What is religion? How to define it?
When religion preaches tolerance, harmony and inner virtues, why are there disputes in its
name?
Who can be described as a religious person?
India is known as a land of religions. It is said that it is inhabited by people
belonging to a large number of religions. At the same time we hear about disputes between
the followers of different religions. At the same time we hear about disputes between the
followers of different religions. On the one hand, religion is believed to be the source
of virtues, but on the other hand, the same is also taken to be the root cause of many
disputes. The point for consideration is whether the religion as we know is confined only
to the outer decorations, artificial symbols and other objects visible from outside. In
real sense, religion has got to be only one. Often we read that people belonging to
different religions assembled at a particular place. I am, however, convinced that there
cannot be a number of religions in the realm of spirituality. Instead, there is only one
religion, the religion of humanity or human religion. religion means only to realise God
and then love each and every human being. there may be many sects, but religion remains
one. All human beings have only one race, i.e., the human race. They have only one
religion, the human religion.
When a child is born, there is no symbol to indicate that it belongs to a particular
religion or caste. This can, of course, be true in relation to the animals and birds. Our
eyes can recognise them and point out whether it is a cow, a goat, a camel or it is an
elephant. But the distinction of man is only that he is man. That is why man has been
treated as superior to others. It is the same divine light that dwells in every human
being. It is, therefore, essential that after taking birth as a human being one must
behave like a human being. But what is happening? Today we like to be known as Hindus,
Muslims, Sikhs or Christians, but not human beings. You ask some one, "Who are
you?" You will get the reply, "I am a Hindu; I am a Muslim." Nobody will
tell you that he is a human being. We are anxious to prove ourselves to be a good Hindu. a
good Muslim, a good Sikh and for this even if we are required to kill someone, we are
prepared to do so. The question arises whether before trying to be a good Hindu, a good
Muslim or a good Sikh, did we become a good human being or not? Did we acquire any
goodness in our life or not? If we are not a good human being, we are not a good Hindu,
not a good Christian, not a good Muslim and not a perfect Sikh. The first thing we must
imbibe is goodness. This is the base. Whatever the kind of seed we sow, the same kind of
food we receive. If we plant a Babul, can we hope to get a sweet mango? Since we sow the
seeds of Babul, we are bound to find thorns only. If the foundation is good, whatever
structure we raise, will be durable, beautiful. Similarly, we can hope to receive good
fruits provided we sow the appropriate seeds.
It is, however, no use longing for good results if malice and hatred lie at the roots and
we have been happy to see others suffer. How can a person be a great religious man, if he
causes suffering to others, hates them and feels jealous? Which religion do we serve with
such a behaviour? Which category of devotees do we belong to? It is very essential that in
the first instance we should imbibe goodness and humanity. Without this, nobody is
religious, nobody is good. The scholars, after going through the history have to admit
that the number of wars and killings that took place in the name of religion was far
greater than those on any other issue. Religion, however, does never induce us to fight.
The real cause of disputes is the ignorance about the true religion. One who comes to know
the true religion and follows it, can never become a cause of dispute. What is religion?
After all, which religion should be called as the true religion? Today we must understand
this. Great spiritual masters have taught man :
TAJO SAB BHARAM BHAJO PARBRAHM,
KAHO NANAK ATAL EH DHARM.
To remove one's misconceptions is religion; to remember God is religion. The
misconceptions here mean to discriminate between our own and the others, to consider
oneselves high and the others low. It is also a misunderstanding that while the world is
perishable, we consider and treat it to be permanent. All these misapprehensions and
misunderstandings stand removed when we know the Almighty, we realise God Nirankar and we
remember it, praise it. In this religion, there is no room for any discrimination on the
basis of caste; there is no consideration for high and low. Once the worldly
misunderstandings are over, all human beings appear to be equal. That is why the divine
masters have said :
MANAS KI JAT SABHAY EKO PAHCHANBO
Saints! We have to know this very religion-the religion that removes apprehension the
religion that was glorified by great spiritual master, the religion that was preached by
Lord Christ, the religion that Hazrat Mohammad dremt of bringing into the world, the
religion that was established by the great Gurus starting from Guru Nanak Dev Ji upto Guru
Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj. We have to follow the same true religion we have to adopt it. We
must follow the principles laid down and acted upon by Lord Rama. Which is that religion?
