Vedanta demonstrates the essential unity of all religions.

The essential unity of all religions
From: "jagbir singh" <adishakti_org@yahoo.com>
Date: Sat Jun 12, 2004 9:48 pm
Subject: Vedanta demonstrates the essential unity of all religions.


--- In shriadishakti@yahoogroups.com, "jagbir singh"
<adishakti_org@y...> wrote:
>
> We have to understand that His Ruh (Adi Shakti) Shri
> Mataji was thus sent to announce and explain the Last
> Judgment and Al-Qiyamah in detail to all, and the
> technique to attain Self-realization. That is why we
> humans are now able to comprehend for the first time in
> history the relationship between the Islamic Resurrection,
> Christian Last Judgment and Vedic Sanatana Dharma. It
> applies to all traditions and none (of their followers) are
> accorded special status, regardless of what religion they
> follow. Those who have surrendered and submitted to
> Allah's (SWT) Will to commence the Resurrection are the
> true Muslims.
>
> The opening lines of Surah 75 Al-Qiyamah declare:
>
> LAA UQSIM BI-YAWM AL-QIYAMAH:
> WA-LAA UQSIM BI-AN-NAFSAL- LAWWAAMAH
> I do call to witness the Resurrection Day
> And I do call to witness the self-reproaching Spirit.
>

“Vedanta is the philosophy that evolved from the teachings of the Vedas. The Vedas are a collection of ancient Indian scriptures, the oldest religious writings that exist in the world. More generally, the term "Vedanta" includes not only the Vedas themselves but also the whole body of literature based on them, right down to the present day.

The Vedanta philosophy is the foundation of many currents of religious thought, and will be the foundation of many more in the future. Vedanta demonstrates the essential unity of all religions. It is a sort of philosophical algebra, in terms of which all religious truths can be expressed. It provides universal expression to all religions by teaching three fundamental truths:

The real nature of all human beings is divine.

If in this universe, there is an underlying Reality, a God, then that omnipresent God must be within each one of us and within every creature and object. Thus, if a person could somehow shed the superfluous by emphasizing the underlying truths of life, his or her divine nature would be manifest. Once that is accomplished, one could verily state that the true nature of man is God.

The aim of human life on earth is to unfold and manifest the Divine, which is hidden, but eternally existent within every human being.

The differences between one person and another are only differences in the degree to which God is manifest. All ethics are merely a means to the end of divine unfoldment. "Right" action is that which assists the unfoldment of God within us; "wrong" action is that which hinders that unfoldment. "Right" and "Wrong" are, therefore, only relative values, and should not be used as an absolute standard by which we judge others. Each individual has an individual problem and an individual path of development. Nevertheless, the Goal is the same
for all.

Given that our nature is divine, there is infinite strength and
infinite wisdom at our command to uncover our true nature. This nature can be gradually known and entered into by means of prayer, meditation and the living of a disciplined life _ that is to say, a life that seeks to remove all obstacles to the divine unfoldment. Such obstacles are desire, fear, hatred, possessiveness, vanity, and pride. The Vedantist prefers the word "obstacle" to the word "sin " because, if we think of ourselves as sinners and miserable, we forget
God within us and lapse into that mood of doubt, despondency, and weakness which is the greatest obstacle of all.

Because God is within each one of us, Vedanta teaches not merely the brotherhood, but the identity of man with man, the underlying unity of the entire human race. It says: "Thou art That. " Every soul is your own soul. Every creature is your Self. If you harm anyone, you harm yourself. If you help anyone, you help yourself. Therefore, all feelings of separateness, exclusiveness, intolerance, and hatred are not only misguided; they are the darkest ignorance, because they deny the true nature of all creatures, the divinity within, and the underlying unity of all forms of expression in nature.

The above truths are universal.

Vedanta accepts all the religions of the world, because it recognizes the same divine inspiration in all. Different religions suit different cultures and temperaments. Every religion, like every individual, involves a certain measure of ignorance. However, Vedanta does not concern itself with that ignorance. It insists on the underlying truth.

Vedanta is impersonal, but it accepts all the great prophets,
teachers, and sons of God, and all those personal aspects of God worshipped by different religions. It cannot do otherwise, because it believes that all are manifestations of one God. Accepting all, it does not attempt to make converts. It only seeks to clarify our thought, and thus help us to obtain a truer appreciation of our own religion and its ultimate aim.”

Vedanta demonstrates the essential unity of all religions.
http://www.vedantaberkeley.org/our.htm