Every Religion a Unique Flowerin the Totality of ExpressionThat Makes Up: The Bouquet of Religions

Religion

The Cosmic Spirit is one only, though it may be called by many names and worshipped in varied forms.

Diverse Expressions of One Great Truth

Truth is one. It is beyond mind and speech. It transcends the categories of time and space. Innumerable seekers have pursued different paths to recognise this Truth. There are notable differences among the seekers of Truth. These differences do not affect the nature of the universe. On the contrary, these differences must be viewed as different stages in the understanding of the Cosmic process. It is the existence of these differences that has prompted the continuous search for a unifying principle. All faiths are inter-related and mutually indebted to each other for the principles they teach and the disciplines they recommend. The Vedic Religion was the first in time; Buddhism which appeared about 2800 years ago, was its son; Christianity, which was influenced much by the Orient was its grand-son. And Islam, which has the Prophets of Christianity as its base was like the great-grandson. All have Love as the Fundamental Discipline of the Mind, in order to chasten it and merge man with the Divine. The followers of every religion, in their own way and style, call upon the one God who is omnipresent. It is the same God who confers upon all mankind health, prosperity, peace, and happiness. No religion has a separate God showering grace upon those who profess to abide by that faith alone. God is one, whatever the name or form in which he is worshipped. God blesses a devotee according to the depth of his devotion, without regard to the name or form used for worship. It is not mentioned anywhere that the Grace of God is available only for certain classes or races or grades of people. From the smallest to the biggest all are entitled to it. The Lord is everywhere, everything. The Great Teachers belong to mankind. It is wrong to believe that Jesus belongs only to the Christians and that Christmas is a Holy Festival for the West only. To accept One of them as one's own and discard the rest as belonging to others, is a sign of pettiness. Christ, Rama, Krishna, - they are for all men everywhere.

Let the different faiths exist. Let them flourish and let the glory of God be sung in all the languages of the world and in a variety of tunes. Respect the differences between the faiths and recognise them as valid as long as they do not extinguish the flame of unity.

Paths are Many,But the Goal is One

Nature of the Divine

God is the giver of the fruits of your actions. He is like a postman who delivers letters in different homes. In one house the letter brings grief. In another the letter causes joy. Is the postman responsible for joy in one home or the grief in another? It is the message contained in the letters that is responsible for the different reactions. In the same manner, the Lord is an impartial witness. He merely hands over the fruits of each one's actions according to their deserts. In case the consequence is unpleasant, God may interfere to get the pain reduced by proper propitiation. That authority he Has.

"I am immanent in every being. People forget Me as if I were without them. They are not aware that I am the inner core of every being. They are then tempted to believe that the phenomenal world is true. Pursuing worldly pleasures, they fall into grief and pain. If they would concentrate all attention on Me, recognising that the Lord has willed everything and everyone, I would then bless them by revealing to them that they are I, and I am they."

The Process of Unfoldment

After long searches here and there in temples and in churches, at last you come back completing the circle from where you started, and find that he for whom you have been seeking all over the world, for whom you have been weeping and praying in churches and temples, on whom you were looking as the mystery of all mysteries, is the nearest of the near.... your very self....the reality of your life, body and soul.      Assert it!     Manifest it! Many people keep saying, "I want peace. I want peace. I want peace." How may words are in the sentence, "I want peace"? There are three words. "I", "want", and "peace." "I" is the ego. "Want" is desire. If you remove ego and desire, then you will be left with peace. Man is both an animal and divine being. He has risen from the animal level and is on his way to reveal his divinity. He should be vigilant that he does not slide into animal again. Man alone can rise into God-hood, for he is equipped with the endowment needed for the achievement. I refuse to call anyone an atheist or an unbeliever, for all are the Creations of the Lord and repositories of the Grace. In everyone's heart there is a spring of Love, a rock of Truth. That Love is God, that Truth is God. Divinity is there in the depths of everyone's Inner Being. Move forward towards the light and the shadow falls behind,move away from the light and you have to follow your own shadow. You are not one person but three - the one you think you are, the one others think you are, and the one you really are. You think of yourself as your body and its sense cravings, others think of you as a personality. You are truly Infinite Spirit Divine. You should constantly remind yourself, "I am God" "I am God" "I am God". The day you see yourself as God, you become God. Recognise the fact that the whole universe is within you. You have all the powers in you. They are derived from the Divine Spirit within you. It is the Divinity which endows you with a Free Will. Forgetting the supreme power of the Spirit, people place their reliance on the powers of the body, the mind, and the intellect.

You as body, mind or soul are a dream. But what you really are is pure existence, knowledge, bliss. You are the God of this universe. You are creating this whole universe and drawing it in. To gain the Infinite, the miserable little prison individuality must go.... Follow the heart. A pure heart seeks beyond the intellect. It gets inspired.... Within you is the real happiness. Within you is the mighty ocean of nectar divine. Seek it within you. Feel it. Feel it. It is here, the self. It is not the body, the mind, the intellect. All these are simply manifestations. Above all these you ARE. You appear as the smiling flower, as the twinkling stars. What is there in the world which can make you desire anything?

Nature of Religions

All religions exhort man to cleanse the heart of malice, greed, hate and anger. All religions hold out the gift of Grace as the prize for success in this cleansing process. Ideas of superiority and inferiority arise only in a heart corrupted by egoism. If someone argues that he is higher or that his religion is holier, it is proof that he has missed the very core of his faith. Sadhana (spiritual discipline) will reveal the unity in the fundamental teachings of all religions. How did differences arise within each religion? After the passing of the founders of these religions, the followers violated the teachings of the founders and quarelled among themselves on account of their selfish interests. With the passage of time, schisms developed in each religion and separate sects were formed. This is the result of individual, selfish motives and not the fault of the original founders.

It is a mark of ignorance to consider one religion as superior and another as inferior and develop religious difference on this basis. The teachings of all religions are sacred. The basic doctrines are founded on Truth. The truth of the Spirit is the essence of religions, the message of the scriptures and the basis of all metaphysics. The primary duty of human beings is to recognise that paths (religions) may vary, but the goal is one. Today there are numerous sects within Christianity all of which are engaged in propagating their respective doctrines. While this preaching goes on, there is very little of practice in daily life. Practice is most important. People may be entitled to propagate their creed. But that does not achieve anything lasting. Only practical example matters. When you practice what you preach, others will be inspired by your example. No one will care for the teachings of a person who does not practice what he preaches.

Application of Religion

Every human being should deem self-realisation as the main purpose of life and dedicate all his activities to the service of his fellow-beings, with constant remembrance of God as the indweller of all. This is the way to redeem one's life. God dwells in everyone's heart as God incarnate. The goal of life is to recognise this truth and share your love with those around you. A truly great man is the one who has mastery over his senses and mind. A man with a good heart is more likely to be helpful to mankind than a hundred intelligent scholars.

   

<---Backto Cosmic Harmony Home Page		Forward--->to  Metaphysics of Music and Harmony