is one. There cannot be two religions. If God is one... And what is religion? Religion means the law given by God. That is religion. This is a simple definition. "What is religion?" They will say, "Religion means this; religion means that." No. The simple definition of religion is "the law of God." Dharmam tu sakshad bhagavat-pranitam [Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.3.19]. Just like law. Law means the order given by the state. That is law. Your order is not law, or my order is not law. But when the state orders, state orders, "Keep to the right," you must keep your car to the right side. Or the state orders that "Keep your car to the left side." In Europe, and some, somewhere, it right side coming to left side. So, according to the state. You cannot say, "Why sometimes it is left side, sometimes right side?" No. It may be whatever it is, but because it is the state order, you have to abide by it. You cannot say that "I was driving my car in India to the left side. Why shall I drive on the right side?" Sometimes they feel inconvenienced. But no, you have to because that is the state order. So similarly, as the law means state order, similarly, religion means God's order. That's all, simple definition. It is not that we have manufactured. It is stated, dharmam tu sakshad bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19].

Nobody knows what is dharma, neither the human being, nor the demigods, nor big, big sages, saintly person, and whatever you say, philosopher. No, nobody knows what is religion. Dharmasya tattvam nihitam guhayam mahajano yena gatah sa panthah [Chaitanya-charitamrita Madhya 17.186]. Mahajana means those who are authorized persons by God. One who knows what is the law of God, he's mahajana. He ismahajana. So a guru is mahajana, because he knows what is religion and what is the law given by God. Therefore he's mahajana. How he has become mahajana? Because he is following the previous mahajana. That's all. It is not difficult. Evam parampara-praptam imam rajarshayo viduh [Bg. 4.2]. So mahajana... So therefore sampradaya [disciplic succession]. Just like we are Madhva-Gaudiya-sampradaya, [named for the founder,] Madhvacharya. Or Brahma-sampradaya. Brahma is mahajana. Or there are twelve mahajanas stated in the shastras, and Brahma is one of them. Svayambhu. Brahma's name is Svayambhu. ...

So dharma means the codes or the law given by God. That is dharma. And our life is meant for dharma. Dharma. But unfortunately we have created so many dharmas. But there cannot be so many dharmas. There cannot be. Suppose if gold... Gold is gold, pure gold. There cannot be... Just like they have made twenty-carat gold, fourteen-carat gold, sixteen-carat gold. That is mixture. That is not pure gold. We are preaching, "If you say it is religion, it is pure religion, not carat, fourteen-carat religion or twenty-carat religion." No. Real, pure religion. What is that pure religion? Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam sharanam vraja [Bhagavad-gita 18.66]. We are teaching, "Just surrender to Krishna," Krishna consciousness. That is pure religion, original gold, no carat gold. Therefore our Vrindavana das Thakur has said very clearly, prithivite yaha kichu dharma name chale: "Whatever is going on, all over the world, in the name of dharma," bhagavata kahe taha paripurna cahle, "according to the opinion of Srimad-Bhagavatam, all this rascaldom is simply cheating." Now, if you say that, everyone will be rebellious. But that is the fact, because if dharma means the order of God, then what is God's order? That "You become My devotee." Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. Four things: "You always think of Me, and you become My devotee, you offer your obeisances, and worship Me."