CHAPTERSEVEN
TRANSRELIGIOUS SPIRITUALITY: RELEVANCE AND
CHALLENGES
1.
Introduction
Today we discover that among the people there is a steadily
increasing awareness that they live, move and have their being in a
religiously pluralistic world. Religious pluralism is a fact that one
cannot deny, and it is neither an accident nor a disaster, but is a d t
of God. This attitude towards the multi-religious situation will pave
the way for peaceful and harmonious co-existence, with mutual
respect. Today, people of nations and of cultures, religions and faiths,
hitherto regarded as alien to one another have begun to recognize that
they are co-pilgrims in their voyage to eternity and that in this
common p~lgnmagethey can enrich one another mutually through
common sharing. For the success of this pilgrimage, we should be
optimistic and open-minded and be ready to come out of our
exclusivism and complacency and be transparent to learn from other
religions, a s co-pilgrims.
Unfortunately some people fail to understand the unifying
common elements or ethos of religions and consequently they
miserably
fall into religious fundamentalism,
fanaticism
and
terrorism, forgetting the very objectives of religion. Thus today more
than ever before, religions have become sources of division, dissension
and discord. Nay, they have led people to communal riots, long lasting
wars and on going terrorism. The crusades, Jihads and the frequent
Hindu-Muslim riots in the various pockets of India are some of the
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instances of communal clashes in the name of religions. In the history
of religions, we see not only interfaith tensions, i.e., between different
religions, but also intrafaith tensions, i.e., between groups of people
within the same religion. Hence the causes of conflicts are not simply
the differences among religions alone.
A s we have seen in the second chapter, religion is to be defmed
a s the proper and peaceful relationship with oneself, with others/
with cosmos and with the Divine. Religion has a multidimensional
approach in its practice and it is meant for the realization of the
Divine in us. This realization in different religions is termed
differently, such a s Heaven, Mukti,Kaivalya, NinZiqa etc. Though the
terms may appear to be different, the purpose of these religions is one
and the same, namely, salvation/liberation of the individuals from
this world of misery. The Hindus consider that
VamdSmma dhanna
as the means to overcome the Karma rebirth cycle (Icanna samsara
chakm) and to attain Mukti.The JfiaAa,Bhakti and Kanna m6rga-s are
the means for the realization of Van]&rmadham They help one to
have a proper and peaceful relationship with God and others.
Similarly, to attain salvation, the Christians are asked to observe the
Ten Commandments, which promote the proper relationship with God
and our fellow brethren. .kccording to Islam, its five Pillars are the
means to reach heaven. These five Pillars show the ways for proper
relationship with God and fellow-beings. Similar analysis can be made
on religions like Buddhism, Confucianism, Jainism, Judaism,
Shintoism, Sikhism, Taoism, Zoroastrianism etc.
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Religions, be they mystic or prophetic, with founders or without
founders, they all have some common elements. They are creed, cult,
code of conduct, myth, mythology, mystery etc. It is not easy to bring
about unity in all these elements, nay, we will not be able to fmd
many uniform elements m the creed, cult, myths and mysteries. But
we can fmd many unlfying elements in the code of conduct. They
spring mostly from the eternal values common to all remons. This is
central to the spirituality of each religion.
NO religion, worth its name, promotes evil or advises intolerance
and hostility. To avoid fundamentalism, fanaticism and terrorism, and
to promote solidarity and harmony among religions, we will have to
find out the umtjmg elements in the spirituality of all religions.
Spirituality is not the monopoly of any one religion. A person, who is
deep-rooted
in true spirituality, will be transreligious.
Such
spirituality can hold us together through the common rehgious
values. This will help us to fight against the evils of society. It is in
this common stand against the powers of evil that religions will
discover their identity and establish their inner unity and their social
relevance. If religions have been partly responsible for the division of
humanity in the past, today on the contrary, the religions can emerge
a s powerhouses of unity through true spirituality which embraces the
welfare of all.
Since communal harmony is a basic requirement for peace,
happiness and development in the society, there have been many
attempts by various institutions and organizations to bring about
better interfaith relations. If we look back, we can identify various
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stages in
mter-religious relationships.
There were
stages of
exclusivism, inclusivism, tolerance, interreligious dialogue and intrareligious dialogue. Then there emerged the stage of complementarity.
Here each religion felt the need to be perfected and purified not only
by learning from other religions but also by accepting principles and
ideas which have a bearing on one's own religion. It is neither a
question of one religion becoming another religion nor is it a question
of religious indifferentism. From this stage of complementarity, we
grow further into the level of transreligious spirituality. It is not
merely accepting certain values from other religions, but unitedly
holding together the basic values in different religions. At this stage
the individual deeply rooted in his own particular religion becomes a t
the same time a seeker after Truth, beyond the bamers of one's own
religion. What is required is a total openness to Truth.. AU religions
have general agreement on basic values like love, truth, peace,
righteousness, kindness etc. The sources of genuine religion and
spirituality are abiding and creative openness to Truth, deep devotion
and total surrender to Truth and authentically living that Truth.
