Please understand the true unity of all religions……..................................

December 27, 2004

When Haridas Thakur was living in Phulia, he was chanting the holy names. He would rise early in the morning go to the Ganges and he would take his bath. And after bathing, throughout the whole day, he would just roam from towns and villages with his arms raised just inducing every one to chant the names of Krishna, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare”. And the innocent and simple people- they loved him, they surrendered their lives to him. But the envious people, they wanted to destroy him. And then there were some of the leaders of the Muslim faith. This was five hundred years ago when India was under Islamic rule and some of them were also thinking that every one is becoming intoxicated with love of God due to Haridas and Haridas was born in Muslim family, he is ruining our Religion. So they went to the Kazi and they complained to him and the Kazi went to the governor and said that this Haridas must be stopped. He must be punished. So there was a warrant issued for his arrest. When he was brought before the governor, the Kazi who hated Haridas terribly, he began to make so many allegations against him and they said, "You are born in a very high position, why are you degrading yourself to these Hindu ‘rituals’. You are spoiling everything, if you do not cease to engage in this manner, you will have to be punished severely". And I would like to read to you, Haridas Thakur's reply to this great threat to his life because what Haridas Thakur is speaking, if the world hears there will no longer be a conflict amongst any of the religions of this world. They will understand true unity of all religions and all conflict will be something of the past. Please hear the words of Haridas. Upon hearing the Governor speak he began to laugh, "Wonderful is the illusory power of Sri Vishnu, listen dear Sir, God is one for all, He is the eternal object of worship without a second for all, Hindus or Muslims, for young and old, Hindu and non-Hindu, for man and woman. He and He alone is the Supreme Godhead, those ignorant Hindus and Muslims who have no knowledge about the true nature of Godhead are solely responsible for these unpleasant rivalries in religion. They create separate Gods, lay the foundation for unnecessary foolish quarrels which lead to unfortunate development of bitterness amongst the members of both the sections. If you can forget all these petty narrow fanatic feelings for a while and try to understand with an impartial mind, the real truth, by holding both, the Puranas of the Hindus and the Koran of the Muslims, the sound authorities in judging such matters, the name and glories of the same Lord are sung by all people in every part of the world according to the declaration of their respective scriptures. The same Godhead accepts the inner motives underlying the acts of all persons. Any act of contempt against any of His creatures in verily a contempt shown against Himself. Hence it is not advisable to show any hatred toward any of the creations of the almighty God. " And then Haridas Thakur began to explain (I am summarizing). Hence I am acting in the way that the Lord has pleased to guide my mind. The progress of the soul in the service of the Lord entirely depends upon the causeless mercy of the Lord himself. We advance only to the extent to which he permits us to proceed. Haridas is explaining that there is one God for all great religions. And according to the sweet will of the Lord, the Lord inspires one to worship and have faith in a particular religion and a particular path and Haridas explained that I am uncontrollably attached to the worship of Shri Krishna and there is no power on earth that can induce me to stop chanting His holy names, "Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. " The governor upon hearing him, his heart was moved, he understood that this is a true saint speaking the highest truth. But the Kazi said, “He must be killed”. The Governor told Haridas, "If you do not stop publicly broadcasting the glories of this maha-mantra, we will have to beat you in twenty-two market places torturously, till you die. " And Haridas was very amused upon hearing this. Because he knew that his soul cannot be killed and he told the Governor that my life is an offering to Lord Krishna and you can do whatever you like to me. You can cut my body in millions of pieces but you cannot stop me from glorifying His holy name, "Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare”.

H H Radhanath Swami Maharaj

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