With pain of heart, we present the teachings of St. Paisios to correct the blasphemies of Archbishop Elpidophorus and guard the faithful against his lies, whose speech was presented by Bishop Athenagoras at the opening of a Hindu temple in New Jersey on October 4, 2023. Archbishop Elpidophoros writes: “This Hindu temple represents a Sacred Space…May the opening of this beautiful shrine be a beacon of joy, understanding and harmony within the Hindu community and beyond…In the spirit of love and fellowship, I offer my congratulations and blessings for the success and flourishing of this sacred endeavor.”

St. Paisios’ words to a Greek Orthodox seminary graduate would apply today: "You are harming yourself and others when you relate this refined Hindu nonsense and at the same time present yourself as a graduate of Chalki. Be careful, you will become possessed bythe devil."

Full Video of the Interfaith Harmony event at the Hindu temple. Go to 1:20:10 for Bishop’s speech:https://www.youtube.com/live/7VhZtb2wGek?si=AfYGZF8WUUvG_bKz

Orthodox articles on the event here:

1) https://orthochristian.com/158195.html

2) https://www.monomakhos.com/the-downfall-of-the-goa-proceeds-apace/

Details of the temple and its shrines:

1) https://www.baps.org/News/2023/Interfaith-Harmony-Day-24199.aspx

2) https://www.hinduismtoday.com/magazine/january-february-march-2024/americas-largest-hindu-temple-opens-in-new-jersey/

0:00 Beginning

0:23 On the Asceticism of Hinduism

3:12 Hinduism Has Done A Lot of Harm

7:52 The Seduction of People (Hinduism & Other Sects)

11:48 Baptism is not magic, not given to cure psychological problems

14:19 Return to Orthodoxy

16:51 Two accounts of St. Paisios helping Hindus come to Christ

-BUY “Spiritual Counsels, Vol. III: Spiritual Struggle” by St. Paisios:

https://www.holycross.org/products/spiritual-struggle-elder-paisios

-BUY "Saint Paisos of Mount Athos":

https://churchsupplies.jordanville.org/products/saint-paisios-of-mount-athos

-FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you:

https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/

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St. Paisios writes:

They practice and practice but what do they achieve in the end? Orthodox temperance and abstemiousness — ascetic discipline in general — always aims for a higher spiritual purpose, the sanctification of the soul. The Hindu’s satanic and worldly asceticism results in an agile body, flexing arms and legs like a paper puppet so they can be admired by fools and mocked by demons.

Some of our people go to the Hindus and are taught to say in the Hindu language certain incantations about Christ, Panaghia and the Saints. Some may know that these things are blasphemous, others may not, in the end they become possessed by demons. Then they start uttering incoherent words. They eventually become delirious, and onlookers consider them to be in a spiritual state, but this is actually a demonic state.

What can you say? The confusion is immense! There was a sign outside a Roman Catholic Church in Paris that read: "Teaching of the Jesus Prayer with the yoga method." What have they come to! No wonder psychological problems abound, and people lose their mind.

Impressed by the Elder's spiritual gifts, the man asked him about meditation and other spiritual techniques. "Look, my child," the Elder kindly interrupted him, "techniques do not matter at all. You are trying, but where you are digging, there is no gold; there is just the devil. The gold is Christ."