World Religions Conference November 1957

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

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Background
Religious Sham
We have today a sham of religion instead of true religion, a reflex of truth in place of Truth, because we have ceased to think out things, and have come to believe that research has no place in the field of religion, little knowing that religion like other things keeps drawing to itself dross from the surrounding atmosphere and needs continuous rubbing and scrubbing to save it from decay and oblivion. We have, therefore, to weed out gradually all the elements that are sordid and mean and to find out ways to gain an inner experience of the soul that gives Life-everlasting.
Religion : What it is ?
True religion is that which brings into full play the dormant spiritual faculties in man, expands his little self so as to embrace the universe and in short, fills him with loving compassion for all the creatures of the world. Blind faith in forms and formularies, clinging to lifeless rites and rituals, unconscious Indulging in bigotry and narrow-mindedness are but indelible blots on the fair name of religion.
World Religion
All religions of the world, sectarian or denominational, are but woof and warp of the 'One World Religion' or in other words, they are the ramifications of this mighty tree and draw their inspiration from the lifegiving roots rooted deep in the soil of Truth, Love, and Non-violence and are in turn strengthening our character, faith and knowledge. Lord Mahavira, once said that if one were to develop one's 'Single Eye', he would plainly see the light of Truth in the various scriptures of the World. He then begins to see One-ness in the Universe, Unity in apparent diversity, and everything appears to him in its true colours, without the least shadow of doubt and distrust. Rooted in Truth or Righteousness, he develops fearlessness and compassion, the two cardinal virtues of Dharma. His head and heart become one and he acquires discriminative equanmity. The true triumph of religion lies in bringing about in Man, the courage of his Convictions, for his deeds then automaticaly conform with his beliefs. True knowledge and love, freedom and equapoise are the natural concommitants of Dharma. Again, it is Dharma thst saves Man from the defusive clutches of the world. Scientists try to entrap Man into the steel frame of science and reduce him to the level of a mechanistic tool and thus dehumanise the human element in him. Dharma, on the other hand, is concerned with the Soul-in-Man and directs Man to the higher purpose of life-viz to know one's Self and to know God. The root-cause and the fountain-head of Dharma is but One-call it what you may-Rishbh Dev of the Vedas, Ade Nath of the Jains and the grand Adam of the Christians
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