Harmony of Religions

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" Truth is one; sages call it by various names, " the Rig Veda, one of

Vedanta's most ancient texts, declared thousands of years ago.

 

We are all seeking the truth, Vedanta asserts, and that truth comes

in numerous names and forms. Truth—spiritual reality—remains the

truth though it appears in different guises and approaches us from

various directions. " Whatever path people travel is My path, " says

the Bhagavad Gita. " No matter where they walk, it leads to Me. "

 

If all religions are true, then what is all the fighting about?

 

Politics, mostly, and the distortions that cultures and limited human

minds superimpose upon spiritual reality. What is generally

considered " religion " is a mixture of essentials and nonessentials;

as Ramakrishna said, all scriptures contain a mixture of sand and

sugar. We need to take out the sugar and leave the sand behind: we

should extract the essence of religion—whether we call it union with

God or Self-realization—and leave the rest behind. Whatever helps us

to manifest our divinity we embrace; whatever pulls us away from that

ideal, we avoid.

 

The carnage inflicted upon the world in the name of religion has

precious little to do with genuine religion. People fight over

doctrine and dogma: we don't see people being murdered over attaining

divine union! A " religious war " is really large-scale egotism gone

berserk. As Swami Prabhavananda, the founder of the Vedanta Society

of Southern California, would smilingly say, " If you put Jesus,

Buddha, and Muhammad in the same room together, they will embrace

each other. If you put their followers together, they may kill each

other! "

 

Truth is one, but it comes filtered through the limited human mind.

That mind lives in a particular culture, has its own experience of

the world and lives at a particular point in history. The infinite

Reality is thus processed through the limitations of space, time,

causation, and is further processed through the confines of human

understanding and language. Manifestations of truth—scriptures,

sages, and prophets—will necessarily vary from age to age and from

culture to culture. Light, when put through a prism, appears in

various colors when observed from different angles. But the light

always remains the same pure light. The same is true with spiritual

truth.

 

This is not to say that all religions are " really pretty much the

same. " That is an affront to the distinct beauty and individual

greatness of each of the world's spiritual traditions. Saying that

every religion is equally true and authentic doesn't mean that one

can be substituted for the other like generic brands of aspirin.

 

Every Religion Has a Gift.

 

Every religion has a specific gift to offer humankind; every religion

brings with it a unique viewpoint which enriches the world.

Christianity stresses love and sacrifice; Judaism, the value of

spiritual wisdom and tradition. Islam emphasizes universal

brotherhood and equality while Buddhism advocates compassion and

mindfulness. The Native American tradition teaches reverence for the

earth and the natural world surrounding us. Vedanta or the Hindu

tradition stresses the oneness of existence and the need for direct

mystical experience.

 

The world's spiritual traditions are like different pieces in a giant

jigsaw puzzle: each piece is different and each piece is essential to

complete the whole picture. Each piece is to be honored and respected

while holding firm to our own particular piece of the puzzle. We can

deepen our own spirituality and learn about our own tradition by

studying other faiths. Just as importantly, by studying our own

tradition well, we are better able to appreciate the truth in other

traditions.

 

Deepening in Our Path Just as we honor the various world religions

and respect their adherents, we must grow and deepen in our own

particular spiritual path--whatever it may be. We shouldn't dabble in

a little bit of Buddhism and a little bit of Islam and a little bit

of Christianity and then try a new combo plate the following week.

Spiritual practice is not a smorgasbord. If we throw five varieties

of desserts into a food processor, we'll just get one unpalatable

mess.

 

While Vedanta emphasizes the harmony of religions, it also stresses

the necessity of diving deep into the spiritual tradition of our

choice, sticking with it, and working hard. To paraphrase

Ramakrishna, If you want to dig a well, you have to choose your

location and keep digging until you reach water. It doesn't do any

good to dig a bunch of shallow holes.

 

While a shallow spiritual life is probably better than no spiritual

life at all, it nevertheless doesn't take us where we want to go: to

freedom, to God-realization. Once we choose which spiritual path we

wish to follow, we should doggedly pursue it until we reach the goal.

The point is, we can do this while not only valuing other traditions,

but also learning from them.

 

Different Paths to the Same Goal:

 

Vedanta says that all religions contain within themselves the same

essential truths, although the packaging is different. And that is

good. Every human being on the planet is unique. Not one of us really

practices the same religion. Every person's mind is different and

every person needs his or her own unique path to reach the top of the

mountain. Some paths are narrow, some are broad. Some are winding and

difficult and some are safe and dull. Eventually we'll all get to the

top of the mountain; we don't have to worry about our neighbors

getting lost along the way. They'll do just fine. We all need

different approaches to fit our different natures.

 

Despite external variations in the world religions, the internals are

more alike than not. Every religion teaches similar moral and ethical

virtues; all religions teach the importance of spiritual striving and

the necessity of honoring our fellow human beings as part of that

striving.

 

" As different streams having their sources in different places all

mingle their water in the sea, " says an ancient Sanskrit prayer, " so,

O Lord, the different paths which people take through different

tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead

to Thee. "