On
the Unity of Man Issued 15th May, 1974 , this is the last of (Ek
Onkar) Param Sant Kirpal Singh's 'circular letters' to his initiates. MAN, The highest rung of all creation,
is basically the same everywhere. All men are born the same way, receive all
the bounties of nature in a similar manner, have the same inner and outer
construction, and are controlled in the physical body by the same Power, called
differently as "God," "Word," Naam, etc. All men are the same as souls, worship the same God, and
are conscious entities; being of the same essence as God, they are members of
His family, and thus related to each other as brothers and sisters in Him. 2. All awakened and enlightened Gurus
and spiritual teachers who came to this world at various points of time and in
various parts, have invariably emphasized this Truth in their own language and
manner. According to them all men, despite their distinctive social orders and
denominational religions, form but one class. 3. Guru Nanak, the great teacher and
Messiah of peace, said: The
highestorderis to rise into Universal brotherhood; Aye, to consider all
creation your equal. 4. India's ancient mantra, Vasudeva kutumb bukam, also lays down
the same principle that the whole world is one
family. However, it is common knowledge that despite long and loud preaching by
various religious and social leaders professing the Unity of Man, the world
today is torn by strains and tensions of every kind, and presents a sorrowful
spectacle indeed. More often than not we see individuals
at war with one another and brothers at drawn daggers with their own kith and
kin. Similarly, nations are constantly involved in conflicts and clashes with
each other, thus spoiling the peace and tranquility. It seems that the root
cause of this present-day situation is, that the Gospel of Unity of Man,
however well accepted in theory, has not struck home to humanity at large and
is not put into practice. It is only a form of slogan-mongering done with
calculated motives. 5. It is universally accepted that the
highest purpose of this human body is to achieve union of the soul with the
Oversoul or God. It is on this account that the physical body is said to be the
True Temple of God wherein He Himself resides. All religions spell out the ways
and means of meeting the Oversoul or God; and all the ways and means so
suggested, however different looking, lead to the same destination, so that one
need not change from one religion to another for this purpose. One has only to
steadfastly and genuinely tread upon the lines drawn by the torchbearers for
achieving the goal. 6. It is necessary, however, that greater
effort should be made toward the realization of Unity of Man. We have to
realize that every human being is as much a member of the brotherhood as we
are, and is obviously entitled to the same rights and privileges as are
available to us. We must therefore make sure that while our own children make
merry, our neighbor's son does not go without food; and if we really practice
this, much present-day conflict will be eliminated. Each of us will develop
mutual recognition, respect and understanding for the other, thus wiping out
the gross inequities of life. In this process, as the mutual recognition and
understanding develops, it becomes a vital force generating a reservoir of
fellow feeling which in turn will bring culture and ultimately humility—the
basic need of the hour. 7. The holding of the World Conference on
Unity of Man in February 1974 in New Delhi was a clarion call to the
world. This conference was perhaps the first of its kind since the time of
Ashoka the Great, held at the level of Man with the noble purpose of fostering
universal brotherhood leading to universal harmony. This message of the Unity
of Man must reach every human heart irrespective of religious and social labels
so that it comes home to every individual, enabling him to actually put it in
practice in life and pass it on to others; in this way, the entire human
society could be reformed. Truly speaking, Unity already exists: as man—born in
the same way, with the same privileges from God; and as soul—a drop of the
Ocean of All Consciousness called God, Whom we worship by various names; but we
have forgotten this Unity. The lesson has only to be revived. 8. The so-called
worldwide campaign for Unity of Man is not intended to affect the existing social and religious orders
in any manner. In fact, each one has to continue to work for the upliftment of
man in its own way as before. Additionally, however, this campaign has to carry
the clarion call of Unity of Man to as large a mass of humanity through its own
vehicle as it can, so that the message cuts across the barriers of
misunderstanding and mutual distrust and strikes home to every human heart.
Further, the said campaign has to be carried out not by intellectual wrestling,
but with optimum desire and anxiety to put the Unity of Man into practice so
that it becomes real living force. The method of propagation has to be by
self-discipline and self-example rather than by declaration and proclamations. 9.It would be
prudent to clarify that the campaign of Unity of Man has tobe carried out above
the level of religions without in any way affecting any religious or social
orders. It has to obtain in practice the blessings and support of all those who
believe in the Gospel of Unity of Man, and could give it strength by taking
this Gospel to every human heart around them and convincing them of the need of
its acceptance in daily life. It will neither be tagged with Ruhani Satsang nor with any
other similar organization. The enthusiasm of its admirers will be the real
force working behind the campaign. 10. It is therefore earnestly requested that
all those who believe in the Unity of Man and wish to carry its message must
work ceaselessly so that it may reach the lonest corner of the world. A World Conference on Unity of Man may
be arranged in the West as was done at Delhi in the East—both ultimately work
as one whole. Param Sant Kirpal Singh (Ek Onkar) |