Religion divides,Spirituality Unites

Religion has continued to be a source of violence, terrorism, patriarchy, and casteism for a long time. From the Crusades war of 1096-1291 to the very recent religious riots in India, if we look at our history, we come to know that religion has remained a cause of violence. Recently, on 9 February 2024, five people were killed and 14 critically injured in violent clashes that broke out in Uttarakhand’s Haldwani on February 8 after the demolition of a madrasa and masjid as part of a district anti-encroachment drive. You might be unaware of it because the news media never covers such incidents. The media is the cause of these riots, focusing on personalities like Elvish Yadav rather than addressing the riots and other issues in India. How can we forget the anti-Sikh pogrom of 1984 and the Gujarat pogrom of 2002? Religion should preach love, but it often preaches violence. That is why religion divides, while spirituality unites.

One religion says that Earth is flat,created by this order and other religion says Earth is created in this manner and other differences. One believes in a certain traditions and other believes in different traditions. For common man religion is just a certain set of rules. For them religion is just limited to  way of walking, food choices, funeral rites, rituals etc. This is the religion for a common man. Orthodoxy arises when an individual staunchly believes that their religious text is infallible This gives rise to orthodox people like Aurangzeb,Sadashiva Raya etc. Unfortunately, this rigid mindset can result in intolerance. If someone disagrees with a particular religious viewpoint, they may be labeled a "Kafir," and in extreme cases, this disagreement can lead to violence.

The saddest aspect is that even when science presents the truth, some individuals are unwilling to acknowledge it. For example, Giordano Bruno faced persecution and was executed by the church, while Copernicus's book was banned. Despite the Protestant church accepting Copernicus's theory, the Catholic church resisted. It is imperative that we embrace scientific knowledge. Traditionalists may resist, but it's essential to recognize that many true saints have embraced and integrated scientific understanding into their worldview.

 

So, basically, politicians manipulate people to believe that if someone doesn't follow their religious doctrines, that person is an enemy and should be treated accordingly, even to the extent of violence. This has become worse in the era of social media. Honestly, no one really understands the true purpose of religion. Even those who claim to be religious haven't really read their scriptures; they're just religious because they were born into a certain religion veryone is all worked up about religion, saying it's in danger, but do you know what's actually in danger? Our climate is in danger, with sea levels rising every day due to melting glaciers. India is pumping out 3.9 billion metric tons of CO2 every year. Our forest cover is just at 24.62%. The unemployment rate in India is 8.7 percent. These are the real issues we should be fighting for, but instead, we're caught up in religious fights. Now, do you get what I mean about religion being a source of violence and hatred?

Now, let me share about the unifying spirit of spirituality. The true message of Krishna, Buddha, and Jesus is all about peace and love, but here we are, fighting over religious differences. They taught us the path of mukti, freedom from certain rules, but somehow we find ourselves tangled up in them. The Vedic shastras are rooted in questioning. In the Upanishads, questions are asked, and even in the Puranas, questions are raised. So, why do we blindly believe everything? Swami Vivekananda went to the extent of questioning his Guru Ramakrishna. Therefore, we should question religion instead of following it without thinking. What happens if we follow it blindly? It leads to superstitions, castes, discrimination, and more. Dharma is that which takes you away from notion that I am body. But is the modern day Dharma giving you that. NO

 

“Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule."

-Buddha

 

 

Spirituality kicks off with facts, not blind faith. It centers around questioning and doesn't advocate for blindly believing in a set of rules. It's about freedom. While many contemporary Hindus might criticize Christ, personally, I've gleaned valuable teachings from the life of Christ. Even eminent saints, such as Swami Vivekananda, Paramahansa Yogananda, and Vanamalimataji, shared their teachings. This essence embodies spirituality.

 

Today, the media seems to be dishing out a lot of fake information, making people believe that religion is under threat. It's a propaganda tactic to incite conflict. Genuine saints like Kabir and Nanak Ji never centered their teachings on religion. Krishna never advocated for harming someone who doesn't follow him. Unfortunately, the media often overlooks the most crucial topics, opting for sensationalism just to gain TRP.

 

Now, let's delve into superstitions. When you follow religion blindly, it often gives rise to superstitions. Surprisingly, even educated Indians believe in superstitions. While science has achieved remarkable success, changing people’s outlook remains a slow process. An example is the viral video where a Lord Ganesha idol seemed to be drinking milk. People deemed it a miracle, but those familiar with physics would quickly attribute it to capillary action.There are many other superstitions like wearing threads or lockets will protect them our miraculous saint of Vrindavana  Pujya Sri hit Premanand ji rejects such notions. But still we don’t listen to saints we follow our mind. There are many such superstitions in Indian society and an average Indian kid blindly believes them. If we need to end superstitions we need to educate people and make them rational.

 

Another consequence arising from religion is division. In the 1857 Battle against the British, Hindus and Muslims fought together, nearly defeating the British. However, post the Battle, the British strategically decided to sow division among us, and unfortunately, we continued to fight. Religion became a divisive force, hindering our growth. Notably, religion has also been a catalyst for the caste system, dowry, sati, and more. Shockingly, in rural areas, caste system and dowry practices persist, even though they were never part of Vedic scriptures. And they were never a part of Vedic scriptures that is why I keep emphasising the need of reading scriptures.

Some other social bad practices people usually link with religion are Feamle infanticide,child marriage,animal sacrifices,untouchability. Surprisingly they were never part of scriptures.

 

Today on social media there is a great controversy between religions. They keep on roasting each other religion. If they do it by debates I have no problem but they do it by abusive language. I India for ages Vedantists lived Samkhyawadis lived they debated but they live peacefully but today the case is different. It is the reason why India was prosperous during that time and today it is not. The real spiritual aspirants are not found speaking bullshit about each other on social media. If you want to critisize them then be like Swami Dayanand who fought on basis of philosophy not on basis of abusive language. And respect their tradition too.

In conclusion, I want to emphasize the importance of transcending religious divides and embracing love. I don't mean abandoning your beliefs in God or your personal ways of worship. Instead, let's collectively discard the negative aspects from our scriptures and wholeheartedly embrace the virtues they teach. The goal is to make India an educated, rational society, free from riots and superstitions. Reading our scriptures is crucial for understanding the truth and fostering a genuine connection with our cultural and spiritual heritage. Without delving into the scriptures, labeling oneself as a Sanatani, Muslim, etc., may lack a deep understanding. Let's prioritize peace and work towards a harmonious and enlightened society.