Oneness
“I love you when you bow in your
mosque, kneel in your temple, pray in your church. For you and I are sons of
one religion, and it is the spirit.” Khalil Gibran
As a child, I loved playing with Lego. The colored blocks
could keep me busy for hours constructing different shapes and figures. I
believe it instilled focus, discipline and creativity amongst others. As an
adult, I see Lego as synonymous to human beings, in a limited way of course.
The way Lego is made of plastic, we are made of body, emotions and intellect.
We all serve a purpose in the movie playing in the world and there is always a
talent within each of to add value to the world for and make the picture
perfect. Alone, we are of no use; together we can create magical images.
In this world of Lego, I often wondered how do I add to the
world. After years of seeking, I believe that my faith is my offering. Faith in the knowledge of my true nature,
faith in the Universal Power, faith that there is goodness in all and we are
all loved unconditionally and we get what we deserve. My expression as a person
arises from faith, my creativity of as a professional arises from faith, my
ability to be fearless arises from faith, my ability to love arises from faith.
I always saw myself as a religious person. I believed in the
existence of God and observed rituals like prayer, fasting and going to the
temple. In all this, did I truly understand religion? No, I did what I observed
or learnt but never questioned or analyzed. Neither did I attempt to understand
the import or difference between religions. I adopted my religion as Hinduism
since I was born in a Hindu family. I visited the Gurudwara, Church, Mosque to
worship as well. I believed in and experienced His Existence wherever humanity
gathered to pray. This simplistic faith in God gave me a foundation for life
wherein I always believed in His love. My love for the Universal Power, God,
The Supreme, The Creator, however undergone a tremendous shift – earlier it was
based on blind love; now it is based on understanding and conviction.
As I have read about other religions, my understanding is
that all religions lead to the same Universal Truth and all religions teach the
principles for happiness, peace, compassion and love. Religions are expressed
and interpreted in different languages and ways and recommend different practices
or rituals but they all respond to the same quest - how to express love freely
and how to live a happy life.
The knowledge of any discovery or invention has always been
shared through different media like drawings, writings, artifacts, dance, music
etc to make life easier for the next generation. Religion too is a knowledge
that is to be shared for the progress of communities. Different communities
have different dialects, cultures, clothes, cuisines that bring them together
and create a sense of belonging. Human beings have a basic need to belong.
Religion too is a binding force at a deeper level of emotions and love.
I am not a doctorate in religious studies and neither am I a
saint, however, I believe that the saints who are revered as the founders of
religion could not have wanted people to distinguish and fight over religion.
As an expression of their love, they showed people a path to live with love,
forgiveness, courage, solidarity, compassion etc. They recognized that life
could be replete with suffering unless people understood the purpose of life.
We claim to be religious and believers, yet we talk about
discrimination and superiority. The moment a discrimination or sense of
superiority arises in our mind, we have fallen out of love. People in their ignorance
adopt translations that create divide between human beings. This is not an
expression of Universal Love. No religion asks us to be either subservient or
aggressive. It repeatedly tells us to do the right thing and listen to that
voice within to know what is the right thing to do. The voice of Truth can be
heard when we silence our plethora of thoughts and allow the voice to speak and
believe in that voice within. This voice is present within each one of us and
is a gift available to all of us. Religion teaches us how to access that voice
and live from there. Spiritual Masters have shared their expression of love
through different religions as their expression of love for humanity.
The way technology has given an access to communicate faster
and live with ease. We can either get obsessed by technology and blame the
father of computers or use it prudently. Similarly, we can either understand
the import behind religions or sue them to create divisions in society.
Religion teaches us how to live life as human beings and how to fulfill the
purpose of life. It teaches us how to express our love and live together,
recognizing our inter-dependencies. I cannot express my humanity without
another!
