God: Where Religions Got It Wrong

A sensitive topic for many, yet most people approach it without much sense. They remain on the superficial level of their senses, failing to make much sense out of it. This often results in various interpretations of those senses, which they then portray as religion. And if your interpretation differs from theirs, suddenly you’re the one who doesn’t make sense.

But does any religion make sense beyond our senses? Or to be more precise – do their interpretations of God come from a senseful or a senseless religious point of view?

A heavy topic like this requires a heavy introduction, so hopefully these two paragraphs will keep your mind busy for a while. But would that be your interpretation of your senses, your interpretation of my senses, or exclusively my interpretation of my senses?

Okay, I’ll stop now… so, let’s begin.

We should start from where it all began. Despite the old saying, all roads actually led to Bharat – Hindustan – or if you prefer a more colonial, ahem – colloquial  term (see what I did there, wink wink) India. They say it’s the oldest living civilization only because it would be too much to admit it’s the cradle of all civilizations. And, more importantly, religions.

But for the sake of following conventional history, let’s stick to the official version and go back about 5,000 years – to the golden age of India when everything was thriving: art, astronomy, mathematics, medicine (Ayurveda), architec–

“Wait, that’s not where it all started!” I can already hear the voices of religious interpreters from around the world. Instead, let’s go back to Nazareth and Jerusalem, where Jesus Christ lived. By the way, did you know that Christ was not his name, but a title meaning “the anointed one” or “the chosen one”?

From day one, Jesus spoke about love, love, and love only. Three words of love, three kinds of love: love yourself, love your neighbor as yourself, and love God with all your heart. Love was the essence of Jesus’ teachings. But how do you love someone or something you’ve never touched, seen, or felt? How do you connect with the unseen?

This is where belief comes into the picture. In order to love, you must first believe. But unless you love, you cannot truly believe. For example, you will not find an atheist saying, “I don’t believe in God, but I love Him.” Just as you won’t find a devout believer who doesn’t love Jesus with all their being. Then there are the lukewarm people in between (the vast majority), whose love and belief are equally lukewarm. Love and belief are reciprocal, but there’s a catch to entering that circle – and that first step has always been belief, even if it is lukewarm.

It’s important to note that the words of Jesus Christ were always about compassion, kindness, forgiveness, equality, and unconditional love – not about belief itself. But again, how do you love someone you know nothing about? And more importantly, how do you maintain that love as the highest priority in your life?

A rough period comes, and it brings you closer to God, whom you suddenly love deeply. But then the troubles end, and an attractive woman or handsome man walks by – and now your love shifts. It doesn’t even have to be romantic; a new job or an adventurous trip can be enough to put God’s love on the backburner. Jesus knew that, to keep the flame of your love alive at all times, belief itself must remain the greatest of all.

To better understand Jesus and his words, let’s go back a few years. Not too far – only about 500 years, so we’re not going all the way back to Krishna’s time. Not yet. And don’t worry, we’ll return to Jesus.

We’re still in prosperous India, where another great master lived: the Buddha. Compared to Jesus’ time in Israel – where debates were largely confined to priests, rabbis, and learned men – India during the Buddha’s era had a vibrant philosophical culture, multiple schools of thought, and a rich public intellectual life. To compare the context in which they lived:

• • Strict Roman rule versus wealthy kingdoms and republics
  • Interpretation of scripture versus a hub of ideas
  • Society divided between elites, priests, and poor peasants versus urban centers rich in culture and commerce.

These political, economic, social, and religious differences are crucial for understanding the circumstances in which both masters lived and taught. They had to carefully consider how to reach large masses of people. The majority of people in Jerusalem and its surroundings were largely uneducated and poor. To tell someone starving for days, “Come and sit with me to meditate and experience God’s love,” would be almost cruel. They likely weren’t interested in listening to his teachings – but can you really blame them?

In contrast, during the Buddha’s time, Indian civilization had significant resources. Although most people lived modestly and wealth distribution was uneven, Indian cities were hubs of trade and intellectual activity. And that is the key word here: “intellect.” The Buddha’s path can be described as Gnana Yoga – slightly different, but ultimately a “path of intellect” or knowledge. He emphasized observation of the mind, meditation, ethical living, and insight to achieve liberation. It required deep self-awareness and mental discipline.

Five hundred years later, given the circumstances, Jesus couldn’t take the same approach. But a master’s teachings are never only about what would resonate most with people – one can share only what is close to their heart, especially if one is enlightened. For the Buddha, that was the intellectual path; for Jesus, it was love – also known as Bhakti Yoga. Bhakti Yoga is the “path of devotion,” focusing on love, surrender, and emotional connection with the divine rather than intellect or work. This is why Jesus emphasized that “God created man in His own image” and taught, “Thy will be done.”

When you realize there is a part of God inside you – and also inside your neighbor (even the one you can’t stand and argue with every other day) – you remember to love God: the same God that resides in everyone’s heart, yours and your neighbor’s. And once you allow God’s plan for you to unfold, even if it goes against your personal wishes, true surrender happens. Upon surrendering to the Divine, the realization that “The kingdom of God is within you” follows. You then understand that God transcends physical form; it is the divine essence within all of us – the same essence in every life. And that essence is but a small reflection of the ultimate, real, and only truth.

So, for Jesus, belief was only the first step – a step meant to be transcended once love was deeply established in our hearts. It was never meant to be the final step. If religions keep stating “believe in God” as the highest premise, let me ask you: where did all the love go? Actually, it didn’t go anywhere. It simply got redirected into competition. Either you’re proving to your family and friends how devout you are, or you’re trying to outshine another interpreter from a different religion. Or you’re competing with everyone to show that your love for God is greater than theirs, yet you fail to love them all equally as you love God. And when love is absent, surrender becomes impossible – and without complete surrender, there can never be a realization of the Divine. You end up back at square one, mistaking belief for the final destination.

When we look at Buddhism and the Abrahamic religions today, we can see that they don’t just practice a single form of Yoga – they effectively incorporate two of the other three forms as well. First, let’s review the four main types of Yoga:

• Gnana Yoga – the path of intellect and will
• Bhakti Yoga – the path of devotion
• Karma Yoga – the path of selfless service
• Kriya Yoga – the path of internal action.

Buddhism, knowingly or unknowingly, engages in three different types of Yoga: Gnana as the main path, with Karma Yoga and a modified form of Kriya Yoga integrated into daily life and practice. However, most Buddhist traditions involve no Bhakti – no devotion to the Divine – except in Tibetan Buddhism.

Christianity, on the other hand, revolves around Bhakti Yoga, but it also actively encourages serving society (Karma Yoga), observing thoughts and emotions without reacting (a form of Gnana Yoga), and engaging in self-inquiry, contemplation, and inner knowledge – union with God through understanding (also other forms of Gnana Yoga). However, you will rarely see practices related to Kriya Yoga.

Only one tradition (calling it a “religion” doesn’t quite capture its essence) recognizes and integrates all four types of Yoga as systematic, formal paths to spiritual realization. Commonly known as Hinduism, its true name is Sanātana Dharma. To understand it fully, we must go back some 3,000 years before Jesus and 2,500 years before the Buddha, to the little mischievous boy who loved playing his flute and stealing butter – known for his dance and joy, balance of duty and playfulness, spiritual wisdom and guidance, and devotion and surrender to God: Krishna. 

I told you we’d get back to where it all began.

So, in the end, we return to the beginning – and a new cycle begins…

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