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Background
an All-Religions' Conference. While expressing his views on religion, he said that if the world wanted peace it shall have to accept the principles of human rights, tolerance, equality and fraternity as taught by all the religions; that the world peace depended, not so much on One World State, as on One World Religion, and that the 'Ceaseless Music of the Soul' alone was the true religion and that it could undoubtedly help us to achieve our objective in the sphere of human existance. In the wide field of religion there was no room for class and country barriers, for Man was Man everywhere and at all times and mankind but One Great Family irrespective of individual castes, colours and creeds, and that love, peace, kindly thoughts, tolerance and feelings of friendship and good-will were the essential elements in every religion.
Man is what he thinks to be. Dharma is the great guiding and cotrolling force that leads man aright. It is possible that free thinking may have led to troubles and discords. But the theory of "Anekantvad"-(to see a thing from various angles)-as preached by Lord Mahavira enables one to see the various facets of Truth and gradually leads him to the absolute Imageless Truth. The Buddhistic doctrine of "Vibhalya-vad"-(seeing one-ness in all)— the Shankar's principle of "Samanyavad"-(Sameness of individual soul and Over-soul), Christ's "Anugrah-vad"-(the principle of Divine grace for all) and Mohammad's "Shradhavad"-(faith in the prophets of various times and climes), all tend to show but the Oneness of all religions, of all thoughts and beiefs and of all schools of philosophy.
Mahatma Gandhi's Master-keys of Truth and Non-violence, Kabir's worship of Righteousness, Nanak's faith in the Equality of Man and Shri Krishna's love for all do proclaim religion that is eternal and unchangeable in spite of seeming differences in forms and names.
From East to West
The stream of religon took its course from East to West and religion has today taken the entire world in its all-embracing fold. All religions have hailed from Asia and the essence of the teachings of all religous leaders is that they believe in the efficacy of love and non-violence (in thought, word and deed), and considered them the only means for washing clean the impurities that infested mankind both within and without. We have no doubt that this great message of yore, will not fail in solving all the ills of the present age and have a firm conviction that the peace of the world can be secured through religion alone and by no other means.
The Creed of Ahimsa
The creed and culture of India is from ancient times intimately connected with the peaceful Dharma. It has ever been the practice in India, from
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Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
