Can I still be religious without being a hindu or a christian or a muslim?

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Can I still be religious without being a hindu or a christian or a

muslim?

 

ANSWER: In its true essence, one's own religion is one's own realization of

one's personal relationship, one's conscious identification with Brahman or God

or Allah or whatever name one chooses to use. This is true for every one. The

various paths such as Hindu, Muslim or Christian are mere names that simply

relate to the various supports that one receives from any one or all of them in

reaching this far. This support can not obviously be belittled as it is based on

the collective wisdom of millions of minds. Only a fool can ignore this.

However, not withstanding the support that one receives, it is all between the

seeker and the sought. The inner realization or chetana is the only true

definition of one's religion and one's faith.

 

That is the basis of spirituality or sanatan dharma. ( There we go for a name

again, but that is only to emphasise the universality of the concept.)

 

 

QUESTION 2 ( Paraphrased) FROM Pt RAVINDER NATH WATTS and SRI VIKRAM CHANGARATH

 

Are all religions same? What about Sanatan philosophy?

 

ANSWER: All true religions are essentially compatible in their core philosophy.

(vichara). It is only in their practice (achara) and the extent of aberration

(vyavichara) that has crept into them is what creates all mankind's problems.

 

Having said so, the statement 'all religions are not the same', can not also be

faulted with. But when we make this statement we are more often influenced by

acAra or practice and interpretative part of the religions' core philosophy.

When one contemplates on the deeper meaning and aspiration of the religion

(dharma) itself with an honest and open mind, one is bound to see that primary

objective of religions of 'substance' is to raise the 'being' to the highest

level. All indeed search for satchidAnanda, the absolute truth, its realization

and the Ananda or bliss that ensues. Whether the man gives it the name of

Brahman, God, Lord, Allah or even nirvana, how does it matter? Towards this goal

we all proceed in our different ways, some times taking wrong steps and then

some times with right steps as dictated by our ignorance or level of knowledge,

whichever way you look at it. God has no quarrel about that, knowing that

eventually they all lead to Him. Lord Krishna rightly said so in the Bhagavad

Gita:

 

Ye api anya devatAh bhakta yajante shraddhayAnvitAh

 

Te api mAmeva kaunteya yajanty avidhipurvakam

 

Devotees worship various divine concepts. Even if their means are wrong, if it

is with faith and sincerity they indeed worship me alone.

 

The Sanatan dharma(casually identified as Hindu dharma) is never really bothered

about a separate identity or uniqueness. Being the oldest, universal and mother

of all religions, it is happy to see its many facets reflected in other faiths,

which came after it. This truth should be appreciated not with vanity but with

sublime humility.

 

One should not look at the sanatan dharma (the eternal religion) in comparison

or in contrast with other religions and other faiths which have their own place.

Sanatan dharma has stood from time immemorial and will stand forever all on its

own. It is nice to recognize the sanatan philosophy like an enormous tree. Its

profoundness of jnana or knowledge derived from the Brahman or truth, is the

tree's deep root system. Its enormous trunk symbolises its eternal stability.

Its wide spreading branches tell us of its character of all-embracing and

openness sheltering all view points. Its leaves are the many ideas by which it

is understood. Its flowers are its grace that provides the fragrance to life,

enriching it. Its fruits are the nourishment of the soul.

 

 

QUESTION 3 ( FROM SRI S K NAYAK

 

Sir If Paramatma is One why are there people arguing in calling Paramatma in

different names and say I believe in one particular name?

 

ANSWER: Actually there is no problem at all when different people ascribe

different names to that one and only entity that we call Brahman, God, Allah or

anything else. These names are given by men. Brahman is not defined or limited

by any particular name. He is beyond all names and conversely all 'names' are

His only. Truly wise people simply use the revered expression of " Tat " or

'that' in losing themselves in His all-encompassing 'oneness'.

 

When that is understood and names are used for convenience of identifying

oneself with and as a form of expression it is all right. But the trouble exists

in the darkness of ignorance of the inferior minds, when they bring down the

nature of the 'spirit' or 'spirituality' to the level of parochial

interpretation of 'religion'.

 

Most men, live all their lives with a self imposed satisfaction of being quite

'religious', refusing all efforts to raise the 'spirit' to its higher potential.

 

When we identify with Brahman, we immediately shrink ourselves to the safe

heaven of hindu brand. When we say Allah we similarly withdraw into the muslim

brand. Similarly when we speak of God or Jesus, christianity becomes our limited

identity and so on.

