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Unity of Faith
“All faiths are
inter-related and mutually indebted to each other for the
principles they teach, and the disciplines they recommended. The
Vedic Religion was the first in time; Buddhism which appeared
about 2,500 years ago, was its son; Christianity, which was
influenced much by the Orient was its grandson. 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”.
SSS VOL VII B Chap 15 p 113.
There
is only one caste - the caste of Humanity.
There
is only one religion - the religion of Love.
There
is only one language - the language of the Heart.
There
is only one God - He is Omnipresent.
There
is only one law - the law of Dharma”.
“Let the different faiths exist, let them flourish, let the glory
of God be sung in all the languages, in a variety of tunes that
should be the ideal. Respect the differences between the faiths
and recognise them as valid as far as they do not extinguish the
flame of Unity.”
“Listen to the
primeval Pranava AUM resounding in your heart as well as in the
heart of the Universe”.
“Offer all
bitterness in the sacred Fire and emerge grand, great and godly”.
“Remember the
Wheel of Cause and Consequence, of Deed and Destiny and the Wheel
of Dharma that rights them all”.
“Cut the ‘I’
feeling clean across and let your ego die on the Cross, to endow
on you Eternity”.
“Be like the
Star which never wavers from the Crescent but is fixed in steady
faith.”
“Names may be
different, but the Almighty Providence is denoted as Absolute and
Eternal. The terminology may be different, but the concept is
not. Bhagawan is referred to as Allah and prayer may be called
Namaz, pundits may be known as Khajis and scholars may be hailed
as mullahs. The Vedas may be in the form of the Holy Koran, but
the undercurrent of energizing power in all cases is Love; Love
towards all beings. The founders always had in view the Unity of
all life and the progressive march of man towards Divinity.”
“It is sad that
instead of uniting mankind in a common endeavor, Religion has
become a system of walled enclosures, guarded by fate and
fanaticism. So, each religion is an armed camp, sunk in self-
aggrandizement, trying to wean others into itself and prevent
defections from its ranks. Religion, therefore, is being condemned
as the root cause of chaos and conflict. In spite of great
progress in many other areas of life, religious animosity is
aflame even today in many parts of the world. It has to be
emphasized that religion is not the root cause of the state of
affairs. The factious and fanatic hatred are due to the unruly ego
that is given free play. Religion strives to destroy just this
vicious tendency; so, it has to be supported and not condemned.
What has to be condemned is the narrow, perverted attitude of
hating those who do not agree with ‘us’ or hold different opinions
of the mysterious force that animates the Universe.”
“The motive
behind the formation and propagation of all these different faiths
is the same. The founders and propagators were all persons filled
with Love and Wisdom. Their goal, their target, their purpose and
their aim were all the same. No one had a design to divide,
disturb or destroy. They attempted to do good, see good and be
good.” A Compendium of TSSB p459
“It is because
the doctrine of human unity based on the spiritual oneness of all
beings, is not propagated in the right manner that we have today
many divisions leading to many conflicts.
Creeds, ritual,
religion and different theologies are all derived from man’s
yearning for the vast Reality beyond - and flow in the thousand
different forms, fertilizing many fields, calming many
communities, refreshing tired people and, at last, carrying people
to the ocean of Bliss.”
“The mysteries of
creation are marvelous. When two persons meet at any time or
place, the differences between them are patent. Their forms and
manners differ. They differ in their cleverness and intelligence.
Their opinions also vary. Without understanding what underlies
these differences, the materialist thinker emphasizes the
differences. Today, a growing number of intellectuals, ignoring
the unity that underlies the diversity, propagate the cult of
differences. The good persons who realize the unity behind the
apparent diversity are dwindling in numbers from day to day. This
is highly unfortunate.”
“Man’s foremost
task is to recognise the unity that underlies the multiplicity.
If one enquires into the matter with a pure and unselfish mind,
one will see what is common to all beings. Birth and death are
common to all men. Hunger and thirst are experienced by every
person. These are truths that apply to all persons, whether they
are destitutes or millionaires, whether they are scholars or
ignorant men.”
“Forbearance is a
potent instrument. Dharmaraja (the eldest of the Pandavas) was
able to score many victories with the weapon of forbearance.
Forbearance is not a sign of weakness or cowardice. No other
weapon has the power of forbearance. It should not be used only
as an individual instrument. It has to be experienced
collectively also. That is the reason why the scripture has
commended collective forbearance at the very outset of the
spiritual quest. What is its inner meaning? ‘Let us live and
move in harmony. Let us grow together. Let us cherish the wisdom
that we have acquired together. Let us live in complete harmony
without any misunderstanding.’ Therefore, do not have any
misunderstanding amongst you. All of you should live in amity as
the children of one mother.”
“Unity is vital
for all, wherever they are and whatever their country, religion or
sex. Love should be the unifying force…..Teachers! Promote the
sense of human unity among all people, without regard to race,
religion or caste.”
“When individuals
change, society will change. And when society changes, the whole
world will change. The welfare of the individual is bound up with
the welfare of society as a whole. Unity is the secret of social
progress, and service to society is the means to promote it.
Everyone, therefore, should devote himself to such service in a
spirit of dedication. One who does not dedicate himself to such
work is like a rusting machine. Concern for one’s own welfare and
prosperity should not blind one to one’s social obligations or
spiritual destiny….A society in which the individuals are
concerned only about material welfare will not be able to achieve
harmony and peace.” |
