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| The Unity of Religions |
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who wants to grace the worshipper, whatever be his faith, is the same.
The different religions have taken shape according to the customs
peculiar to the countries in which they originated and according to the
differences in the mental outlook of the people inhabiting them. The
goal
of all religions is to lead people to the same Paramatman according to
the
different attributes of the devotees concerned. So there is no need for
people to change over to another faith. Converts demean not only the
religion of their birth but also the one to which they convert. Indeed
they
do demean God.
"A man leaves the religion of his birth because he thinks there is
something wanting in it," so you may think. 'Why does the Svaamigal say
then that the convert demeans the new religion that he embraces? “I will
tell you why. Is it not because they think that God is not the same in
all
religions that people embrace a new faith? By doing so, they see God in
a
reduced form, don't they? They presumably believe that the God of the
religion of their birth is useless and jump to another faith. But do
they
believe that the God of their new religion is a universal God? No. No.
If
they did there would be no need for any change of faith. Why do people
embrace a new faith? Is it not because that the continuance in the
religion of their birth would mean a denial of the blessings of the God
of
the new faith to which they are attracted? This means that they place
limitations on their new religion as well as on its God. When they
convert
to a new religion, apparently out of respect for it, they indeed
dishonour
it.
One big difference between Hinduism and other faiths is that it does not
proclaim that it alone shows the path to liberation. Our Vedic religion
alone has not practiced conversion and the reason for it is that our
forefathers were well aware that all religions are nothing but different
paths to realise the one and only Paramatman. The Vedas proclaim: "The
wise speak of the One Truth by different names.”Sri Krsna says in the
Gita: "In whatever way or form a man worships me, I increase his faith
and make him firm and steady in that worship.”And says one of the
Azhvars: "Avaravar tamatamadu tarivari vahaivahai avaravar iraiyavar".
This is the reason why the Hindus have not practiced- like adherents of
other religions- proselytisation and religious persecution. Nor have
they
waged anything like the crusades or jehads.
Our long history is sufficient proof of this. All historians accept the
fact of
our religious tolerance. They observe that, an empire like Srivijaya was
established in the East, people there accepted our culture and our way
of
life willingly, not because they were imposed on them by force. They
further remark that Hinduism spread through trade and not through
force.
In my opinion the Vedic religion was once prevalent all over the world.
Certain ruins and relics found in various regions of the planet attest
to
this fact. Even historians who disagree with my view concede that in the
past people in many lands accepted Indian culture and the way of life
willingly and not on account of any force on our part.
All religions that practice conversion employ a certain ritual. For
instance,
there is baptism in Christianity. Hinduism has more ritual than any
other
religion, yet its canonical texts do not contain any rite for
conversion. No
better proof is needed for the fact that we have at no time either
encouraged conversion or practiced it.
When a passenger arrives at a station by train he is besieged by the
driver
of the horse-cart, by the rikshavala, by the cabbie, and so on. He hires
the
vehicle in which he likes to be driven to his destination. It cannot be
said
with reason that those who ply different vehicles are guilty of
competing
with one another for the fare. After all it is their livelihood. But it
makes
no sense for the adherents of various faiths to vie with one another to
take a man to the one and only destination that is God.
There is a bridge across a river, consisting of a number of arches, each
of
them built to the same design and measurement. To the man sitting next
to a particular arch it would appear to be bigger than the other arches.
So
is the case with people belonging to a particular religion. They feel
that
their religion alone is great and want others to join it. There is in
fact no
such need for anyone to leave the religion of his birth for another.
That the beliefs and customs of the various religions are different
cannot
be a cause for complaint. Nor is there any need to make all of them
similar. The important thing is for the followers of the various faiths
to
live in harmony with one another. The goal must be unity, not
uniformity.
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| The Unity of Religions |
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Home \ Hindu Religion \ Saints \ Chandrashekarendra Saraswati's Works \ The Unity of Religions |
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