A Congregation of Religions is Humanity

India provides a complete freedom of practicing, preaching and propagating of all kinds of religions. This is not an oral commitment rather according to the constitution on India articles 15 and 25-30 of the fundamental rights and sections 295-298 of IPC 1860. It provides support and protection to maintain the sanctity of all the religions. Starting from the old religion, Hinduism to the new religion Sikhism, all are practiced here.

In Hinduism, there are 33 crore (330 million) gods and goddesses. I wonder why all these 33 crore gods and goddesses took birth in India, not in the rest of the world. The population of gods and goddesses is mentioned in Purana, those were written around three-five thousand years ago. Again, I wonder, in these three-five thousand years, there is no increment or decrement in the population of gods and goddesses. Most of the gods and goddesses are married and many gods have more than one wife. Still, their population is still. Despite having 33 crore gods and goddesses to guide us, we did not learn anything from them and our population has reached 128 (year 2015) crore.

Hinduism is not the name of any religion, it is a misnomer. When Persian came to India, they observed a group of people beyond the Sindhu river, and they addressed them as Hindu. Sindhu, became Hindu,  “s” became “h”, like “Saptah” became “Haptah”. The place where Hindus reside is known as Hindustan. No matter, what religion, we follow in this land, by this geographical definition, we all are Hindus. The original name of this religion is not Hindu, it is “Sanatan Dharma”, the eternal religion.

In Jainism, there are 24 Thirnthkaras, starting from Rishab dev to Lord Mahavira. These Thirnthkaras are called Jinas. Why Jinas…? The person who conquers his desires, senses and mind is called Jina. And the followers of Jinas are called Jains. If you have conquered your desires, senses and mind, by this definition, you are a Jain, no matter, in which family, you have taken birth. The same message has been given in the Bhagavat Gita ( 6: 5-6)

Buddhism advocates to know yourself, identify your true self, know your purpose on the earth. If you have known yourself, you are the Buddha, the enlightened one, if you have not known yourself, you are a Buddhu , the foolish one. By this definition, if you have known yourself, you are Buddhist. The same message has been given in Svetasvatara Upanishad (Ch.1-12), “If you have known yourself, there is nothing in this world to be known”.

Christianity, came after Jesus Christ. Christ means to anoint, to provide treatment. If you help someone to get rid of their grieve, difficulties, troubles, miseries and problems, by this definition, you are a Christian. The same message has been given in the Bhagavat Gita(Ch.3-11)—“help each-other and prosper together”.

Muslim came from the Arabic root word “Musla”. Musla means “to submit will”. Muslim means “submitting the will to almighty God”. If you have submitted your will to almighty God, by this Arabic definition, you are Muslim. The same message has been given in the Bhagavat Gita (Ch.18-66)—

sarva-dharmān parityajya

mām ekaḿ śaraṇaḿ vraja

ahaḿ tvāḿ sarva-pāpebhyo

mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ

Means- Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.

Sikh came from the Sanskrit word “Shishya” means disciple. To learn something, to become Sikh, you have to listen and, to listen something you have to silent yourself, there should not be any noise, any violence inside you. Please observe SILENT and LISTEN are two different words having same alphabets. The founder and first Guru of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev says,” no matter what religion you follow, listen to the authentic scripture of your religion”. If you are listening and reading to your scripture and then following your religion, by this definition, you are a Sikh.

We know that no religion is a complete religion, no religion contradicts other religions, rather they are complementary to one-another.

All these religions are made by people according to their understanding and convenience, so that, through this path, the spirituality can be attained. Religion is not the destination; it is a path to reach the spirituality.

Only one religion, that is sanctioned, sanctified and approved by the almighty God, which is the religion of humanity.  We have taken birth on the earth as a human, “Purusha”. Below us there is Pashu, the animals, above us, there is Prabhu, the gods. By upgrading ourselves, we can become Prabhu, by degrading ourselves, fighting over territory, religion, region and language, we become Pashu.

This motherland has provided an equal opportunity to everyone without any distinction to upgrade ourselves. It is merely up to you whether you want to be Pashu or Prabhu.