UNITY IN DIVERSITY
Diverse are the ways of nature is a truth embodied in fauna and flora and other creations of the Almighty. Innumerous variety of plants and uncountable species of animals is just a sample of the versatility of the Creator. At a more personal level, different visages are paragons of the variety in nature. With billions of people in this world, there are not any two persons who are ditto even though they may be twins or triplets, etc. (they may look similar but their DNA constitution is different). Surely, that the thumb impressions of all the people of the world are different is not a hidden truth.
Human faces are different, so are our attitudes, civilizations, etc. In fact, some people have termed variety as the spice and taste of life. Some people have even said that the diversity in nature is the beauty of the nature. How monotonous the world would be without this diversity is a nightmarish thought. But, the diversity has often been the cause of fight, ego and destruction in this world. It is a sad reality that the diversity, which is termed as the beauty of the nature, is a cause of conflicts. If my interests or my nature does not coincide with my peers or colleagues, it is a conflict of interests. But is this dissimilarity a valid reason for conflict or is it is something to be appreciated depends on the parties involved.
Dissimilarity or variety is manifested in creation. The dualities of day and night, black and white, good and evil, contaminated and sublimated, divine and unholy are a standing testimony to this rule. In a movie, for example, the hero and the villain are the two roles quite indispensable to its production. The duality is, therefore, in the scheme of creation. Whether we see this unavoidable truth as a boon or a curse depends on us.
Can we make all things uniform to suit our taste? Or, in the first place, is that desirable? If I try to force my opinion on someone, it will invite retaliation and not accommodation or understanding of my viewpoint or opinion. The judiciousness lies not in forcing one’s opinion on the other but trying to understand each other’s viewpoint and reconciling. Where we try to force our opinions or convert, there is tension and conflict. On the contrary, where we try to reconcile, there is peace. Reconciliation is not necessarily being impressed by what the other person says or does. It is based on the fact that the other person is trying to adjust to my viewpoint and, therefore, so must I.
Saints and sages have always seen mankind as one and all the people of the world are alike to them. Difference in colour, religion and community, traditions, et cetera has never been a hurdle to see the mankind as one. It is not to say that they were oblivious of the differences in colours, religions, and traditions. Instead, they could find a binding force in each and every human being, which made them admire one and all. Just like the different gizmos and gadgets serve different purposes, it is known fact that they are all powered by electricity. Without electricity, all the gadgets are no more than debris and when electricity is supplied to them, the gadgets are useful. Saints and sages realize that the discriminations based on colour, communities, et cetera. is overlooking reality. The reality is that we are all powered by soul. Our bodies are mere covers of different shapes and sizes and all of us serve different purposes just like the different gadgets. The fact that I wear different clothes is no reason for someone to hate me. Similarly, we have no logic in hating people on count of their colour, habits, etc. which are like different clothes and coverings.
However, the understanding of this truth does not dawn until the True Master bestows Divine Knowledge upon us. This Divine-Knowledge makes human beings realize that his source is God who is the Super-Soul. What is noteworthy is that there is no special qualification to seek the Divine-Knowledge from the True Master. On the contrary even sinners are forgiven without being questioned anything. There is a reference in Adi Granth which asserts:
PASHU PARET MUGADH KAU TAREY PAHAN PAAR UTAREY
- Adi Granth : 802
(The True Master redeems the animals, evil souls, and the unwise, the unkind.)
No matter how big a sinner or murderer a person is, he qualifies to seek the Divine-Knowledge. One, this is the immeasurable scale of the merciful nature of the True Master, and two, there was never a man who never committed a sin. So, the need of the True Master is inevitable for every person.
Once the light of Gyan (Divine-Knowledge) has dispelled the ignorance about the existence of God, we realize that we are all similar and not different. Just like the pitchers with water in them kept under sun will show images of the sun, we, too, realize that God is in all of us. The Holy Bible says:
God created man in His own image.
Then the dissimilarity banishes and the reconciliation is forged through the commonalty of God in each one of us. A potter creates different pitchers or vessels. They may be of different shapes and colours. But it is undeniable that all the vessels or pitchers are made of the same clay and are created by the one creator – the potter. Similarly, we may wear ornaments made of silver or gold. It may have different designs, weight, sheen, etc. But it is, again, undeniable that all those ornaments have been carved out of the lump of gold or silver that once was a part of the ore. Likewise, men too, may have different colours, features, etc. but intrinsically they are one – the nature of our being i.e. the soul is the same as the Super-Soul – the Almighty. Once this is clear, it is not hard to understand what is meant by, “God created man in His own image.” Then one sees oneself as a part of the family of God and the others as one’s own brother or sister. The conflict of interests gives way not just to accommodation of opinions or thoughts but priority in lending a helping hand. I remember the quotation that I used to read during my training on the wall of Chatwood building at the Indian Military Academy (IMA) in Dehradun.
Comfort of men stands prior to your own comforts.
The Divine-Knowledge transforms a selfish man into rendering selfless service to one’s fellows like the sun.
Diversity then becomes a cause to cherish the creativity and versatility of the Creator. The Sant Nirankari Mission has created a sample of Unity in Diversity. His Holiness Nirankari Baba Hardev Singh Ji Maharaj by bestowing the “God-Realisation” has modelled an example of the utopian unity in diversity. And it can be witnessed every year at the Nirankari Sant Samagam where people from different walks of life, belonging to different nationalities, communities, castes, gather and sing the praises of the Formless One realized with the benevolence of the Lord Master Baba Hardev Singh Ji Maharaj.
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