There is no place for intolerance in that religion. It is not based on selfishness; it
does not teach us to be self-centred. On the other hand, it teaches us to think of the
goodwill of all, to be good to all.
Today we recite the names of those great spiritual masters, we worship them. We should,
however, not confine ourselves to merely remembering them or reciting their names. We must
also act on what they said. So long as we do not agree to what they said, we do not adopt
the same in our life or do not follow the religion they established, we cannot be called
men of religion or religious persons. The divine masters tell us about religion:
PARHIT SARAS DHARM NAHIN BHAI,
PAR PEETA SAM NAHIN ADHMAI.
It means there is no religion equal to the selfless service to others and there is nothing
worse than causing distress to others. So long as you do not try to be helpful to others,
remove their distress, realise their pains, you cannot be a pious or virtuous person. A
poet says:
DUKH TERA HO KI DUKH MERA HO,
DUKH KI PARIBHASHA EK HAI,
AANSOO TERE HON KI AANSOO MERE HON,
AANSOO KI BHASHA EK HAI.
If we do not realise the distress of others or we feel happy to see others being killed or
hackled, we are not religious or pious people. A saint just cannot cause pain to others.
He will never laugh to see others weeping. Those who do so have been addressed by a
Punjabi poet like this:
DUSHMAN MARE TAN KHUSHI NA KARIYE
SAJJNAN BHI MAR JANAO
O Man! Do not feel happy on the death of a person whom you considered as your enemy,
because the one whom you consider a friend is also to die. Nobody lives in this world for
ever:
KABIR DHOOL DHAKELKE PURIYA BANDHI DEH,
DIWAS CHAR KO DEKHNA, ANT KHEH KE KHEH.
This is such a truth that nobody can afford to ignore. No doubt one feels horrified to
hear this, yet nobody can close the eyes or overlook the same. This truth (of death) is
bound with every human body, be it a ruler or the ruled, poor or the rich. Whatever the
status, everybody has to go. Then why should we rejoice over the death of a particular
person? Spiritual masters have described kindness as the base of religious faith:
DAYA DHARM KA MOOL HAI, PAAP MOOL ABHIMAN,
TULSI DAYA NA CHHORIYE, JAB LAG GHAT MEIN PRAN.
If we remove kindness from the foundation, the building of religion cannot hold itself. In
case the very foundation of a building is removed, how can it stay? We construct pillars.
Suppose we remove them, how can the roof stay? It is impossible. Similarly, if we remove
the foundation of kindness, we do not have sympathy for one another, we do not try to
uplift others, we should forget that we are virtuous or we are followers of a true
religion or that we are big devotees or worshippers. This has never been the sign of a man
of religion, a man of virtue. Only a person having the sacred feeling of love keeps the
religion glowing. It is he who glorifies the religion. A religion based on kindness,
goodwill, devotion to God can never suffer or fall in disrepute. Ups and downs can come
only in a religion based on artificialities, outer symbols and controversies regarding
dress and diet, etc. It is here that man clashes with man, man tortures man.
Today, what is required is that man should know the very base of religion and establish
communion with this God Nirankar. Once he acquires this communion, all his
misapprehensions will end automatically. Many people consider sects or communities as
religion, while they tend only to divide humanity, break it and do not unite it. Sometime,
on one pretext or the other some people cry that their religion is in danger. Which
religion is in danger? From whom the religion is in danger? Religion is only a means to
merge this soul with the Super Soul, a means to purify ourselves. Such a religion is never
in danger. Moreover, we are not the saviours of religion. In fact it is the religion that
saved us. It is the religion that saves us. In case there is truthfulness in our religious
behaviour, there is truthfulness in our actions, we have filled our heart with kindness,
we have tried to uplift others, only then on the basis of our actions and practical
behaviour will be determined whether we have any religious faith or whether we are
virtuous. It was the religious conduct that always distinguished spiritually enlightened
saints and spiritual masters from others. Today we have faith in them, we have devotion
for them. Why? Because they always followed religion, practised it. Whatever the
circumstances, they did not give up their faith. They loved every human being. They
carried along with them the people belonging to all the castes; their message was uniform
to all. They never subscribed to caste distinctions. They valued the quest or desire of
the seeker of the truth; they never asked their caste or community.