2.
Relevance of Gandhiji's Transreligious Spirituality
Gandhiji had strong conviction in the equality of all religions.
He regarded all the great faiths of the world a s different branches of a
tree, each distinct but having the same stem a s their source.' He was
aware of the differences among the great religions arising from
historical and cultural backgrounds. They do not all have the same
beliefs and doctrines; nor do they prescribe the same rituals. He
'
Harijan, January 22, 1939.
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believed that any attempt to root out these differences is not only
bound to fail, but also is a form of sacrilege. According to him what we
require is not 'dead-level-uniformity' but unity in diversity. The soul of
religion is one, but it is encased in innumerable forms. The latter will
persist to the end of time and the wise men will ignore the outward
crust and see the same soul living under a variety of crusts.2 Since
differences are important, and in some cases unbridgeable, he
discouraged syncretism. He wanted people from all religions to
maintain their individuality. Since youth, Gandhiji had tried to
understand and adopt in his life everything that he had found to be of
value in all the world r e b o n s . But he was sure of his identity as a
s-i
Hindu. Gandhiji would not have wanted a merging of various
faiths into one religion. But as children of one and the same God, all
have to find unity without uniformity and diversity without division.3
The need of the time is not a new religion, but holding together the
common moral and spiritual values, and live them sincerely, which
will transform the individual and the society in turn.
In order to discover the underlying unity behind the diversity,
Gandhiji has a master key of Truth and Non-violence. These are the
two eternal principles that are closely related. Through the perfect
observance of Truth and Non-violence, together with other Ashram
vows, a person can realize the basic unity of religions. The values
enshrined in the ashram vows are transreligious. A truly religious
person of any faith will adhere to these values and the practice of
them will bring about the much desired peace and harmony in the
2
3
Young India, September 25, 1924.
Harqan, February 2, 1934.
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world. Before God, according to Gandhiji, all religions are valid,
valuable and worthy. One's own religion is the best for him / her.
Rootedness in one's own religion demands also reverence for other
religions. The real understanding of other religions will help one to
respect and accept others a s one's own brothers and sisters. While we
adhere to our own faiths, it is our duty to assimilate and promote the
moral and spiritual values of other relcgons. Gandhiji practised this in
his life, and it bore its fruits. The relevance of this transreligious
spirituality in the contemporary world is presented and prescribed
here a s the best means for human solidarity and religious harmony.
a)
Transreligious Spirituality takes us beyond inter-faith
dialogue to an inter-faith living
Simple information and mere knowledge of different religions
will not help us to have real respect of other religions. According to
Gandhiji if we read the Bible, we must read it with the devotion of a
true Christian, and if we read the Gita, we must read it with the
devotion of a true Hindu.4 A friendly, sympathetic and positive
dialogical attitude to other religions is essential as a pre-requisite for
the practice of transreligious spirituality. Transreligious spirituality
also demands from us to understand, assimilate and promote the
central teachings of other religions. A deep devotion in the being level
is the backbone of this transreligious spirituality.
Gandhiji's respect for, and acceptance of all religions a s true
and equal were so genuine and intense that all major religions
Harijan, 13 March 1937.
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considered him to be an honest and faithful follower of their own
respective religions. He once said:
The charge of k i n g a Christian in secret is not new. It is both a
libel and a compliment. ...There is nothing in the world that would
keep me from professing Christianity or any other faith, the
moment I felt the need for it.. .. If I could call myself, say, Christian
or Mussalman with my own interpretation of the Bible or the
Qur'an, I should not hesitate to call myself either. For then Hindu,
Christian and Mussalman would be synonymous terms.5
Thus transreligious spirituality will help u s to find the common moral
and spiritual values in various religions and help us to practise them
in our lives. The following of one's own religion does not exclude the
possibility of mutual sharing of and getting benefit from each other's
beliefs and experiences. It is wrong to think that one cannot accept
anything from other religions. Gandhiji could attain this stage wherein
he could consider other rewons as his own and this helped him to
assimilate values from them and thus he could go beyond his
particular religion in his life, a s a member of universal religions. Love
and respect for other remons are the important ingredient of
Gandhiji's transreligious spirituality. His ashram experiments are the
best proof of this inter-faith living.
b)
Tranueligious Spirituality i s a great help to overcome
religious fundamentalism and to rewlve communal
conflicts
For Gandhiji, Truth is God and we are all pilgrims marching
together for the realization of this ituth. Gandhiji believed that all
religions manifest Truth, but not in its totality and perfection. Respect
M.K.Gandhi: Christian Missions, Their Place in India, Navajivan Publications,
Ahmedabad, 194O.pp.48-49.
