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Unity of Faiths
“There
is only one religion; the religion of Love
There is only one language; the language of the Heart
There is only caste; the caste of Humanity
There is only one God, He is Omnipresent."
In a significant discourse delivered by Bhagawan
in Nairobi (Kenya, East Africa) on the 4th of July in 1968,
Baba said,
“I have come to light the lamp of love
in your hearts, to see that it shines day by day with added
luster. I have come to tell you of this universal, unitary
faith, this spiritual principle, this path of love, this duty
of love, this obligation to love.
All religions teach one basic discipline
- the removal of the blemish of egoism from the mind, and
of running after trivial joys. Every religion teaches man
to fill his being with the Glory of God, and evict the pettiness
of conceit. It trains him in methods of detachment and discrimination,
so that he may aim high and attain liberation. Believe that
all hearts are motivated by the one God; that all faiths glorify
Him alone; that all names in all languages and all forms man
can conceive denote the one Supreme Being; His adoration is
best done by means of love.
Cultivate that Eka-bhava (attitude of Oneness),
between men of all creeds, all countries and all continents.
That is the message of love, I bring. That is the message
I wish you to take to heart.”
Symbols of
Religions: Quotes from Sathya Sai Baba
On 22nd November 1975 Bhagawan inaugurated the Sarva Dharma
Stupa, a pillar in the shape a lotus bud, on which the symbols
of some of the major religions of the world have been inscribed.
The significance of these sacred symbols have explained by
Bhagawan so that we can understand the truth that all religions
lead man on the path to God.
(HINDUISM)
"Listen to the primeval Pranava ‘AUM’
resounding in your heart as well as in the heart of the universe."
(CHRISTIANITY)
"Cut the ‘I’ feeling clean
across and let your ego die on the cross, to endow on you
eternity."
(BUDDHISM)
"Remember the wheel of cause and consequence,
of deed and destiny and the wheel of Dharma that guides them
all."
(ISLAM)
"Be like the star which never wavers
from the crescent, but is fixed in steady faith."
(ZORASTRIANISM)
"Offer all bitterness in the sacred fire
and emerge grand, great and godly."
Baba does not try to mould men in the crucible
of any cult. He does not prescribe any single spiritual exercise
or peddle any patented panacea to cure the ills of men. On
4th July 1968, to a large gathering in Nairobi, Kenya, He
said,
“I have not come to speak on behalf
of any particular Dharma (religion), like the Hindu Dharma
(Hindu religion). I have not come on any mission of publicity
for any sect or creed or cause; nor have I come to collect
followers for any doctrine. I have no plan to attract disciples
or devotees into My fold or any fold. I have come to tell
you of this Universal unitary faith, this Atmic principle
(principle of the spirit), this path of love, this Dharma
of Prema (nature of love), this duty of love, this obligation
to love.”
“Let the different faiths exist, let
them flourish; let the glory of God be sung in all languages
in a variety of tunes. That should be the ideal. Respect the
differences between the faiths and recognize them as valid
so far as they do not extinguish the flame of unity,”
Baba says.
Religion is
of immense help...
“Religion is of immense help in fostering
the integral development of the human personality. It underlines
the unity in diversity. True religion is the attainment of
the purity of mind and heart. Every religion has its own precepts
and principles. But no religion preaches hatred, untruth or
unrighteousness. 'Speak the truth', 'Practice righteousness'
enjoin the Upanishads (Indian ancient scriptures). Similar
sacred injunctions are to be found in all the other religions
too. Thus, all religions emphasize the human values and serve
as beacons for the uplift of mankind. They all facilitate
the manifestation of the divinity inherent in man.
On the Christmas Day in 1986, Baba said,
“When God occupies the mind, the objective world or
nature, which is only a product of the mind, loses its validity
and man, the wave on the ocean, lapses in to his source. The
individual self merges in the Absolute. Every religion seeks
to present this basic truth about God, Nature and Man. Every
creed is, in essence, highlighting this fact and the path
of Love as the means of merger. So, one must respect all creeds
and faiths. They are beacons of light guiding pilgrims along
the many paths to the Universal Absolute.”
Ref: “Sathya Sai Speaks” –
Vol. XIX, Chapter-28.
Religion does not preach difference
In the month of December, 1966, in a message,
Baba said,
“All religions, all faiths are but
phases or facets of the same Universal Faith and Discipline.
It is like the story where seven blind men who examined the
elephant and described it to others. The man who held the
tail in his hand said it was a snake; the man who felt the
leg said it was a pillar; the man who examined only the ear
swore that the elephant was like a winnowing basket. This
story has a deep inner meaning. The Atma (spirit) is one,
but, each one sees a fraction of it and judges it differently,
while it is the integrated sum of each of these facets that
constitute Reality.
Ref: “Sathya Sai Speaks” –
Vol. VI, Chapter-44
The Supreme
quality of man is love
To the huge gathering in Prasanthi Nilayam
in the Poornachandra Auditorium, on 20th Oct 1988, Baba said,
“Embodiments of the Divine! Having
come here, there is only one thing which is most vital for
all of you to recognise and understand. Forgetting all differences
of race, religion, caste and creed, disregarding considerations
of class and community, you must feel that all of you are
children of one God.
When you recognise this oneness, eschew all
differences and fill your hearts with love, you will be able
to redeem your lives by constantly chanting the name of the
Lord. That name will help you accomplish anything. It will
fill your life with peace and happiness. It will enable you
to rid yourself of likes and dislikes. The supreme quality
of man is love. Develop love so that you may get rid of attachments
and aversions. Thereby, you will be sanctifying your lives!”
The Essential
Truth is One
Here are a few excerpts from Bhagawan Baba’s
discourses emphasizing the essential commonality of teachings
of various religions:
All religions have emphasized the same truths
in their basic teachings, but very few people try to understand
the inner significance of religions. Out of a narrow feeling
that one's own religion is superior and the other faiths are
inferior, members of different religions are developing hatred
towards members of other faiths and acting like demons. Such
narrow attitude should be given up completely. All should
develop the awareness that though Names and Forms may differ,
the essential truth is one in all religions.
“The truth proclaimed by all religions
is one and the same. All have a common ultimate goal. All
religions aim at promoting righteous conduct by transforming
the attitude of man, thereby bringing about harmony. The foundation
of all religions is morality. Morality is equated with selfless
love. Religions were thus instituted to foster the welfare
of society through the promotion of love for all beings. All
religions advocate their votaries to seek eternal peace or
shanthi within oneself. No religion approves the use of violence.
Every religion recommends the cultivation of tolerance and
respect for other religions, thus paving the way for ahimsa
(non-violence).”
“Should each person live the ideals
propounded by the founders of his religion, unaffected by
greed or hate, the world will be a happy and peaceful habitation
for man. In spiritual terms, all of mankind belongs to one
and the same class, race, and religion.”
“The followers of each religion call
upon the One God who is omnipresent and who listens to their
prayers, be they from any race or whatever language they speak;
but it is the same God who confers happiness on all of mankind.
No religion has a separate God showering grace only on those
who profess to abide by that faith.”
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