Take the example of a doctor. When a patient comes to him he is concerned only with his
ailment. He is not bothered as to which sect or caste the patient comes from. He is not
concerned whether the patient has read English or Urdu, whether he knows Hindi or speaks
Sanskrit. All these considerations have no relevance for the doctor. His job is only to
cure the disease. The patient too has not approached the doctor with the consideration
that he wears a turban or a cap. He has no feeling whatsoever that if the doctor is
wearing a dhoti, he cannot treat him or he cannot be a doctor at all. We know that a
doctor is not known by his outward appearance. He is known by the qualification he has,
the medical education that he has received. Similarly, today if we want to be known as
pious persons in real sense of the term, we must adopt religion (in our behaviour).
Religion has no relationship with the language, dress or diet. It is a subject of the
soul, which is above all worldly objects. But today we want to be known as religious or
pious persons by our dress alone. We consider the dress as religion itself. This reminds
us of a bottle which contains poison. Whosoever takes the content will stand harmed,
because the bottle is filled with poison. We may decorate the bottle from outside with a
garland, apply sandal on it, colour it read, yellow or anything, all these are not going
to make any difference. What is important is not what is outside the bottle but what is
inside. Significant is the substance that it contains. Does it contain the nectar or
poison? In case it contains poison or acid, whosoever consumes it will be in trouble. If
there is nectar inside, the one who consumes it will find happiness, will get peace.
What we mean to say is that today we consider the dress as a symbol of our religion. But
in reality we do not possess any religious faith so long as we are not helpful in our
attitude, we do not have the spirit of kindness, we have no feeling for others. Once some
people who were claiming to be followers of a religion but had hatred towards the real
pious persons, propagated that they themselves were the real men of virtue or truthful
followers and upholders of the religion while the others were anti-religion. The
controversy spread and the matter was taken to the king. The king called the people
belonging to both the groups. He sent them to two different rooms. He ordered that both
the groups should be served food. But before they start taking the food, pieces of wood
should be fastened to their arms so that they remain straight. Thereafter the group that
finishes the food first will be accepted as virtuous, as religious (in the real sense).
People felt surprised. They could not understand the condition prescribed by the king to
distinguish the truthful followers of the religion from others. They wondered as to how
this could happen, how could the difference be known? But what could they do? The two
groups were taken to two separate rooms. Wooden strips were tied to their arms and the
food was laid. The group that believed in the outer display, considered the dress or the
modes of worship as everything, began to complain. How can this happen? How can we finish
the food? Our hands reach the plate containing food but we cannot eat because of the
wooden strips. Our hands just cannot reach our mouths. Thus they spent the whole time
finding fault, blaming and complaining. In the other room, where the truthful followers of
the religion were sitting also the food was served in plates. Their hands were also tied
with wooden strips. But they started taking the food without any loss of time. One person
would pick-up a morsel and put it into the mouth of the other sitting in the front. The
other person would reciprocate and serve the food to the former in the same manner. In
this way all the members of the group served the food to one another. Everybody's stomach
was full. At the same time, they fulfilled the condition. All this was accomplished quite
easily; no big effort was required. They were not required to spend much time even to
think of the solution, because this was their daily practice. They always offered food
first to others, put a morsel into their mouth, showed them respect and then only took the
food themselves. The condition imposed by the king was thus satisfied. As regards the
other group, what to speak of offering food, they continued shouting at each other,
continued cheating each other. So they had to hang their hands in shame. What we mean to
say is that so long as our behaviour is not religious or pious in the real sense, we
cannot become the followers of a religion in true meaning of the word.
Religion is not related to the outer paraphernalia. It is related to the behaviour.
Religion is not a synonym to the outer appearance or the symbols that one acquires by
taking birth in a particular family, caste or community. This appearance or the symbols do
not represent or indicate our religion. Religion (Dharma) means to acquire - to acquire
the truth. One who acquires the truth, who is broadminded and who loves all human beings
created by God, is the man of religion.
The religion based on such broad feelings cannot be acquired by hearing the words alone.
This is possible only by acquiring and adopting the truth, by merging with the supreme
power, i.e., God. The vastness or omnipresence of the Almighty broadens our view point
also. Then, instead of pointing out the shortcoming of others, we try to improve
ourselves. You might have heard a story about Swami Vivekananda. Once he announced at a
place "I want reformers". He repeated the announcement for two or three days.
