World of Philosophy

Author(s): Christopher Key Chapple, Intaj Malek, Dilip Charan, Sunanda Shastri, Prashant Dave
Publisher: Shanti Prakashan

Page 725

ESSENTIALS OF UNIVERSAL RELIGION
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Dr. Veneemadhavshastri Joshi
There are no two opinions on the gracious point that the aim of all religions is to move from imperfection to perfection; from darkness to light and from mortality to immortality. Good many common features in all the religions of the world are nicely found to point out how all the Religions aim at one Truth. Every citizen of the world seeks one or the other way of perfection or religion, but the final reaching point of junction is God, like ocean to all rivers. Swami Vivekananda, on the Chicago Parliament of Religions stressed this point with all the emphasis at his command by quoting a verse from the Mahimnastotra of Puspadanta as follows -
त्रयी सांख्यं योगः पशुपति मतं वैष्णवमिति प्रभिन्ने प्रस्थाने परमिदमदः पथ्यमिति च । रूचीनां वैचित्र्याद् ऋजुकुटिल नाना पथजुषां नृणामेको गम्यस्त्वमसि पयसामर्णव इव ॥
म. स्तो. -७
Now it is the time to reconsider the above verdict in view of the Globalization.
There is least doubt that the modern technology has developed to that extent that it goes beyond our imagination. Yet there is a dire need for something which may lead humanity towards perfection and that gap can be filled effeciently by Religion alone. Dr.S.Radhakrishna puts the same thus "Our age is still in need of that which religion alone can give." 2 That is why the religion is defined as that power and capability to bear and to feed the whole world. It is styled by Vyasa Maharsi as
धारणात् धर्म इत्याहुः धर्मो धारयते प्रजाः ।
यत् स्यात् धारणसंयुक्तः स धर्म इति निश्चयः ॥
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The world comprises a majority of common people. A man in street does not have the capacity to understand the big words like Salvation, Self-realization, Emencipation or Mukti. Therefore this Religion takes care of feeding that food what is easy of digestion to a layman to whom money, food, house, family etc. are more important. Liberty (i.e. Mukti) in its true sense is completely outside the run of everage humanity. That is why Religion provides simple system of rules by which it will be easy for a man to cherish confidence in himself for the betterment of his spiritual life. Religion thinks of that which a man does in his mind. He thinks of those points which are accessible to him. By one or the other