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for religions need not blind us to their faults6 There is but one God or
Ultimate Reality, which is mostly accepted by all religions. But
exclusivist and moribund creeds foster a spirit of hostility and
dissension, while ignorance of the spirit of the religious scriptures
widens the gulf separating one from the other. Transreligious
spirituality presupposes the unity of humanity in the common search
of Truth. Those who can distinguish the central teachings of religions
from the peripheral, will find the essential unity of all religions.
Ignorance of one's own religion and of the essentials of other religions
may lead to the lack of respect towards them and even to intolerance
towards them, causing fundamentalistic activities. Fundamentalism
in turn may grow into fanaticism and fanaticism can further lead into
terrorism and 'holy wars'. In such situations, people are to be helped
to rediscover the central teachings of their own religions, which
promote universal values like truth, selfless service, compassion, love
etc. Equanimous and dispassionate search of TruthfSupreme can
foster respect and love for one's own religion and that of others.
Religious fundamentalism and fanaticism will only widen the
gulf between different religions. If we don't take this challenge of
reducing the widening gap among the temple, the mosque and the
church, our mother earth may become an unlivable planet. Today
mankind needs a moral and spiritual regeneration, which would heal
man's mind, soul and even the body. The noblest path for the future
seems to be an intense search for the transrehgious spirituality.
Otherwise, in future, the greatest threat for religion will be religions
Hargan, 13 March 193 7.
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themselves, which will distort the true spirit of religions and will
tarnish the splendour of Truth.
c)
Transreligious Spirituality encourages us to feel at ease
while worshipping with the members of all faiths
One of the expressions of Gandhiji's transreligious spirituality
was the inter-religious prayer meetings he organized, first in his
Ashrams and then in public. He started the practice of congregational
prayer in the Phoenix Settlement and the Tolstoy Farm he established
in South Africa. This practice was continued in his Ashrams in India.
Later in his life, Gandhiji organized several inter-religious public
prayer meetings. Large number of people from all religions and from
all walks of life used to participate in these prayer meetings. The
purpose of common prayer is primarily the corporate worship of the
God of all, who wants his people a united community in love. Man is
called to worship God not only individually but also in community.
Since basically man is a social being and since the whole of
humankind forms one family, it is not only our right but it is our duty
to worship God a s a community.
The platforms of these prayer meetings were the forums and
means to train the common masses in inter-religious understanding,
non-violence, mutual respect and harmony. These gatherings help the
people to understand that all share the same life from the Divine and
therefore all are one, and the distinctions of colour, caste, gender,
creed, class etc, are only accidental. They realize the fact that Reality
is One; but it is manifested in many forms (EkamSat vipraha bahuda
vadanq. A seeker of Truth has to transcend these apparent
differences and earnestly strive with others in the common search for
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the Truth. Transreligious prayer is a powerful means to promote
transreligious spirituality. It is a prayer of being, prayer of silence and
a prayer of a collective surrender to Truth.
d)
Transreligious Spirituality expects that one must go deep
into the central teachings of one's religion
Gandhiji believed that all religions are one, true, equal with
regard to their objective and yet they are imperfect a s they are
expressed and practised by the finite human beings. Therefore no one
should claim to have the monopoly of Truth. Moreover, the tall claims
of superiority of one's own religion over others will often stand in the
way to the realization of the Truth. At the same time, one has to be
fumly rooted in his own religious tradition and seek one's selfrealization and liberation in that religion. One should remember that
only a person who is sincere and ardent in the following of hisfher
own religion can understand and appreciate the truth of other
religions and only such a person who can understand the true spirit
of other religions, can be true to his own religion. Authenticity of one's
own faith is the root of transreligious spirituality.
e)
Transreligious Spirituality helps us to see the entire
cosmos as one family in Love
The best manifestation of transreligious spirituality, in the
Gandhian term, is the practice of ahimsa. According to Gandhiji
ahimsa is the universal love for all beings without any vested interest
and selfishness and it has to be from the fullness of one's heart.
Aha has to be practised in all spheres of life. For Gandhiji, this is
the most basic and most iniportant human virtue and eternal value,
and is the surest means to realize Truth. Any ill-feeling,animosity,
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aversion etc are against the principle of ahimsa and therefore are
against transreligious spirituality. Proper understanding, mutual
respect, assimilation and a sense of mutual complementarity foster
and advance transreligious spirituality. The mankind belonging to
different religions is marching in common pilgrimage towards the
ultimate goal of its existence. Each pilgrim has his own identity and
uniqueness and religious allegiance, but in the common search for the
fullness of Truth all are united in indissoluble bonds of love and
fraternity.