Several people stood up and offered to work as reformers. Swami Vivekananda said,
"But I have not completed my announcement, I want : Reformers who can reform
themselves". A man with religious mind also thinks on these lines. He looks at his
own shortcomings. There are others who will not hesitate to exaggerate even the smallest
shortcomings of others, while ignore even the biggest of their own. We do not look at the
spot on our own face, whereas we highlight similar spots on the face of others. Religion
inspires for self improvement. It teaches the lesson of moral development. Man reforms
himself through religion. When we improve ourselves, the entire world improves for us.
Sometime back the United Nations announced that the total population of the world is 5,000
million. The announcement was made when the last human being in this number was born. No
doubt we are 5,000 million in number, we have to think whether we are counted as human
beings in the divine court also. There is no denying the fact that only God has created us
all as human beings, but we will continue to be known as defaulters of our faith, so long
as out actions are not human. A religion is true when it teaches us to be human. That is
what a religion teaches. We must remember this lesson but not in the manner we prepare for
a test in the class. A child may learn the lesson and appear in the written or oral test.
This is, however, not going to prove adequate in spirituality. Whatever we learn here has
got to be shown in practice. Only then it becomes meaningful or useful. We must recall the
examples of pious saints like Bhai Kanahiya Ji. If we are really religious or pious
minded, we must acquire there qualities (of Bhai Kanahiya and others). For religious
faith, we must possess the same kind of feelings and sentiments. Lord Rama owned Shabri.
Do we too own everyone? Men with religious faith would never wish bad for others. Such
people would not oppose even those who tortured the men of virtue. Otherwise, there have
been kings who indulged in bloodshed, who opposed the men of virtue, tooth and nail. The
great spiritual masters would never make any category of people, any group or caste an
exception while wishing well. They did not only pronounce that God Nirankar dwells in each
and every human being, all are its people, all are its creation, but accepted it also.
Divine masters who came to the world like Lord Rama, Lord Krishna, from Guru Nanak Dev Ji
to Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj, all of them united the humanity and made no
discrimination whatsoever. Today we sing their praise. Centuries have passed but their
names are still alive. No doubt we must sing the praise of these divine masters. We must
recall what they did in their own times. But the mere mention will be of no use. We can
never become virtuous by doing so. In order to gain from them, we must adopt their
religion, their faith. We have also to adopt their virtues we praise.
The greatest quality of the divine masters was that they themselves knew God and helped
others to know it. They united everyone with God and taught the lesson of devotion. They
themselves showed devotion to the Almighty and helped others to do so. Once man knows God,
all his feelings of discrimination are gone. The walls dividing the high and low do not
stand any more. One sees the image of God in all human beings. The cow may be black, white
or brown, but milk remains white in all the cases. Similarly all human bodies are
comprised of the same five elements. Man, however, is not able to appreciate this secret,
this truth, due to his ignorance. He looks at the appearance or the dress one wears and
draws the conclusion that they are strangers. He considers himself to be different from
them, superior to them. But those who know the reality, do not go after the outward
appearances. They appreciate the milk and not the colour of the cow. Kabir says:-
JAATI PAATI PUCHHE NAHIN KOYE,
HARI KO BHAJE SO HARI KA HOYE.
All human beings in the world have soul in them. In terms of soul, they are all equal.
Religion is also related to this aspect of ours. Divine masters always attracted the
attention of man towards this aspect. Name any divine master - Gyaneshwar, Eknath, all of
them worked for the unity of mankind. A person who works for the division of humanity
cannot be known as religious. He remains irreligious because religion always unites. The
saying also goes, "Religion unites and does not divide." Religion does not
create fissures between man and man, because true religion will always enable us to see
the Almighty dwelling in every human being and appreciate that all human beings are made
from the same five elements. People may be of dark complexion, their skin may be white,
they may speak Konkani, Marathi, Punjabi, Oriya or English, they may have different eating
habits, their living styles may be vary, they may wear different styles of garments, but
they remain one so far as the soul is concerned. Spiritual masters did not disown people
on account of their dress and diet. They never divided them. On the other hand they always
treated them as equal, children of the Father, the same Creator, the One. Some children go
to a confectioner. They see horses, camels and elephants made from sugar. Some say that
only horses are sweet while the others claim only camels are sweet. No doubt the reason of
controversy is their ignorance. Since they are ignorant, they are describing something as
good and something as bad. Whether it appears to be a camel or an elephant, the sugar from
which they have been made is the same. Even the khoya used is the same. The confectioner,
therefore, does not make any discrimination. Similarly this God Nirankar does not
differentiate between man and man. True religion acquaints us with this sublime aspect of
humanity i.e. the relationship between soul and the Super soul.
