World Religions Conference November 1957

Author(s): Sushil Muni
Publisher: Achal Singh Seth

Page 18

Background
Religious Conferences: History
In the times of Budhistic Age, we have on record, accounts of religious conferences that were called by emperors Ashoka, Kanishka and Harsha Vardhan. The debates of Shankaracharya and Mandal Mishra also point to the same thing. Again, in medieval times, the great Mughal emperor Akbar, inaugurated the new cread-Din-i-llahi (the creed of God) after prolonged discussions in his Council Chamber 'Ibadat Khana' set apart for the purpose of finding out Truth by friendly discussions with the learned in religious lore. All religious festivals and gatherings, pilgrimages and the like are but bare vestiges of the age-old traditions behind these things-to wit, to work for research and revaluation of Truth for the layman. The Kumbhs & Ardh Kumbhs are but visible reminders of the ancient gatherings that were held for the sake of Truth, in which the religious leaders of different thoughts and beliefs, gathered at a sacred place, to thrash out Reality and present the same to the common man in common and easily intelligible language, according to the needs of the times. It has always been for the religious leaders and preachers to preserve and re-present the old wine in new bottles as may suit, the age, the time and the temper of the people.
But unlike today the ancients never believed in blind faith, religious prejudices, nor indulged, in religious doubts, misgivings, unbelief and scepti cism, as may instil in the people religious frenzy and make them bigoted, narrow-minded and intolerant. They would rather make advances in the field of religion, spread out Truth and show the way to others as heralds of old. It is a great calamity that their efforts extending over centuries to conquer the frailties of Man have ignominously come to naught.
God made Man and Man made religions. In his ignorance and short sightedness, Man built religions upon religions, set up water-tight compartments of new faiths and creeds, with the results that we find ourselves today in a great wilderness and delusion with no way-out of the labyrinthine Intricacies, and with no means to unravel the skein of innumerable thoughts and beliefs. In this sad state of affairs a common man cannot but take an easy way to disbelief and thereby cut the gordian knot with the sword of atheism and herein lies the frailty of religion. Again, the present day discussions do not aim at search for Truth, much less to purify Truth, by digging it out of the debris of ages. These Polemics are now held just for the sake of gaining victory for one and inflicting defeat on the other, and these instead of giving a correct lead, lead people astray from the path of righteousness and rectitude.
The times are, however, fast changing. We are In an age of transition. We are anxious to find 'Unity in diversity'. The Panch Shila or the five corner stones of peace, as recognized, in the field of politics, have of
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