THE BEDROCK OF EVERY RELIGION IS COMPASSION FOR OTHER HUMAN BEINGS

Religions have five organically connected domains : rituals, mythology, ethics, philosophy and spirituality. Rituals and mythology require faith of the followers, whereas ethics and philosophy are based on rationality and reasoning, and spirituality flowers from esoteric wisdom. Thus religions based on faith, intellect and wisdom offer specific ways of worship and purposeful living in and through these domains.

Rituals and mythology, complementary to each other, constitute the visible body and limbs of religions. Many people confuse these two alone to be religion proper. Ethics is the backbone of any religion, which facilitates self-development and makes one better human with honesty, empathy, kindness, truthfulness, non-violence and benevolence.

The philosophical part, being brain of religions, concerns existential enigma of creation and Creator. It covers man’s eternal quest for true identity, origin, destination and purpose on earth. But the heart of religion lies in spirituality, which is not a process of doing or knowing but of becoming, experiencing oneness with the singular identity of the cosmos and merging of individual self into cosmic self experiencing divine love, ecstasy and inner harmony. From this experience Jesus Christ said, “I and my Father are one.” And the Vedanta proclaimed, “I am That. You are That. Everything is That. The ultimate wisdom is That.”