Eradication of Misconceptions
The principles made by wicked persons are meant to mislead, not to show people the path of truth. Speculation fails here and time is lost in an unproductive cause. Hence, before accepting any theory or idea, it is compulsory to categorically first know the source and the purpose of its proposal.
The following story illustrates the above statement:
There were a few crafty and mischievous students in a certain school. One day they planned to irritate and embarrass the headmaster of the school. They picked up two dogs and marked them with the numbers 1 and 3. At night they left both the dogs inside the campus of the school. The next morning when the head master arrived at the school, he saw the nuisance created by the dogs overnight. He ordered his peons to wealth to brahmanas, for reserving a seat in heaven for the deceased persons.
Many people believe that tying a thread around a banyan tree (Ficus religiosa) circumbulating it fulfills the wishes of girls who desire a loving, caring husband and that it extends the life span of their respective husbands, is contrary to the views of our scriptures and is untrue.
The belief that making wishes at the tombs of sadhu (a hindu saint), pira (a muslim saint) and fakira (a saint) fulfill the wishes is, against the tenets of the Vedas and false.
The belief that observing fasts in the name of goddesses, such as Sitala and Santosi or fasting for sixteen Mondays begets the birth of a male child is against the tenets of the Vedas, is wrong and merely an invalid superstition.
Casting a horoscope and other such activities are fictitious. The belief that they predict the future is erroneous and against the precepts of the Vedas and creates confusion. The present notions about ghosts which are popular these days, are baseless and non-existent. These are all fictitious stories. In fact, some people make these fictitious stories related to ghosts only for personal gains and earn money. That, people who lead a dirty, impure existence and indulge in evil actions alone are possessed by the ghosts, too, is imaginary.
False assumptions such as visiting the temples on feet, or with bent knees or crouching gladdens the deities and thus wishes are surely granted, is but, a superstition and unfounded.
To know the truth, we need to look beyond figures and symbols. There was an old man who lived alone. There was nobody in his family. One day he decided to travel around the world when the final days of his life were fast approaching. He deposited all his wealth in a brass pot, made a bundle and began his journey. On his way, he came across a river and contemplated taking bath in it, but, the very next moment he reasoned that if he left the pot on the bank then someone might pick it up and so, he dug a hole on the bank of the river, kept the pitcher in it and made a structure on it as a mark to remember the exact place. He discarded his clothes and started bathing in the river. After bathing for long, when he emerged onto the bank, he was astonished by seeing large number of structures similar to the one made by him. Whoever came to bath in the river thought that it was a tradition to first make a structure and then take bath. He was filled with despair by looking at these structures and slumped on the river bank. A yogi, well-versed in the Vedas, was passing by that river side. He observed the grief-stricken old man, sitting there in despair, and inquired the cause of his sorrow. The old man explained the entire incident in detail. “Don’t be upset. You can find your pot by breaking all these structures,” the learned man told the old man. “All these structures have now become symbols of faith, how can I break them?” the old man asked. “Truth can only be attained by uncovering the veil of blind faith,” replied the yogi. After listening to the advice of the yogi, the oldman broke down all the structures and rediscoverd his pot of wealth.
(Excerpted from the book Divine Transformation: Building Blocks for Englightened Life, Ideal Nation & Peaceful World by
Acharya Balakrishna)