A cyberspace devotee in Texas wants to know if he was born into a certain Hindu sect must he remain in that denomination for the rest of his life. Gurudeva says that it is very flexible within Hinduism and that if he finds another sect within Hinduism that suits him better he should throw his entire energy within it.

Unedited Transcript:

A cyberspace devotee in Texas is wondering about, "If you are born a Hindu into one or another, of the four traditional sects - Smarta, Sakta, Vaishnavite, Saivite - must you remain within the denomination of your birth?"

Everything is very flexible within Sanatana Dharma. If you find a sect or denomination within Hinduism that suits you better, then throw your entire energy within it. But, if you are close to one of the spiritual leaders, then he should know that you have changed denominations. Therefore, his expectations would diminish and his responsibility would diminish for your spiritual unfoldment.

It is very important to be philosophically, absolutely clear of why you would move from one denomination to another. It takes deep thought and discussion. It should not be done on a whim or without a lot of deep thought or discussion, because it would definitely have an impact upon the family.