 

When the mind is limited, suspicion, fear, sectorial divisions, violent

aggression etc. are the results.

 

Pronouncements like, " satyamekam viprah vahudha vadanti " (one truth is expressed

differently by different people), " vasudheiva kutumbakam " (all the world of us

belong to one family), 'He is the father of all' etc. are not mere words, but

potential balms for harmony in the creation.

 

Is there hope for us? Is there a solution? There is.

 

In the midst of the quarrelling men, there still remain in every faith of

substance, people who are conscious of the true purpose of Brahman, God, Allah

or whatever name one gives Him. They are indeed responsible for all the sanity

the society is left with. Their strength is growing and that is the hope.

 

 

QUESTION 4 FROM Mr HARRY PETET

 

Dear Sir, With great interest I have read your three articles of Manah....... I

like to add that when an Indian Guru Chanted some Mantras standing near a peak

covered with ice, lumps of ice broke and fell down. Although it was never his

intention to chant for that cause, it all happend due to the vibrations due to

his louder recitation of the Mantra. This incident is hardly two years old and

was witnessed by many disciples in Europe. I wonder if the Guru whispered the

same mantra in his mind, would the effect been the same?

 

ANSWER: Before I come to the incident that you have described, we must try and

understand the very purpose behind the power of mantras.

 

Mantras are not, repeat not, created for the purpose of acquiring dome physical

prowess or personal benefits of worldly nature. The dole purpose of a mantra is

to empower the jiva or the individual doul to be able to reach its destination

i.e. liberation or datchidananda (the truth, its realization and the ensuing

bliss). All the powers of mantras are meant to be utilized for this purpose

alone. Any misuse or wrong use of this power serves no gainful purpose.

 

Even when a mantra is resorted to overcome a difficulty, disease or misfortune,

its underlying purpose is to rededicate and renew one's spiritual journey after

the obstacles are removed. If this resolve is lacking or forgotten, the benefits

received also do not last and the obstacles return back in some form or other as

a reminder to us.

 

We also hear of people bringing bad luck or harm to others by the use of mantra

power. This is nonsense. No one can bring misfortune to any one until the victim

himself invites it by his sheer ignorance, self inflicted psychological weakness

etc.

 

On the other hand those who release negative mental vibrations, ultimately get

consumed themselves by it because of the sickness of their mind.

 

Truly wise men know these truths and do not even attempt to show off any such

gimmicky display of mantra power.

 

Mantra's purpose is always positive and divine.

 

It is true that sometimes, highly evolved personalities, the truly enlightened

persons create impacts, which to a lay mind may appear to be evil and

purposeless. But such evolved souls who are indeed rarest amongst rare ones,

acting at the behest of the Lord, also possess the knowledge of the ultimate

benefit that their actions will eventually produce.

 

Coming to the particular incident you mention, although one should refrain from

making a harsh comment in absence of full information, it can be said that more

often than not, such incidents are either trickery or coincidental.

 

 

QUESTION 5 FROM SRI ANIL KUMAR TEWARI

 

What could have been the reason behind expressing the reality differently when

it is widely held that reality cannot be but one? …… the multiplicity of

interpretations seem simply verbal jugglery.

 

ANSWER: One can say that no developed religion, sect or philosophy disputes over

the existence of one single reality that is at the center of everything. The

debate is only about the descriptive attributes of that entity. That is because

the attributes of Brahman (or whatever name you call Him by) are endless- not

confined to limitations of whatever kind. Therefore, as they see Him so they

say. They are all wisemen – viprahs.

 

One should not be harsh on them by saying that these are verbal jugglery. Here

is a story that may illustrate the point. A group of men went to see the Royal

museum. The emperor's limitless wealth is housed in a gigantic mansion with

hundreds of windows for visitors' viewing. The men stood in front of a window

each and saw wonder struck the emperor's opulence, each from his own vantage

point.

 

They returned and gathered together each recounting what he saw. Each saw things

that were not visible from another's viewing angle. When each one listened to

the others, every one's knowledge only increased manifold. They did not quarrel.

They listened and felt happier and happier.

 

 

Truly wise men do not quarrel. They pick out new facets of truth from the other

which has escaped his angle of vision. All add up to greater understanding to a

logical and receptive mind.

 

Fools (mudhas) waste time quarrelling.

 

http://www.ahwan.org/article65q.htm