In this age of globalization, we are no more living in single and
in isolated societies or countries but we are 'world citizens'. Our
ancestors had the concept of Vasudaiua Kudumbakam (One World
Family of God), which can be a reality through the transreligious
spirituality in a modest way. Arnold Toynbee, after surveying the
history of the entire human race, has made a siWcant
observation
that the only way of salvation for mankind at this extremely
dangerous time in human history is the Indian way. It is the Emperor
Asoka's and Mahatma Gandhi's principle of non-violence and Shri
Ramakrishna's testimony to the harmony of all religions. Here we
have the nght attitude and spirit that can make it possible for the
human race to grow into a single family.? Transreligious spirituality is
perfectly in tune with the macrocosmic dimension of our human
existence.
7
Quoted in. Bhavan 's Journal, Vol. 28, No.2, p.9,
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3.
Challenges of Txansreligiom SpirituallQ
The practice of transreligious spirituality may have to face
challenges. Though there are groups of people who may understand
the importance and relevance of transreligious spirituality, they are
often hesitant to articulate and put it into practice due to many
reasons. The sacred task that religions need to share at present is to
fight unitedly the rising menace of fear and suspicion so that the
degradation of human values and corrosion of our spiritual heritage
can be effectively checked. Some of such issues are worth considering
so that they could be arrested from the beginning itself.
a)
Fe- of Relativhation of One's Faith
When one speaks of transreligious spirituality, there can be an
apprehension about the relativization of one's faith. But in order to
practise transreligious spirituality one must be deep rooted in the core
teachings of one's faith. If one is sincere to the essential teachings of
one's religion, he cannot but be transreligious. The saints, mystics
and the enlightened ones in each religion are often the people who
take the core teachings of their religions sincerely and this in turn
help them to cultivate a transrebous attitude. True religions must
help our minds expanded. Truth authentically lived will certainly
enlarge our consciousness, enlighten our entire life and nurture
healthy attitudes of openness, love and mutual respect.
Gandhiji was an advocate of openness towards other religions
and of imbibing inspirations from them. He says:
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Let no one even for a moment entertain the fear that a reverent
study of other religions is likely to weaken or shake one's faith in
one's own. The Hindu system of philosophy regards all religions
as containing the elements of truth in them and enjoins an attitude
of respect and reverence towards them all. This of course
presupposes regard for one's own religion. Study and appreciation
of other religions need not cause a weakening of that regard; it
should mean extension of that regard to other religion^.^
Gandhiji believed that fearlessness is the pre-requisite of
spirituality. Cowards can never be moral.9 It seems that one of the
causes for the division among the religions is that of fear, suspicion
and hatred. A person who is integrated and sure of himself fears none
and consequently provokes no fear. The individuals must be helped to
rise above fear, jealousy and hatred. When the presence of such
individuals increases in the community, we can check properly the
infiltration of
communal disharmony in various
places
and
communities. The conscious efforts to build up transreligious
spirituality wiU bring about good resuits in this regard.
Transreligious spirituality can be misunderstood as a n attempt
to collect good values of various religions in order to establish a kind
of new religion. History shows that attempts of these types did not
succeed in the past. lo Through the transreligious spirituality we try to
8
'O
M.K.Gandhi: AN Men Are Brothers, op.cit, p.78
YoungIndia: March 22, 1928.
In 1560 Akbar became the King of Mughul Empire in India The conflicts of
different religious sects shocked his soul, and he devoted himself to the evolution of
a new religion, which he wanted to be a synthesis of all the warring creeds and
capable of unitmg the discordant elements of his vast empire in one harmonious
whole. He called the wise men of different religions and sects and had discussions
with them. It eventually resulted in his eclecticism and in the promulgation of a new
religion called Din-I-Ilahi. This new religion was compounded out of various
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understand, appreciate and promote the core teachings of different
religions. Here each one is advised to be deep-rooted in the basic
teachings of one's religion, which will help the person to be
transreligious. Gandhiji says:
In spite of my being a staunch Hindu, I find room in my faith for
Christian and Islamic and Zoroastrian teaching....To some my
Hinduism seems to be a conglomeration and some have wen
dubbed me as an eclectic. Well. to call a man eclectic is to say that
he has no faith, but mine is a broad faith which does not oppose
Christians and Muslims. It is based on the broadest possible
toleration. I refuse to abuse a man for his fanatical deeds, because I
try to see them from his point of view. It is that broad faith that
sustains me. It is somewhat embarrassing position, I know but to
others, not to me."
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Rootedness in one's faith implies that one has to be faithful also
to those tenets of one's faith, which may not be acceptable to others.
