# 17. “I’ve seen too much hypocrisy in religion.”

Meeting people on high streets, showing them wisdom books and trying to spark some spiritual interest is something I did for many years. You have a twenty-second window to make an impression – they stop, you gather your wits, put in a spiritual pitch, something interesting, inspirational and endearing, and wait for a reaction – hit, miss or blank… anything could happen! Interestingly, people are more perceptive than we may think. They can sniff out any sense of superficiality, personal agenda, self-righteousness or insecurity within moments. Often they’ll make it known to you, and boy is that humbling! Other times they stay quiet, but it leaves an impression on them. People may forget what you say, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel. One striking life lesson I’ve learnt is that teachers can’t be cheaters. 

For many, spiritual teachings make complete sense, but a block remains. When they see a major gap between the revered teachings and the conduct of the practitioners, it raises serious doubts. Everyone wants to see spiritualists who walk the talk and practice what they preach. 

In Chapter Seventeen, entitled ‘Divisions of Faith,’ Krishna reveals that any given activity can be performed by multiple individuals, each harbouring a different mindset and motivation. Thus, we can’t be utopian in our vision even amongst those who practice spirituality. There are gradations of purity within any given group. 

Don’t we witness lies, hypocrisy and cheating in all aspects of life? A shop may advertise a half-price sale. After purchasing a product you may think you’ve *saved* £500 but the reality is that they’ve ingeniously induced you into *spending* £500! Shops are cheating, yet we continue buying products. Politicians are regularly compromised, yet we still vote for one of them. The media spreads misinformation, but we still read newspapers. 

It’s unrealistic to expect 100% purity in anything of this world, and we should bear this in mind when seeking a spiritual path to tread. Instead of focusing on the deficient practitioners, we’d do well to seek out the serious and sincere ones who live with integrity. Look closely enough and you’ll find many who are living examples of purity.

It was Gandhi who famously reminded us to *“Be the change we want to see in the world.”* The challenge is for us to become examples of purity, and that journey begins with honesty. Instead, however, we are often closed and pretentious. In the name of saving our face, we kill our soul. Sometimes we invent, sometimes we withhold, sometimes we exaggerate and sometimes we stay quiet and let the lies roll – a variety of ingenious ways in which we compromise our integrity. It’s scary to think how much of our day can be spent lying – rehearsing future conversations, reconfiguring events of the past and reinforcing inaccurate perceptions of the present. We all know the value of meditation, yoga and study in our spiritual growth. Let us, however, not underestimate some of the more fundamental disciplines and human qualities that can prove equally valuable in this profound journey. Truthfulness is definitely one of them.

### [*“O son of Bharata, according to one's existence under the various modes of nature, one evolves a particular kind of faith. The living being is said to be of a particular faith according to the modes he has acquired.”* (Bhagavad-Gita 17.3)](#user-content-fn-1)[^1]

### References 

[<mark style="background-color:yellow;">17.4 – varieties of worship in different modes.</mark> ](#user-content-fn-2)[^2]

[<mark style="background-color:yellow;">17.14-17 - austerities of those following true spirituality.</mark>](#user-content-fn-3)[^3]

[^1]: **Bg. 17.3**

    सत्त्वानुरूपा सर्वस्य श्रद्धा भवति भारत । श्रद्धामयोऽयं पुरुषो यो यच्छ्रद्ध: स एव स: ॥ ३ ॥

    *sattvānurūpā sarvasya*\
    \&#xNAN;*śraddhā bhavati bhārata*\
    \&#xNAN;*śraddhā-mayo ’yaṁ puruṣo*\
    \&#xNAN;*yo yac-chraddhaḥ sa eva saḥ*

    O son of Bharata, according to one’s existence under the various modes of nature, one evolves a particular kind of faith. The living being is said to be of a particular faith according to the modes he has acquired.

    Source: [Vedabase](https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/17/3/)

[^2]: **Bg. 17.4**

    यजन्ते सात्त्विका देवान्यक्षरक्षांसि राजसा: । प्रेतान्भूतगणांश्चान्ये यजन्ते तामसा जना: ॥ ४ ॥

    *yajante sāttvikā devān*\
    \&#xNAN;*yakṣa-rakṣāṁsi rājasāḥ*\
    \&#xNAN;*pretān bhūta-gaṇāṁś cānye*\
    \&#xNAN;*yajante tāmasā janāḥ*

    Men in the mode of goodness worship the demigods; those in the mode of passion worship the demons; and those in the mode of ignorance worship ghosts and spirits.

    Source: [Vedabase](https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/17/4/)

[^3]: **Bg. 17.14**

    देवद्विजगुरुप्राज्ञपूजनं शौचमार्जवम् ।&#x20;

    ब्रह्मचर्यमहिंसा च शारीरं तप उच्यते ॥ १४ ॥

    *deva-dvija-guru-prājña-*\
    \&#xNAN;*pūjanaṁ śaucam ārjavam*\
    \&#xNAN;*brahmacaryam ahiṁsā ca*\
    \&#xNAN;*śārīraṁ tapa ucyate*

    Austerity of the body consists in worship of the Supreme Lord, the brāhmaṇas, the spiritual master, and superiors like the father and mother, and in cleanliness, simplicity, celibacy and nonviolence.

    Source: [Vedabase](https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/17/14/)

    **Bg. 17.15**

    अनुद्वेगकरं वाक्यं सत्यं प्रियहितं च यत् । स्वाध्यायाभ्यसनं चैव वाङ्‍मयं तप उच्यते ॥ १५ ॥

    *anudvega-karaṁ vākyaṁ*\
    \&#xNAN;*satyaṁ priya-hitaṁ ca yat*\
    \&#xNAN;*svādhyāyābhyasanaṁ caiva*\
    \&#xNAN;*vāṅ-mayaṁ tapa ucyate*

    Austerity of speech consists in speaking words that are truthful, pleasing, beneficial, and not agitating to others, and also in regularly reciting Vedic literature.

    Source: [Vedabase](https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/17/15/)

    **Bg. 17.16**

    मन:प्रसाद: सौम्यत्वं मौनमात्मविनिग्रह: । भावसंश‍ुद्धिरित्येतत्तपो मानसमुच्यते ॥ १६ ॥

    *manaḥ-prasādaḥ saumyatvaṁ*\
    \&#xNAN;*maunam ātma-vinigrahaḥ*\
    \&#xNAN;*bhāva-saṁśuddhir ity etat*\
    \&#xNAN;*tapo mānasam ucyate*

    And satisfaction, simplicity, gravity, self-control and purification of one’s existence are the austerities of the mind.

    Source: [Vedabase](https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/17/16/)

    **Bg. 17.17**

    श्रद्धया परया तप्‍तं तपस्तत्‍त्रिविधं नरै: । अफलाकाङ्‌‍क्षिभिर्युक्तै: सात्त्विकं परिचक्षते ॥ १७ ॥

    *śraddhayā parayā taptaṁ*\
    \&#xNAN;*tapas tat tri-vidhaṁ naraiḥ*\
    \&#xNAN;*aphalākāṅkṣibhir yuktaiḥ*\
    \&#xNAN;*sāttvikaṁ paricakṣate*

    This threefold austerity, performed with transcendental faith by men not expecting material benefits but engaged only for the sake of the Supreme, is called austerity in goodness.

    Source: [Vedabase](https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/17/17/)