"Gandhi was moved to say: "A friendly study of all the scriptures is the sacred duty of every individual." He emphasized "friendly" studies, as opposed to critical ones, which frequently dwell on the differences between scriptures. When we stop dwelling on where our faiths diverge and focus instead on the similarities, we will find that religion is like climbing a mountain. If we are all attempting to scale the same peak, why should it matter which side of the mountain we choose to climb?
Religion, Gandhi believed, must unite and civilize human beings and not divide people and turn them into savages. At the root of many of our spiritual problems today is the strong belief that each of us "possess" the truth. No one "possesses" the truth. We can only "pursue" the truth with all sincerity and diligence. There is a vast chasm that separates these two concepts. When we feel we possess the truth, we shut our minds and live in ignorance. This leads to disrespect for others, discrimination, oppression and aggression. If, on the other hand, we are committed to pursuing the truth, our minds are open, accepting, respectful, and welcoming.
Gandhi perceived the culture of violence as the root of all contemporary evil. He saw violence in many forms, not just the physical violence that concerns us today. Violence exists in all aspects of human life--spiritual violence and exploitation, economic violence, social violence, cultural violence, political violence, educational violence, and much more."
-Arun Gandhi, One God, Many Images
Network of Spiritual Progressives (NSP) website
No comments:
Post a Comment