However, accepting these differences, we can have love and deep
respect for the other members of faith. Though theoretically this is
true, practically if we are not careful the transreligious spirituality can
come down to a kind of eclecticism.
c)
Lack of Commitment to any Religion
Many people may think that transreligious spirituality does not
need any commitment to a particular religion. Here one needs to ask
the questions like, can one lead a universal life in the concrete? Is the
concrete incompatible with the universal? Transreligious spirituality
does not exist in vacuum. I t exits in each particular religion. When
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elements, taken partly from the Qw-an of Muhanunad, partly from the scriptures of
the Brahmans, and to a certain extent, as far as suited his purpose, £tom the Gospel
of Christ. But this attempt failed.
Young Indra, 22 December 1927.
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one takes the core teachings of one's religion sincerely, then the
practice of transreligious spirituality becomes easy.
I t will enable us
to be present to each other in their unique individualities, and a t the
same time helps us to see mankind a s one family. The transreligious
spirituality helps us to bring together the divergent religions and their
spiritualities without in any way oversimp@ing them and discarding
each one's identity, and to elucidate their convergence on the ultimate
goal of human beings.
4.
Findings of the Study
Today the world is facing a serious threat of religious
fanaticism, fundamentalism and the consequent terrorism in its
manifold forms. Acting upon the dictum that St is better to light a
candle than to curse the darkness', it would be imperative to plan an
appropriate programme of action for the moral and spiritual
regeneration of the world, as per the cardinal teachings of Gandhiji.
Gandhiji experimented with the transrehgious spirituality and it did
produce exemplary results. Today we have to make an earnest
attempt to experiment with the transreligious spirituality in the
present circumstances. Hence some of the fmdings of the study are
given below:
1.
Religion existed in human society from time immemorial and it has
played a sigruficant role in the life of human beings for the integrated
development of the society. Though many thought that science would
replace religion, it does not seem to be correct. On the contrary, there is a
renaissance and revival inalmost aU the religions in the world.
2.
The study shows that religious instinct is innate in man. Religious nature
seeks its fulfilment in proper and peaceful relationships, which is both
vertical and horizontal. Thus religion is defined in this study as 'the
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proper and peaceful relationship with oneself, with others, with the
universe and with the Divine.' This shows that the primary duty of
religion is that of unity and integration, harmony and fellowship, and not
of division and disintegration.
3.
Religions may differ in its creed, cult, myths, mythology, mystery etc.
But we can find a basic unity in the code of conduct of all religions,
namely 'to do good and to avoid evil'.
Proper and peaceful
relationship is established through the code of conduct. This is
expressed through the values, which are taught by religions for the
holistic development of the self and its reahation. Since our actions
are the determining factor for the future of our life, namely, selfrealization, liberation, salvation etc, code of conduct becomes the
most decisive element in religion. In this aspect of religion, we can
fmd a lot of unifying elements.
4.
Since code of conduct is an indispensable dimension of religion, it should
percolate into every aspect and activity of a religious person Since
religion is for establishing proper and peaceful relationships, it should
help the person to live in a harmonious way.
5.
Liberation/salvation is the ultimate goal of every individual and, religion
helps to attain this goal through proper and peaceful relationships with
oneself, with others, with the entire cosmos and with the Divine.
6.
The study shows that Gandhiji assimilated values from different religions,
which made him a unique spiritual leader. For GandQi, religion does not
mean any particular &torical religion It is that religion, which underlies
all religions, which brings us face to face with our Maker. Gandhiji
believed that all religions are essentially one. He held that all religions are
true, but a l l are imperfect. All religions are equal and command the equal
respect. He corrected the general assumption that there is dichotomy
between secular and sacred, spiritual and material He wanted to
spiritualize every activity of human life.
7.
The study shows that Gandhiji's concepts of life and religion are
integrated. According to Gan-i
religion and morality also are
intimately related and it is a relation to God and to man. His conception
of religion is called 'Ethical Religion'. The moral act, according to
Gandhiji, is that which is done consciously, intending good and without
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the aim of profit making. Doing good to mankind is the highest morality
and the essence of all moral laws. According to Gandhiji, that which is, is
Truth. Therefore Truth is God. Man's ultimate aim is the realization of
God and the way to find God is through ahimsa (universal love) and
selfless senice to all.
8.
The study reveals that the spiritualities of various religions will help us to
transcend the p-ties
of each religion One of the reasons for
fanaticism and fundamentalism is that there seems to be little effort to
understand the central teachings of every religion and thus every religion
fails to understand anci appreciate the other religions. A truly religious
man can never be fanatic because the strongest arguments against
fanaticism can be found in the spirituality of each religion itself.
9.
The study shows that the objective of transreligious spirituality is to
enable people to be present to each other in their unique individualities
and at the same time see themselves as one humanity through the moral
and spiritual values. The practice of transreligious spirituality can help
one to undemtand, achowledge, appreciate, preserve, promote and
assimilate the positive values found in all religions. These noble values as
well as the great Scriptures of all religions belong to the common
patrimony of humanity.
10.
