TRANSRELIGIOUS SPIRITUALITY: RELEVANCE AND CHALLENGES

Transcription

1 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~lgnmage they 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, as 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

2 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. As we have seen in the second chapter, religion is to be defmed as 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 as 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.

3 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 as 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

4 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 at 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 as different branches of a tree, each distinct but having the same stem as 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.

5 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 al the world rebons. 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, Harqan, February 2, 1934.

6 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 as 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 as 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 as true and equal were so genuine and intense that all major religions Harijan, 13 March 1937.

7 considered him to be an honest and faithful follower of their own respective religions. He once said: The charge of king 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 us 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, as 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 is 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

8 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, 1 3 March

9 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 as 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 (Ekam Sat vipraha bahuda vadanq. A seeker of Truth has to transcend these apparent differences and earnestly strive with others in the common search for

10 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 as 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 self- realization 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,

11 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,

12 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:

13 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 an 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, 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

14 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." 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. It exits in each particular religion. When I I 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.

15 one takes the core teachings of one's religion sincerely, then the practice of transreligious spirituality becomes easy. It will enable us to be present to each other in their unique individualities, and at the same time helps us to see mankind as one family. The transreligious spirituality helps us to bring together the divergent religions and their spiritualities without in any way 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 in almost 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

16 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, self- realization, 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 all 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

17 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 all religions. 'This is possible only if one study all religions with equimjndedness. 11. The 0b~edive of 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 Ganqi 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

18 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 sawn-dhm-manmbh (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 pe~ading every 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's faith. 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.

19 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 all 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 disappe~ 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

20 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.

21 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, all 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.

22 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. ' kt 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 an 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.

23 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 reuons 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 as 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,

24 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. As a leader he was full of charisma. It 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

25 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 wil 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, as a mission leading to action for its realization.