unity of religions Is it not justified to convert to another religion if one’s own religion has many defects?

[dattaswami]

Universality of God  of all religions

The same unimaginable God exists as the single Actor in different roles (Avibhaktaṃ vibhakteṣu—Gita). The external medium alone changes and not the God who is common to all Human Incarnations. This concept establishes Universal Spirituality. It establishes that all world religions were given by God because the entire world is created and ruled by the single unimaginable God. He is called by different names such as Parabrahman, Jehovah, Allah and so on. All religions finally lead to the same God. The religions are like rivers flowing in straight or curved paths to finally merge into the same ocean. There is no need to convert to a different religion. Imagine that all houses are arranged in a circular fashion around the city center. There is a road from each house to directly reach the center. There is no point in moving tangentially from one house to the other. Each person must move radially inwards from his or her own house towards the center. One must follow the religion in which one is born until one dies and the soul unites with the unimaginable God.

If you follow your religion without any hatred towards other religions, it is sufficient. Be assured that all religions lead to the same ultimate unimaginable God. There is absolutely no need to change your religion. You can treat the fathers of your friends to be equal to your father and respect them as you respect your father. But you need not reject your father and call the father of your friend as your father! If you change your religion, you will adopt the external culture of the other religion too. Then, your kith and kin will revolt against that new external culture adopted by you since they are accustomed to their specific culture for a long time. Such resistance from your kith and kin will lead to your isolation. You will then feel insecure and fearful (Paradharmo bhayāvahaḥ—Gita). Instead, you can follow the culture of your own religion. You can worship the same unimaginable God existing in the form accepted by your religion. Your worship can follow the external culture of your own religion. If you do this and finally die, you will get salvation (Svadharme nidhanam śreyaḥ—Gita).

It is sufficient if you do not criticize the unimaginable God existing in a different form and following a different culture. You must realize that the same unimaginable God exists in the various divine forms which follow the specific cultures of different religions. If you have criticized Krishna, you have also criticized Jesus, Mohammad and all other Incarnations, simultaneously. Krishna, Buddha, Jesus, Mohammad and so on, might differ in their external physical forms and in their external way of dressing, but the unimaginable and omnipotent ultimate God present in them is one and the same. The same Divine Actor has appeared in all those different roles wearing different costumes. He has made His face appear different in each role, as if by plastic surgery. By criticizing the Incarnation belonging to another religion, you are criticizing your own God, who is acting in a different role. Universal Spirituality removes your hatred for other religions. You need not fear that by removing the hatred, your inherent love for your own religion will be affected in any way (Pūrvaiḥ Pūrvataraiḥ kṛtam—Gita).

 

 

 

 

- By Shri Datta Swami

 

 

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