The study reveals that Gandhiji believed in the essential unity of the
divine spirit with all forms of life, a truth which he found in the teachings
of all the major world religions. Since all religions have a basic unity and
they share the same truth and are equml, one must cultivate the same
respect for a l l religions. 'This is possible only if one study all religions with
equimjndedness.
11.
The 0b~ediveof Gandhiji's Ashrams was to prepare its members for the
service of the country, through the constant and continuous discipline for
self-realization In order to promote communal harmony, it seems a new
hermeneutics is necessary to transcend conflicting issues by providing the
new categories of unity with a view to reconciliation, peace and harmony
among religions and socriety. There have been many attempts by various
institutions and organizations to bring about better interreligious
relations. For this G a n q i proposed eleven Ashram vows, which are
transreligious and can be practised by all religious people.
12.
The Ashram was a human laboratory in which Gan-i
experimented
with himself and others to practise transreligious spirituality. The vow of
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sarva-dharma-sanrabhiic~n(equal respect to all religions) was practised in
their daily lives through prayer, work, study, social action etc. This vow
was neither his political strategy nor a convenient policy but a yearning of
his soul.
13.
The study shows that the weekly evening prayer meetings held at the
Gandhiji's Ashrams helped the community for a united spiritual exercise.
Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Parsees, Jews etc participated in the prayer
meetings which included reading from all the sacred books and singing of
sacred hymns of all religions. As no particular religion was given a
superior position, the service each Sunday reaffirmed the universal bonds
of love and truth upon which the cornunity had been founded.
24.
The study shows that Gandhiji's ashrams not only trained individuals in
spiritual life and social values, but also helped to prepare constructive
workers who devoted their lives for the reconstruction of society. Thus
these ashrams proved that there is no dichotomy between the secular and
the sacred, the material and the spiritual. People from various religions
and different strata of society lived together in the ashrams. They
practised sarua-dhanno-sarnabmn (equal respect to all religions) through
prayer, work, study, social action etc. This can lead one to an attitude of
s a w n - d h m - m a n m b h (all religions as my own).
15.
Gandhji's vision of transreligious spirituality is entirely woven ar0~nd
the central doctrine of Truth. In his ceaseless striving to realize Truth he
discovered the vital principle of his transreligious spirituality that 'Tmth
is God'. This paradigm shift in his concept of God enabled him to see God
face to face as a living presence p e ~ a d i n gevery fibre of his being. Since
absolute Truth cannot be attained in the present state of embodied
existence, Gandhi holds on to the relative truth of his conception for the
ultimate realization of the former. He believed that all activities of a
person are to be guided by this ultimate vision of God, manifested as the
Absolute Truth of life. Thus the sovereign principle of Truth serves as the
basis of Gandhi's vision of transreligious spirituality.
16.
The means to reach the goal of Truth is non-violence or ahimsa, and it is
the first and last article of Ganh~ji'sfaith. Without ahimsa it is not possible
to seek and find Truth. In fact, both of them are so intertwined that it is
practically impossible to disentangle and separate them. Therefore ahimsn
becomes the supreme duty of man. It is a principle to be practised by
everybody in all walks of life. Every religion holds this value as precious.
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Hence, it is an essential element in the Gandhiji's experiment of
transerligious spirituality.
17.
The world has to be educated in the true spirit of religion. Though
religions are many, 'the Religion' is one. A religion ceases to be a
universal faith if it does not make universal men. One should learn to
look beyond one's religion to understand the Religion. The various
religions coming at different moments of history and at radically different
situations, cannot be said to be the fulfillment of one another, but rather
shows another dimension of the faith, which is a Divine gift to all. The
demands made by one religion are not the same as those by another. But
these varying demands of religions are actually complementary.
5.
Suggestions and Policy Recommendations
1.
We find that the problem of communal disharmony is not with the
reQons but with the religionists. Due to lack of proper understanding
they do not follow their religions properly. It is necessary for a
multirehgous democratic state to promote a respectfkl study of all
religions so that its atizens can understand one another better and live
amicably together. A sincere study of religions should promote an
understanding of the differences as well as the similarities among them,
and such study could be intellectually stimulating and could establish a
sound basis for religious tolerance.
2.
We should teach our people that holiness/perfection/spiriWty is not
the monopoly of any particular religion or tradition Wherever there is a
thought, a word or a deed in accordance with the will of God there is
holiness. And we should accept and respect the holy people in a l l faiths.
The real spiritual path has no boundary of race or religion, sex or creed,
language or nationality. The mystics of the various religions have all
illuminated one or the other facet of the immeasurable Divine splendour.
Sincere study of different mystics of various religions will show us the
essential unity of different religions.
3.
Love and fear are the two basic emotions of human beings.Hatred, worst
of all evils, comes mainly from fear. When one knows other religions, fear
will d i s a p p e ~ instead, love and respect will rule the mind.