Today, we claim that we have faith in God. But it will be possible to please the Almighty
only when we consider the entire humanity as our own. We can win its pleasure only by
uplifting the downtrodden, by healing their wounds. O Man! If your mind remains rigid, if
you make the laughing weep, if you divide people or sabotage their unity, you can never
attain nearness to God, and God will never be kind to you. If you plunder in the name of
religion, this will be an utter violation of the religion itself. These are some of the
truths which man has refused to accept. If man accepts them, makes them a part of his
life, he himself will remain happy and makes others happy also.
In fact, religion seeks to bring people closer and make them united. Stories from ancient
ages, and history also, reveal the same. There are Manthras who create distances, who
create hatred in the mind. The mind of the same Kaikayee who showered so much of love on
Rama, was filled with the poison of hatred and the world had to see all that happened.
These Manthras were not found during the time of Lord Rama only. Even today we have
persons with this nature all over. Even this is not true that such persons always happened
to be women. Not that only women can do so because Manthra was a women. It is the mind,
which may take any form. It may do its evil work, create misunderstanding, in the form of
any human being. It may spread hatred in the name of religion, caste or community and turn
good friends into enemies, ready to take each other's life. We find such feelings
prevailing quite often. We also find that some people do recite the name of God, visit
religious places, make offering of money, get lodges constructed for the pilgrims, but in
reality, they only look like Rama, while they are inspired by Ravana, their mentality is
that of Ravana, their deeds are that of Ravana.
Every year we prepare large effigies of Ravana and put them to flames. Do we ever think as
to why do we do so? An ordinary person would reply that Ravana opposed Lord Rama, he
behaved as an unpious person and that is why we have been burning his effigies for ages,
year after year. But we must consider that Ravana had certain good qualities also. He was
a great scholar of scriptures. He, however, violated discipline inspite of all his
knowledge. He had ego, he had pride. That is why today we look at him in this manner. We
must realise that regular visits to religious places, learning of scriptures and the study
of holy books alone do not enable us to enter the category of the men of virtue. Whether
we are truly religious minded or not is decided by our actions. For example, there is a
question as to how to distinguish a cuckoo from a crow. They appear to be same to look at.
But the difference is known only when they speak. Similarly our actions will indicate
whether we belong to the category of crows or the cuckoos, swans or the ducks, pious or
the unpious. If we are uniting people, we are following the religion and if we create
divisions between men and men, we have no faith in religion.
Religion is deeply related to man's behaviour. A person with religious faith will never
run away from the field of action. The life of Gurus, from Guru Nanak Dev to Guru Gobind
Singh Ji shows that they performed all their duties of family life. The men with religious
faith also stay in the material world. They function as any other member of the society.
All the objects of material world also remain there. For them the sun, the moon, the stars
have the same service as does to others; it makes no discrimination. Everything remains
the same. But only one fact i.e. the knowledge of truth, distinguishes him from other
fellow human beings. The spiritual light converts him from human being into a holy human
being and from man into a holy man.
Now a days people talk of world religion and global parliament. Swami Vivekanand also made
some contribution and he glorified India on international forum. While others addressed
the gathering as "Ladies and Gentlemen", he addressed them as "Sisters and
Brothers". With this, he won the hearts of millions of people. If the mere expression
of the words "Sisters and Brothers" can create such an impact, what can be the
effect if we all accept each other as sisters and brothers? It is not very difficult to
make a guess. What we mean to say is that whatever the image of religion is there, it is
because of the contribution of the saints. These men of virtue whether they lived in the
Age of Gold, Silver, Bronze or Iron, moved with only one objective. They had only one aim
i.e. to unite mankind. They were of the view that if man is aligned to God, he will
automatically start loving the fellow beings, the living images of the Almighty. He will
consider everybody of his own, dear and near. And if he gets aligned only with the names
of the divine masters instead of what they preached, this nearness will stand converted
into distance. We have telescope. In case we use it correctly, the people standing at a
distance will appear to have come closer. But if by mistake we use the telescope from the
other side of the lense, even a man standing near us will appear to be at a distance. This
is the difference between the way of looking at things by a man with religious faith and
an ignorant person. With a vision of God-knowledge, even distant people appear to be close
by. We need to have this vision or way off looking at others. We should never forget that
this is the real religion, the religion that brings man closer to man, the religion that
unites humanity.