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As I travel widely in Asia, I am amazed at the similarities, between the different countries, in many of our beliefs, practices and customs. Whether the ritual is at a temple of a Sea-Goddess in Hong Kong, or the burning of incense in a temple in Macau. Or even in a department store in Indonesia where I bumped into beautiful sculptures of Sri Ganesh or Sri Hanuman made in Bali.
On the other hand, I get completely dismayed by many disturbing events occurring in almost all corners of the world. The killing of the priest and his children in Orissa, the anti-Christian riots in some islands of Indonesia, the continued terrorism in Kashmir, and the ongoing saga in the Middle East are but a few examples. Yet, this is not just a recent phenomenon. Most wars in the history of mankind have been due to religious intolerance!
How can we change this trend? One person at a time, one community at a time, and one country at a time. Her Holiness Guru Maa Jyotishanand Saraswati is one shining light in our midst, and we must follow Her example. Not too long ago, She was asked “What is your religion?” She promptly replied “I follow the religion of HUMANITY. I follow the principles of faith, love and trust.” The following is a translation of a shloka from the Athara Veda:
We are the birds of the same nest,
We may wear different skins,
We may speak different languages,
We may believe in different religions,
We may belong to different cultures,
Yet, we share the same home our earth,
Born on the same planet,
Covered by the same skies,
Gazing at the same stars,
Breathing the same air.
We must learn to happily progress together
Or miserably perish together.
For one can live individually,
But can only flourish collectively.
This human spirit of oneness is very important as we begin our journey in the new millennium. Our Vedic philosophy has taught us the principles of non-violence, renunciation and most critical, religious tolerance. Will you be less of a Hindu or less of a Moslem or less of a Sikh or Parsi or Christian if you are tolerant of other faiths?
The Oxford dictionary defines toleration as: ‘recognition of right of private judgement in religious matters, liberty to uphold one’s religious opinions and forms of worship, or to enjoy all social privileges etc. without regard to religious differences.’ This definition translates into: tolerance, to a human rights issue. You are tolerant when you respect the right of others to hold their beliefs, which are different than yours. You may believe that your faith is the only valid religion - the one fully approved of and created by God. Yet, you can still be religiously tolerant towards others if you recognize that all individuals and faiths have the same basic human right of religious liberty: to freely follow their faith’s beliefs and practices. We should take this one step further, because just being tolerant is not enough. We should also have a deep sense of appreciation of people who are different from us.
The website on religious tolerance has a good step by step staircase approach to increasing your religious tolerance:
Step 1: Celebrate, enjoy the diversity of all religions (e.g. celebrate all religious festivals.)
Step 2: Value, appreciate the similarities and differences between your faith and that of the others.
Step 3: Learn, engage in inter-faith dialogue
Step 4: Respect, recognize all faiths’ contribution to society
Step 5: Examine, study other faiths’ beliefs
Step 6: Acknowledge and recognize the existence of all faiths as a part of the religious mosaic of each community, nation and the world, and lastly:
Step 7: TOLERATE, allow all faiths to exist. It is their basic human right.
Let us follow the religion of humanity. Let us be optimistic and begin with practicing and preaching the above principles to yourself, and then in your home, and eventually goodness will spread.
Elsewhere in this journal, you will see a report on Her Holiness Guru Maa Jyotishanand Saraswati’s attendance of the 1999 Parliament of the World’s Religions in Cape Town, South Africa from December 1 through 8. An initial declaration of this Parliament read as follows: Earth cannot be changed for the better unless the consciousness of individuals is changed first, and without risk and a readiness to sacrifice there can be no fundamental change in our situation. Therefore, we commit ourselves to this global ethic, to understanding one another, and to socially beneficial, peace-fostering, and nature-friendly ways of life. A key commitment by this Parliament is towards a culture of tolerance! We, in VHI, support Her Holiness Guru Maa in Her quest to spread this message of tolerance to one and all.
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