Misunderstandings and prejudices regarding other religions bring about
contempt and conflicts. In order to have a proper understanding of other
religions, it is important that the essentials of all religions are taught in all
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educational institutions. For this purpose, proper materials are to be
prepared and the teachers have to be trained. It is meet and proper to
teach the students from pre-primary classes onwards the different
religious scriptures, prayers and its meanings.
4.
The creation of basic human communities on the neighbourhood basis,
irrespective of caste and religion could be an effective antidote for the
disruptive communal forces. In such organic communities different
religious experiences could be shared, and ways of alleviating human
suffering could be pursued.
5.
For the promotion of transreligious spirituality there must be 'livingtogether' sessions in which members of various religions should come
together for some days for fellowship of brotherhood and common
sharing. Such sessions can be very helpful for the growth of mutual
understanding and of fostering the right attitudes to other religions and
for the deepening of the personal religious awareness of the participants.
Such experiments should be encouraged; but they require careful
preparation.
6.
In order to practise transreligious spirituality one must be deeply rooted~
in one's own religious tradition. One must seriously study the core
teachings of the scriptures of one's own faith and put them into practice.
When we do this seriously we cannot but love and respect others.
Moreover, in the light of the scriptures each religion has to examine
thoroughly the articles of faith and their practices. Thus a rereading of the
saiptures in todays context would make each religion a liirative force
in society.
7.
If someone makes fun of another's religious beliefs, one must be
enlightened that, that person is not huly religious, whatever be the
person's faith. Faith in God is something to be deep within oneself. It is so
deep that nothing should shake it. Turning violent only means that one is
uncertain about the depth of one's faith and his belief in God is
superficial.
8.
Conducting interreligious prayer meetings with members of various
religions will help us grow together. This is an antidote to fanaticism and
fundamentalism. But this presupposes a great deal of sensitivity to one
another's feelings. Any kind of superiority in the smcture of the meetings
or in the prayer itself should be avoided; otherwise it would be
misunderstood.
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9.
The main concem cd every religion is the integral development of the
human person and of the society. All religions uphold the values of love,
compassion, service, humility and concem for the well being of all. Hence
religions can meet effectively in the common commitment to the
promotion of justice, defence of human rights and protection of life and
environment.
10.
Followers of all religions have to practise restraint on taking religion to
the streets, which could evoke fear and suspicion in other communities.
Sensitivity to the feelings of the other should be the basic virtue of a truly
religious man seeking spiritual perfection.
11.
Since family is the basis of communicating religious faith and inculcating
ethical values, a l l efforts should be made to preserve the integrity of
family life and to promote great respect towards the other religions.
12.
Since the media play great role in shaping our culture today, the noble
values of all religions must be brought out effectively through the media.
Here, the followers of all religions could work together in this regard to
promote respect for all rewons and transreligious spirituality.
13.
We must educate the people that any form of atrocity only defies and
defiles the holy scriptures of all religions. All religions command love,
mercy, truth, justice, peace and similar values. Terrorism cannot have any
connection with religions worth the name; for it is inhuman, cruel,
merciless and it causes bloodshed and misery.
14.
Ramjanbhnri in Ayodhya and Christujanbhwmi in Bethelehem continue to
be drenched with the blood of the innocents to propitiate the god of
hatred, revenge and retaliation. The time has come for us to review the
concept of holy cities, holy wars, holy hatred etc. The holiness of a
religion is to be measured in terms of its commitment to love,
compassion, truth, forgiveness etc. Religions shall not build empires of
power but communities of love.
15.
Our enemies are within ourselves and can be identified by introspection.
The human solidarity can be achieved by training a new type of human
being who is totally dedicated to the spirit of brotherhood. The
introspection should bring about such transformation and change of
outlook. But over the last few decades the very foundation of our national
life seems to have shifted from a faith in non-violence to the faith in the
use of threat of violence. We should teach others and ourselves that no
evil means could bring about any good end.
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16.
Experience of the Divine is not a private privilege to be kept all to oneself,
but a sacred trust to be shared with others. Every human person has a
right to religious hedom; however, there should be no use of
inducement or coercion in propagating one's faith. Perfect freedom for
choosing one's faith has to be ensured.
17.
One of the essential features of Indian spirituality is its tolerance,
incorporation and integration. ' k t noble thoughts come to us from aU
sides'" is the best expression of Indian spirit. Can we build some common
houses of worship in a spirit of tolerance, incorporation and integration in
such way that all sects and religions and indeed all people who are
margndued feel that it is a sacred place for all? We can draw inspiration
from Gandhi+'s experiments on ashram life.
18.
