[taken from The Journey Of Self-Discovery by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada]

2.2 - Beyond Religion

In June 1976 Srila Prabhupada fields questions sent to him from the editors of Bhavan’s Journal, one of Bombay’s leading cultural and religious
periodicals.

Devotee: Here is the first question: “It is said that the greatest strength of Hinduism is its catholicity, or breadth of outlook, but that this is also its greatest weakness in that there are very few religious observances that are obligatory for all, as in other religions. Is it necessary and possible to outline certain basic minimum observances for all Hindus?”

Srila Prabhupada: As far as Vedic religion is concerned, it is not for the Hindus; it is for all living entities. That is the first thing to be
understood. Vedic religion is called sanätana-dharma, “the eternal
occupation of the living entity.” The living entity is sanätana [eternal],
God is sanätana, and there is sanätana-dharma. Sanätana-dharma is
meant for all living entities, not just the so-called Hindus. Hinduism,
this “ism,” that “ism”—these are all misconception. Historically,
sanätana-dharma was followed regularly in India, and Indians were
called “Hindus” by the Muslims. The Muslims saw that the Indians lived
on the other side of the River Sind, and the Muslims pronounced Sind as
Hind. Therefore they called India “Hindustan” and the people who lived
there “Hindus.” But the word Hindu has no reference in the Vedic
literature, nor does so-called Hindu dharma. Now that sanätana-dharma,
or Vedic dharma, is being distorted, not being obeyed, not being carried
out properly, it has come to be known as Hinduism. But that is a freak
understanding; that is not a real understanding. We have to study
sanätana-dharma as it is described in the Bhagavad-gétä and other Vedic
literatures; then we’ll understand what Vedic religion is. [To a devotee:]
Read from the Eleventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gétä, eighteenth verse.

Devotee [reads]:
tvam akñaraà paramaà veditavyaà
tvam asya viçvasya paraà nidhänam
tvam avyayaù çäçvata-dharma-goptä
sanätanas tvaà puruño mato me

“O Lord Krishna, You are the supreme primal objective. You are the
ultimate resting place of all this universe. You are inexhaustible, and
You are the oldest. You are the maintainer of the eternal religion, the
Personality of Godhead. This is my opinion.”

Srila Prabhupada: This understanding is wanted. Krishna is eternal, we are eternal, and the place where we can live and exchange our feelings with Krishna—that is eternal. And the system that teaches this eternal process of reciprocation—that is sanätana-dharma, which is meant for everyone.

Devotee: So what would be the daily prescribed religious observances
followed by one who is aspiring for this sanätana-dharma? What would
he do? The complaint is that within Hinduism—or, let’s say, sanätanadharma—
there is such a breadth, there is so much variegatedness in
different types—

Srila Prabhupada: Why do you go to variegatedness? Why don’t you take the real purpose of religion from Krishna? Krishna says [ Bhagavad-Gita 18.66], sarva-dharmän parityajya mäm ekaà çaraëaà vraja: “Give up all other so-called dharmas and just surrender to Me.” Why don’t you take that? Why are you taking up variegated practices under the name of so-called Hinduism? Why don’t you take the advice of the sanätana, Krishna? You refuse to accept sanätana-dharma—what the sanätana, God, says—but you say, “How can we avoid so many varieties and come to the right point?” Why accept varieties? Take to this one consciousness: sarvadharmän parityajya mäm ekaà çaraëaà vraja. Why don’t you do that?

Devotee: How can people do this practically, on a daily basis?

Srila Prabhupada: How are we doing it? Is what we are doing not
practical? People will manufacture their own impractical way of religion,
but they won’t take our practical system. What is that? Man-manä bhava
mad-bhakto mad-yäjé mäà namaskuru: [Bg. 18.65] Simply think of Krishna, become His devotee, worship Him, and offer obeisances to Him. Where is the difficulty? Where is the impracticality? Krishna says, “This is your duty. If you do this you will come to Me without any doubt.” Why don’t you do that? Why remain Hindu? Why remain Muslim? Why remain
Christian? Give up all this nonsense. Just surrender to Krishna and understand, “I am a devotee of Krishna, a servant of Krishna.” Then
everything will immediately be resolved.

Teh bump.

Assuming of course there is a divine being who helps determine the course of our lives I am still left pondering one question in terms of organized religions, and that is why?

I don't understand Hinduism, nor do I pretend to, the principles seem reasonable but the practices come across as absurd (in my mind).

*fixed

lol.

That functions well too.

If you're speaking about the modern idea of Hinduism than the ideas are straight absurd yes. But in Vaishnavism things are very different...