World Religions Conference November 1957

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

Page 85

Dr. Radhakrishnan, Vice-President of India
every human being has in him the potentiality to rise to the highest. The difference of religions, says a Muslim prophet, Abu Hanifa, who lived in the 8th Century A.D., is an act of divine mercy. If we all thought alike there will be no interest. The very fact that we have different ways of approaching the Supreme Reality is an act of divine mercy. That is how he puts it. It is not the diversity of approaches that is the wrong thing in this world, but physical into lerance of man that is the real crime. The account may be given in any number of ways. Guru Gobind Singh said,
Mandir, Masjid, Tera Dham Ishwar, Allah, Tera Nam.
Well, there you have a seer who described the Ultimate Reality, as nothing more than Pure Truth. And he said it is Nirwaka and you cannot describe it by any words.
But when you use words, you can employ any description which takes you from the transitory and the temporal to the eternal. So a kind of hospitality to other concepts was formed. In this country, from the beginning of our history, we have conflicting, different creeds. As has been said, north of the sea, south of the Himalayas, all those who dwell in that reigon belong to Bharat, therefore, they are the descendents of Bharat, and we call them Bharti. They may have any number of different views but they are all permeated by the one grand outlook of India, namely not mere toleration but the appreciation of other peoples faiths. If we want to grow from intellect to spirit, we have to adopt this particular tendency of toleration, appreciation and respect for other peoples' faith. As Ashoka said, 'what I want is Sarawridhi'. It is the development of the root of religion, the essence of religion, Vridhy that must be developed. It does not matter what name you give to it. But you must develop the sipirt of religion in yourself. Essential things are the subduing of your appetites, making them obedient to the larger universal purpose.
Different religions put it in different ways, the crucifiction of the ego is the essential condition of enlightenment. If we want to gain wisdom, our selfishness will have to be crucified, This Selfishness may take many forms. It may be individual, organisational; it may be collective. We are still the victims of several forms of collective selfishness. The disputes which are today, so to say, bringing our country into disrepute are disputes about organisation, their forms of collective selfishness. Unless an Individual is able to grow Into the universality of spirit, he is not truly emancipated. Anyone who has petty ambitions, private preferences, egotism, pride, 'a sense of
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