Muslim-Hindu Peace Plan

09-01-2002, 04:56 AM

Muslim-Hindu Peace Plan BY ISA DAS
The Muslim-Hindu Peace Plan based on the teachings of
Srila Prabhupada

The desire to prevent World War III and bring peace to the
world is most likely the inner mood of most of us today. To
do that we need to come to a common understanding of
religious
terminology and beliefs. For example most of us have no idea
that the name Allah comes from the Hebrew letter Alef, our
A, in the English alphabet. This simple point contains
enough information for every Christian, Jew and Hindu to
accept Allah as a name of God. I will explain further, in
the "Old Testament" which Jewish people call the 5 books of
Moses, God explains that He is the beginning
to the end. This same idea is expressed in the New
Testament. Revelation 22:13, I am the Alpha and the Omega,
the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. This
English usage of Alpha is based on the Hebrew Alef. Also in
the Hindu (Vedic) scripture, Bagavad Gita, Krishna says "of
letters I am A." Has God sent so many messengers, each with
a different message? Is He sitting in the Garden of Eden
laughing at us? I think not! We have twisted His message
based on our own material desire, creating our own Hell on
Earth.

The objection we find from our Muslim brothers and sisters
today, comes from the desire to bring the word back to God
and His ways. We find this mood in our Jewish-Christian
tradition also. Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the
beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and
discipline.
This lack of disciple, this foolish rush of insane
materialism is what every deeply religious person objects
to, no matter which faith he or she is coming from. We can
take good example from our Amish brothers and Hindu (Vedic)
sages. An error of modern society and religion is to
identify the body as the self. The Bhagavad-Gita clearly
explains that we should see and accept the spiritual essence
(the soul) of each living being as spiritually equal. There
it is said, "The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge,
sees with equal vision a learned and gentle Brahman, a cow,
an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcast]." [Bagavad Gita
5.18]

How does the learned sage see every living entity with equal
vision? He sees the spirit soul within the heart of each of
God's creations. He understands that although living forms
may appear different, those appearances are only the
external coverings of the soul, and that spiritually we are
all equal. A careful analysis shows that all problems result
from our first mistake of identifying the body as the self.
If we identify ourselves by race, religion and ethnic group
we will then suffer or enjoy the results of that identity,
but the fact is we are spiritually equal and the bodily
identity that we accept is both temporary and insignificant
compared to our eternal spiritual identity. We suffer due to
birth, disease, old age and death; we need not identify with
the body, which is being afflicted by these difficulties. If
everyone understood and acted on the level of the soul
rather than the body, the world's problems would practically
cease. Understanding the difference between matter and
spirit, and that God is the controller of all things, is the
essence of knowledge. It is natural that when we become
overwhelmed by difficulties, we become aware of our
dependence on God.

Unfortunately, due to our deep attachment to materialism, we
are drawn to perceive religion in much the same manner, as
we perceive ordinary social activities. That is, we become
attached to identifying with the external or social side of
religion, while we forget its essence-loving service to God.

Our modern use of the word religion, expresses an external
alterable faith, while the Sanskrit world dharma, implies an
internal or essential eternal relationship with God. Our
religion or faith can change but the soul's relationship
with God is eternal. For example, I may claim that I am a
Christian today, but I may adopt the practices of a Hindu or
of a Jew tomorrow. However, whatever faith you my follow,
the essence of that faith is loving service to God.

We must understand that our Muslim brothers and sisters who
have come to understand the true message of Allah accept all
of us as children of God based on this verse from the Koran.
2.62: Surely those who believe, and those who are Jews, and
the Christians, and the Sabians, whoever believes in Allah
and the Last day and does good, they shall have their reward
from their Lord, and there is no fear for them, nor shall
they grieve.

We should also understand that as a nation, nay as a human
race if we do not come to follow God's laws and develop our
love for Him and His creation, our future is all to clear.
For Our Lord says: Isaiah 46: I make known the end from the
beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say:
My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.
Thank You and God's Blessings
William Glick (Isa das)
http://www.equalsouls.org