Model answer on Unity of Religions by Naveen Sai 2013-2014 I year Science

Good morning everybody. It is a pleasure to be talking to you this morning on this concept - 'Unity of
Religion'.

Firstly, what is religion ? Why do we need a religion ? Don't these questions constantly nag you ??

Religion is basically a path to God - and like how all paths lead to Rome; all paths lead to the same
almighty. But, why do we need religion ?

Religion - 're-ligare' - means re-binding or re-connection. One must reconnect or re-tie oneself to the
Lord; his creator... The mind, called mathi, is a big hindrance in reaching God. It can as well lead us all
away; so religion (matha) is required to control the (mathi) mind. There may seem to be various
dissimilarities that are apparent in the religions.

Muslims believe that their God is formless but some others, like Hindus believe that there are about 3
lakh gods and yet others believe that God is only One. Moreover, some believe in heaven or hell while
others don't. These dissimilarities contort the minds of people and they raise arms in the name of
Religion. Isn't it going to be wonderful if we realise that God is One but just has many forms.

Bhagawan Baba says that, 'Everyone is considered to God ancient India and so, at that time, the
population was 3 lakh and pop ! came the 3 lakh Gods; The same is in Christianity - there is only one God
but he manifests as three - the father, the son and the Holy Ghost.

The religions of the world today carried the messages of the Lord for ages and now, suddenly due to a
slightest of apprehensions, quarrels begin.

The teachings of the religions seems to revolve around a few common things.

a) All religions lay emphasis on truthful living and sharing one's earnings with the less fortunate; be it
zakat in Islam or giving the money for the Annadan in a temple.

b) All religions confirm that one must follow his own duty righteously; he musn't harm God's creation; he
must live in harmony with with all his fellow beings...

c) Jesus said, 'Love thy neighbour as thyself'. Hinduism says, 'Ahimsa paramo Dharmaha'. Jainism walks
on the very nuiances of ahimsa. Love.... Love is the primeval concept emphasized and re-emphasized by
all religions.

d) One must love selflessly - as FISH is better than SELFISH!! There is no9 restriction of the love that the
Lord showers on us; then why should we put restrictions on our Love ?

e) Service, adoration of the Lord, caring and sharing are all common principles of every religion. All
religions are like different paths to the same goal - God

Consider this Example:

A seed of a mango is taken and planted. It sprouts and it grows into a sturdy tree giving lots of and lots
mangoes; each with a seed in it !!

Similarly, all the religions (mangoes) have come from the Lord and each of them contain His seed in
them. Once that is planted, will arise another tree carrying many mangoes, yet with a seed in each
mango !!

Like how, all rivers meet the sea, so shall all religions merge in the Lord.

When Buddha spoke of life being full of misery or Hinduism declaring that karma binds man incessantly;
the only release from all sorrow is to kill the six enemies of man.

The story of Mahabharata is the perfect analogy to this.

The six vices fight against the 5 cardinal values + God, and in all cases, the five cardinal values, having
God on their side, triumph.

The underlying current for all religions is God. He is the electricity flowing through the bulbs (religions)
and illumining the world through them.

All religions emphasize on the aspect of Prayer for it is when "Prayers go up' that 'blessings come down'.
Time and again, as all religions believe, Lord either comes down by himself or sends his beloved
messenger or messiah to pick up His downtrodden children. Prayer is the important concept of every
religion.

When these apparent dissimilarities are broken down by the actual similarities, then God is in all; the
Unity in all can be seen.

Thus Unity is Divinity.

From Unity, through unity, we reach divinity. Then where is diversity in the religions of the world ? - all of
them stand united.

It's just Love....Love.....Love.... all the way !!

The love of God unites all men under the same umbrella ! As Swami says, and all religions emphasize -
'The brotherhood of man and the fatherhood of God'

So let us all forget our differences and accept our similarities ...

We are the Ones; we are the children; of the same God; of the same Lord .......
Model answer by Seemesh Bhaskar I year Sciencef 2013-2014 on Unity of Religion

These are the concepts that I would cover to explain the Unity of Religion:

i) God is one, but forms are many. Everything that pervades the Universe is divine. Eg: Mango Seed. If we
sow a mango seed, it germinates, produces, roots, stem, branches, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds.
Essentially, the seed is latent in all the parts of the tree since every part is produced by it directly or
indirectly. The hard seed that came out the tree is the same seed. Hence all were already in that one
seed. Seed is in all parts of tree. Similarly God is the seed, creation with plants, animals and human are
different parts of the seed. Hence every part of creation has God, Hence God is One in Many.

ii) God is infinite and hence expressions are infinite.

iii) We can see God literally, - we can feel Him in the sweetness of the Sugar, the fragrance of the flower,
the taste of Food or Drink, the vibrations of human body ; all these are of divine nature that sustain life.

iv) Religion helps to create and sustain divine consciousness. It tries to implant holy ideals in humanity.
No religion is superior or inferior.

v) irrespective of the scriptures followed may be Quran for Islam, Bible for Christianity, Bhagawad gita for
Hinduism, Tao-te-ching for Taoism, Guru Granth Sahib for Sikhism, all of them lead all to ultimate
reality / God.

vi) Parameshti (creator), Srishti (creation), Samashti (society), and Vyashti (individual) all are derived
from the same.

vii) All different religions can be compared to the human body - Every part has its own function and
hence is important. When one suffers all other parts be awake in fever until the affected part is brought
back to normalcy. This is how God reveals himself in various forms. No limb is inferior or superior.

viii) To write, to carry, to pick a pen we need essentially all the 5 fingers; little finger cannot be reglected.
Hence different parts of the body ie different limbs are like different religions which is of the same body
of God.

ix) Sunlight is the same one may catch it in a gold, silver, diamond, wooden or earthern pot. All will not
shine equally due to the material in which they are captured because they are made up of different
material. But Sunlight is the same and unique to all. We can call the various pots as various religions with
different rituals, philosophies, ethics and mysticism, that shine differently. But all of them, each one of
them lead mankind to the ultimate reality / God.

x) Hunger and thirst is the same for both rich and the poor. The blood we have is the same for all, the air
we breathe is the same. The joy and sorrows we feel at various instances is the same for all. Hence there
are common factors that appear diversified or appear as dissimilar. The underlying Unity exists in all
religious activities/religions.
xi) Essentially religion is realisation ie., the under current of all religions. Goal of religion is ascent of Man
from animal to human to spiritual. This is the goal of all religion. Hence all religions are same.

xii) All religions answer the man's innate quest to know about birth and death, creation and the creator.
It answers the quest to know about infinite joy and blissfullness and freedom from misery. Hence all
religions have the same essence.

Ornaments are many and may be difference - but the Gold is One

Clothing may be different - but cotton is the same

So also religions may be different, But the essence of all religions is the same in establishing the Unity of
Religions.

Thank You.