For the establishment of peace, it is a pre-requisite that various
religions should come together to form a Forum of creative
collaboration and mutual commitment. If they work in isolation, there
is always a danger of their being used by the politicians and the
market forces for their vested interests. We should remember that
today's religious fundamentalism and the consequent rivalry and
vandalism between religions are caused and exploited by peopleof
vested interests. Hence, we must have a n International Forum for
Religious Harmony and Human Solidarity, transcending the narrow
outlook of particular religions and unifying all religions under the
right perspective of transreligious spirituality, as God is one for all
and love being His synonym. This appears to be a crying need of the
hour.
19.
There can be interreligious forums in every village to isolate those who
mix religion with political and economic interests. Dialogue sessions,
common defense of human rights, joint endeavours for development,
sharing of spiritual experiences etc will inaease mutual confidence and
cooperation among the followers of various religions. Religious solutions
alone will not be sufficient to meet the challenges raised by
fundamentalists. We have to take seriously the economic, cultural and
political reasons that contribute to the growth of fundamentalism,
fanaticism and terrorism. Hence, more seminars, symposia, workshops,
living together sessions etc should be conducted to discuss on the cognate
subjects.
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6.
Conclusion
In this age of globalization, when the whole world has become a
global village, the different religions can no longer live in isolation,
separated one from another by walls of reciprocal suspicion. The true
encounter between religions inspires us to search for truth. The more
we come to know the religions of the world, the more we begin to
understand that in every one of us the other is somehow implied, and
vice versa. Religions do not exist in isolation, but over against each
other. The relation among re@ons can neither be exclusive (only
mine), nor inclusive (the mine embraces all the others), or parallel (we
are running independently towards the same goal), but it should
better be one of mutual interpenetration without losing the identity of
each religion.
AU r e u o n s are, therefore, relevant in the context of the
diversity of human needs. The religions of the world, each in its own
sphere, have sustained the hearts and minds of millions of people
down the ages. All re@ons teach adherence to great moral and
spiritual values, and these values are the common heritage of
mankind. Human beings have right of access to them. We should
make a concerted effort to study, assimilate, promote and hold
together these values. The prophets and saints of different religions
have brought mankind to a consciousness of unity underlying the
various religions. This helped them to see other religions a s their own
and they cultivate a 'marnabh7lva' (my own attitude) towards other
religions. It will pave the way for the transreligious spirituality.
Rootedness in one's own faith, respectful openness to other faiths,
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and journeying together in love and incessantly living the Truth are
the characteristic notes of this transreligious spirituality.
A proper understanding of and respect for all religions is the
need of the hour. Gandhiji embodied in himself the important moral,
spiritual and religious values for which India stood from time
immemorial. In order to put into practice these basic values, Gandhiji
suggested the strict training of the individual in a disciplined life
through the ashram vows. The values like truth, non-violence, nonpossession, concepts of celibacy, openness to other ideologies,
universal brotherhood of man etc., which he lived and preached were
not his inventions. He assimilated these values from different sacred
scriptures of religions and traditions. The greatness of Gandhiji is that
he intuitively understood these values, scrupulously practised them
and fearlessly proclaimed them to the world. A truly religious person
of any faith can adhere to these values and the practice of them will
bring about the much desired peace and harmony in the world.
Ultimately, the greatness of a man must be measured not by
the amount of adulation accorded him but by the impact of his life on
others. When this yardstick is applied, Mahatma Gandhi's major place
in history became a legend in his own lifetime. A s a leader he was full
of charisma. I t is important to note that he held no position in
Government and had no personal possessions either. Though many
may disagree with his thoughts, no one can belittle his historical role.
Though Gandhiji's Ashram experiment did not succeed fully, yet it
proved that people belonging to different religions could peacefully live
together, work together and pray together. Gandhiji's experiment on
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transreligious spirituality will ever remain a beacon light to humanity
Gandhiji's vision of Riimariijya was evolved from his religious
conviction. Though some have attempted to restrict his universal
vision to the boundaries of the Hindu society, in fact Gandhiji was
beyond
such
distorted vision.
In his experiments with the
Transreligious Spirituality, we see a prophetic vision of a Satya Rijya
(Kingdom of Truth) where peace and harmony shall prevail. The
Transreligious Spirituality will hopefully establish such a Satya Rajya,
a Kingdom of the Divine Spirit, prophetically proclaiming the eternal
values of love, peace and unity. The Transreuous Spirituality is
indeed an authentic journey in our spiritual self-awakening. AU
practising believers in different religions have to get awakened to the
Divine within, the Truth constantly lived from within. The Divine is
Truth, it is in me, it is me, my own identity, my real reality, a reality I
need constantly to become aware of. This Truth awakening journey is
the real path to Transreligious Spirituality, a salvific path that will
liberate us from the manmade slavish structures of external religions.
A religion of the Spirit and Truth will hopefully be the Dharma (rhe
Rehgion) for tomorrow. The challenge of bringing about such a society
into reality is on the shoulders of those who are moved by such a
vision, a s a mission leading to action for its realization.
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