Worldly Religion and Eternal Religion

Worldly Religion and Eternal Religion, by Haripada dasa
It is very interesting that the Bhagavatam maintains in its first pages its own uniqueness: dharmah projjhita-kaitavo `tra," All supposed religiosity covered by fruitive intentions is here completely rejected. " (S.B. 1, 1, 2) Fruitive intentions take the form of Kama (complacency of gross and subtle senses), artha (economic development), dharma (worldly or sectarian religiosity), and even moksa (liberation). These four goals are described as materialistic practices, and contaminate every attempt at true religion.
The motivating force behind each of them is the increase in sensual satisfaction. For example, an ordinary man may practice religiosity (dharma) because he actually seeks wealth (artha). Understanding that there is a Supreme Controller, he seeks to plead with his "god" and, thus, reaches his goal. This practice, by the way, is often misleading, and a person absorbed in this type of motivated religiosity mistakenly believes himself to be a serious practitioner of the spiritual life.
In reflecting, however, it becomes evident that such a religious is actually a materialist, since all his practice is directed towards the wrong end: the acquisition of wealth. Why do you want riches, for the sake of kama, or sense gratification, a goal that is directly contrary to religious principles. Moreover, when someone gets tired of this whole business, they look for moksa, or liberation.
Unfortunately, true liberation could not be further from an individual so deceived, since he has completely missed the purpose of spiritual practice. Although many fall prey to this mentality, the Bhagavatam urges its readers to go beyond this situation, and beyond the material illusions that trap even the well-intentioned, the student of the Bhagavatam must abandon all worldly goals and strive for achieving total purity.
If one desires a lower goal, one must approach a lower writing. That is why Srila Prabhupada says in the Chaitanya Charitamrita, adi-lila, 17, 169 that the Old and New Testament and the Koran is for meat eaters, and they are not eternal writings. Bhagavatam is for those who are serious in regard to the ultimate goal of life: love for God.
The first thing that eternal religion teaches you is that we are not the temporal material body, but eternal spiritual souls, in understanding and accepting this point it is natural for the person to be more interested in eternal relationships than in temporal ones, temporal relationships are with Family, society, friendships and worldly love, and eternal relationships means with God or Krishna and with His devotees.
The result of practicing eternal religion is that one knows God and loves him, and since there is only God or Krishna and His energies will naturally love everyone and everything.
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