There are two kinds of religions. One is worldly or relative and the other is beyond the world or real religion. Worldly religion gives reward of worldly comforts and happiness. Anything a person does without knowing his true Self is relative religion, the fruit of which is a worldly life. One cannot attain liberation by this process. The path of liberation begins when one comes into real religion.

There are so many religions and religious sects in this world however they are all relative religions. Relative meaning that which one has to practice. There are various rituals involved in practicing them. In practicing or performing any action, there is an inherent doership e.g. a person performing rituals will have the belief, ‘I am John. I do these rituals. I practice this religion etc.’ such a belief is the foundation of all religious practices. People practice religion with the support of scriptures and rituals such as the rosary, idol worship, offering of flowers etc. Wherever there is such a support and belief of doership, it is considered a relative religion. A person earns merit karmas when he practices rituals with focused meditation and lesser merit karma when he practices with unfocused meditation. Both practices will earn him merit karmas, however he will have to return for another life to enjoy the fruits of those merit karmas. So when will he attain liberation (moksha)? People consider religion to be doing of good deeds, but all deeds are founded on the belief of, ‘I am John.  I donated money to a worthy cause.  I helped that man etc.’ and all such actions of doer-ship, whether good or bad, bind new karmas.

There is nothing wrong in worshipping or practicing rituals; they help a person develop spiritually, however to do the same thing over and over again becomes a status quo. This is tantamount to a student remaining in the same standard in school and doing the same thing year after year. That is not his aim. He wants to advance and become a doctor or a lawyer or an engineer. That is why he studies. This is what relative religions are; they are like standards in school. You do not have to remain stuck at one level. You must to gain knowledge and advance further. Ultimately, you will have to get rid of all attachment and abhorrence, anger, pride, deceit, greed and become vitraag, (i.e. one without any worldly attachment). Ultimately you must attain Self realization and reach Absolute Universal Knowledge. In college a student realizes he has to pass all the standards, attain a degree, and then move on; go beyond the ‘standards’. But when it comes to religion, people do not think this way and so one’s progress is halted and he is held back in the same ‘standard’. In school, students advance by acquiring new curriculum and new teachers and new knowledge. In religion, one feels that he should devote himself to only one Guru (teacher) and that he can neither change his religion nor practice anyone else’s religion. In reality one must keep acquiring knowledge and go beyond relative knowledge to real knowledge. ‘Relative’ means temporary or worldly in nature; it is the religion of the non-self or the non-soul. Real knowledge on the other hand, is the knowledge of the Self: it is eternal. It is knowledge beyond all worldly knowledge. Relative religions help people develop in the worldly life and evolve. However, ultimately one must attain the real religion; that is when his work for achieving liberation will be accomplished.

This can only occur when his deluded worldly vision (wrong belief) is destroyed. How is a person to get rid of his deluded vision? It is only upon meeting a Gnani Purush (the Enlightened One) who explains everything through his Absolute Knowledge. The Gnani, through his grace, gives enlightenment by destroying the wrong belief and permanently instilling the correct one. Once a person attains enlightened vision, enlightened knowledge and enlightened conduct follows.