World Religions Conference November 1957

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

Page 97

U. N. Dhebar, President Indian National Congress
but that lesson should be according to our temperament. The medication may be good and a Vaid or a Hakim or a Doctor may possess the remedy but if there is some controversy about the medicine then it is absolutely useless for a patient. Again, if we are not able to digest the medicine, however beneficial it may be, it is useless for us. The world likewise needs a religion today. A religion, which may lead us, to harmony and at the same time is Intelligible to us. We may be able to digest it.
If somebody asks us to go and sit on the peak of Himalaya to devote ourselves to meditation, we cannot do it at this stage. There are many complicated questions about religion in our country as well as in other countries. The religion has mixed with politics to some extent. The political evils are corrupting religion today. The name of religion is exploited to gain vested interest and developments take place, in such a way, that we are not able to understand it properly. So I want to draw the attention of this session to two or three things; firstly there should be no discussions on the basis of religion. The spirit of religion is to make men happy, to make them better men. Let us learn all the good things from all religions and let us develop respect and good-will for all religions and keep public morals high.
Secondly, there may be many good things in our books but the way we put the religious teachings before the people should be such that all should follow the teachings of religions. To my mind, there is no basic conflict between religion and science, there is no basic conflict between religion and politics. I do not think if there is any clash between religion and economics..
Gandhi ji has taught us that religion has no separate identity from life. If we are not able to give religion a practical shape in life we have no right to call ourselves religionists. We must try to put before the public such conceptions and teachings as may easily be followed by the common man. Gandhi ji performed many a great experiment on religion in our country. People said that Truth cannot be a part of Practical life. This shows lack of confidence in the masses. Truth, like Non-violence and Goodness is for all. Eighty percent of people follow the principles of Truth, Non-violence or Good-ness in this life. The question before us to-day is how to arouse the inner self of the public at large and to create a faith in them. We have also to teach them that even a common person can follow the higher religious teachings in practical life. .
I can declare with confidence that if the worth of human life be placed before the public in such a way as may be understood by them, then there would be no distinction left between a common man and a religious leader.
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