Purpose Of Religion

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Purpose Of Religion

IT is through religion that a just and real social order can be set up for

the emancipation of man. History tells us that in the various epochs,

high-souled personages, took birth and used religion to set up the

well-being of downtrodden and humbled humanity: without religion man's life

in the mundane world is miserable.

At present we see so many religious institutions in the world. We also see

that there are tendencies on the part of various followers of one religion

or other to praise their own religion and throw mud on others. These have,

in consequence, given rise to various conflicts, persecutions and

dissensions. The strength and success of one religion depended on the

physical might of its adherents.

It is good that harmony should be found out of many diverse religions. The

first conference of that kind was convened in 1893 in Chicago when

protagonists of various religions took part. India was fortunate to have

Swami Vivekananda attend the conference and thunder forth with eloquence the

importance and greatness of Hinduism.

The superiority of Hinduism consists in this that its scriptures (the Vedas

and the Upanishads) teach us the nature of God, His attributes, the

superiority of spirit over matter and ways of how to attain God. Further the

influx of many religious fanatics and dogmas has not crushed the above

conception, but in the end they were assimilated.

Buddhism, Jainism, Zorastrainism, Christianity and Mahome-danism held for a

time some sway over the country and these could not crush Hinduism. On the

other hand, they have given a new orientation to the ancient religion, which

commands universal acceptance.

For others, a federation of religions may seem a curious thing. But to a

Hindu, it is not so. To him, the whole world of religions is only a

travelling, a coming up of different men and women through various

conditions and circumstances to the same goal. Every religion is only

evolving a God out of the material man, and the same God is the

inspirer of all of them. According to him, so many contradictions in the

world are only apparent, coming from the same truth adapting itself to

the varying circumstances of different natures. Lord Krishna

declared, " I am in every religion as the thread through a string of

pearls."

Hinduism is the religion of humanity; it deals with the knowledge of self

and takes one to the self-realization which is oneness with the

all-pervading God. It has no conflict with other religions.

The Avatar of Sri Sai is a recent illustration of the above fact. He was

a Mahommedan fakir to the followers of Islam, a Samartha Sadguru to the

Hindus; and a harbinger of peace and harmony to various other sects. He

showed how persons of various religious persuasions can come together and

live in peace and harmony. His mission is now spreading with tremendous,

force throughout the length and breadth of India. In it will be

achieved the federation of all religions.

We are living in this mundane world which is full of turmoil

and it is very easy for us to forget religion which awakens us to

the real state of affairs which we are in, shows us the gate to perpetual

bliss and keeps away from being dragged down to the abject life of beasts

doing nothing but eating and drinking and making merry. Such being the

case, there must be some extraordinary thing which will now and then remind

us as to who we are and what we should do, so that we may not be

completely oblivious to our duties here. It is religion that fulfils this

purpose. As Bhagavan Sri Krishna says in the Gita, "

Whoever wants to see Me in whatever light or form, I readily fulfil his

desire. O thou son of Pritha, all people travel through paths chalked

out by Me alone."

Saint Saying

Look life in the face from the soul's inner strength and become master of

circumstances.

 

(Adopted from the Book Pearls of Wisdom by His Holiness Swami Kesavaiahji)