Letters to the Editor (BTG 1944)

[Guest guest]

[From "Back To Godhead", Volume One, letters to the editor section, published in 1944]

 

{Srila Prabhupada:](Sardar A. S. Namdhari from Rawalpindi has a proposal for opening an all faiths university for which we have all sympathy. But we suggest before doing the actual work, he may hold a conference of all religious heads and find out the greatest common factor for a universal religious mode. We believe that the greatest common mode of religion which is the most potent uniting force can be found in the Bhagavat Geeta and a conference may be held on the basis of this universally accepted philosophical and religious treatise. The following is the extract of the statement issued by the friend.—Editor.)

 

[sardar A. S. Namdhari]"I have received numerous messages from men and women of all classes and creeds from all over India congratulating me success in my humble endeavour to found a Universal Religious Centre. I heartily thank my countrymen whose words of encouragement and help have deepened my conviction all the more that in spite of the atmosphere being charged with rivalries the heart of this ancient land of great culture and civilization is sound and that a need is universally felt for a platform where men and women irrespective of the faith they profess, may get together and understand each other better and give religion a more solid basis of reality in human affairs.

 

"The truth has come upon me, through the blessing of His Holiness Satguru Maharaj Partap Singhji, the spiritual head of Namdhari Sikhs, to whose inspiration and guidance I owe this scheme, that more things are wrought by prayer than the deadly weapons of the modern warfare. Religion is still a force which can spur us on to activity and progress, spiritual and material.

 

"To the best of us has come a sense of frustration and they have given up the pursuit of their ideal Unity. But in this darkest hour in human history, I see a silver lining in black clouds.

 

"I pray that my idea is to build various places of worship in a vast area. They will not necessarily be so close to each other as to disturb the peaceful atmosphere of prayer of the sister community. In between a fruit garden is being laid with provision for a common hall where joint celebrations of all prophets' days will be held with a permanent rule of constructive propaganda of all religions.

 

"We don't live by the body alone. The soul in us is the guiding star, whose building up, like the bodily muscles, we should not neglect. Thus this new venture will be a spiritual hospital to cure the beast in man, wherefrom a flood of prayer will emanate to bring about Universal abolition. Its psychological effect, I am sure, will uplift the soul of the entire mankind. Interference in the religion of others is not ever our aim, but co-ordination of all schools of faith into a religious university is the ideal for we are the servitor of the same Almighty Godhead, in whose oneness we all believe.