One Message Runs Through All Faiths: Only Connect
Times Of India
A desktop or a laptop can connect us instantly to vast knowledge
sources. A computer can link us to the news, stock reports, airline
bookings, shopping, medical breakthroughs, and information in almost
every other sphere of knowledge.
The information connectedness that we experience with computers is a
small sample of the potent connections we can make with our empowered
soul. The empowered soul experiences universal connection with all
beings. Becoming aware of this unifying force can help us realise our
essential unity. Walls of division separate people.
If we are born in one part of the world we say," I am a citizen of
this country, or that country.” If we are born into a certain
religion, we say," I am a follower of such and such religion.”
Religions are man-made. There was no Buddhism before Buddha. There
was no Christianity before Jesus.
It was the followers of the great saints, mystics, and prophets who
organised their teachings into a religion. Most often, we become a
member of a religion based on our parents' beliefs. A Hindu infant
who is orphaned and who is later adopted by a Christian may become
Christian.
Similarly, the way we live is dictated by the peculiarities of the
region we live in. Many people worship God through prayer. But the
way they pray is different. In some warm climates, it is customary to
remove shoes before entering a holy place; in colder climates, going
barefoot may be impractical.
Over time, customs that originate for climatic reasons become
sanctified and become part of religious law. People tend to use those
differences as a basis for prejudice and hatred. Another dividing
factor is language.
When people in different religions use different words for the same
concept, it becomes an excuse for thinking the other religion is not
as good as one's own. Each religion has its own name for God, based
on the language or culture in which the religion originated.
God is Allah to Muslims, Wahe Guru to Sikhs, Paramatma to Hindus, God
to Christians. Whichever the language, the words refer to the same
God. Yet we make these language differences a source of contention
and separation.
We forget that God existed before language was created. By drawing
boundaries we limit ourselves. The soul, however, is limitless. There
is a unifying force beyond the physical plane, connecting all life.
We are full of the love of God. It is only at the human level that we
make divisions.
The soul is a part of the Creator. For us to be able to truly
understand ourselves, we need to recognise all the divisions as walls
that surround our true self. These walls keep us from truth.
Sant Darshan Singh spoke of Oneness: "What does it matter if I am
called a man, In truth, I am the very soul of love. The entire earth
is my home, And the universe my country.”
Through lack of self-know-ledge, we create separation. Through our
soul, we can experience connectedness and create more peace and harmony among the inhabitants of this planet.
One Message Runs Through All Faiths: Only Connect
Times Of India
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