Our definition of religion is to accept the orders of God. That's all. It doesn't matter what religion you are following. You may be Christian, I may be Hindu, that may be Muhammadan, but the test of religion is how one has developed his God consciousness. That is the definition given in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. There are different types of religion, but the best of them . . . sa vai puṁsāṁ paro. Para means superior, the best. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). Adhokṣaje. Adhokṣaja is another description of God. Adha, "where material senses cannot reach." Adhokṣaja. Direct experimental knowledge cannot know God. There are many places . . . in the Bhagavad-gītā also, it is said:
- manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu
- kaścid yatati siddhaye
- yatatām api siddhānāṁ
- kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ
- (BG 7.3)
"Out of many millions of persons, one is interested to make his life successful. And out of millions of successful person, one can very rarely understand what is God." That is the statement in the Bhagavad-gītā.
Actually, we find that people are generally interested with economic development, sense gratification, that's all. At least, I am traveling all over the world—I see people are very busy for searching out food and shelter. But according to Vedic scripture, it is said that food and shelter is already there, given by God. Because there are 8,400,000 species of life. Out of that, human beings are very few, 400,000 species of life in different planets. And out of them, civilized men, they are very, very few. But God is giving food to everyone actually.