The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : All religions emphasise the same message

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 28, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

All religions emphasise the same message

Special Correspondent

Bangalore: The similarities of ideals in the scriptures of all major faiths have been brought out in a definitive manner in the book "We Are One" by the Catholic theological scholar George Kaitholil.

He explains what promoted him to work on this lengthy compilation of excerpts from the Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh and Islamic scriptures, often quoting from texts which even many followers of the respective faiths may not be familiar with today.

"We, the people of India, are made up of many cultures, religions, languages and ethnic groups. This diversity is a characteristic of the national identity of India. Sadly, today our cultural ethos of pluralism is threatened by communal tension and violence. In spite of all of us being citizens of the same country and children of the same god, there is fear and insecurity among us and suspicion between different (religious) communities."

Dr. Kaitholil is, however, optimistic about the continuing dialogue between leaders and followers of different faiths. "In our time we are witnessing a vital dialogue between the sacred traditions of various religions.

Unfortunately, frictions also occur here and there... all of us have a collective responsibility in promoting and maintaining peace and harmony and in doing whatever good we can to our fellow humans."

Integrity, silence, the sense of the divine, prayer, worship, asceticism, discipline, love, generosity, brotherly solicitude, compassion, spirit of forgiveness, detachment, humility and self-denial characterise all religions. Going through the texts taken from the scriptures, one cannot miss the lesson, given loud and clear, that god loves all His children and that humans should love and help one another, and that there is no virtue greater than love and kindness, says Dr. Kaitholil.

The universal concept of being tolerant and broadminded is an example of the common thread running across the scriptures of various faiths, the book explains.

The Bhagavad Gita, for example, says, "He alone is happy, who is free from hatred and malice and his passions under control." And from the Bible, "Each one should give as much as he had decided on his own initiative, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for god loves a cheerful giver."

Buddhists go a step ahead to say "one should give even from a scanty store to him who asks." And the Koran preaches, "If ye publish your alms-giving, it is well, but if ye hide it and give it to the poor, it will be better for you and will atone for some of your ill deeds."

And the Sikh scriptures say, "He is a true hero, who fights to protect the helpless; though cut limb from limb, flees not the field."

At first glance perhaps, disparate and after a second or third reading, one sees what is common. Indeed, understanding other faiths strengthens the understanding of one's own and also promotes greater tolerance. Which is what being an Indian, is all about.

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