A Call for Dialogue

The Inaugural Address by

Dr. G. S. Pathak

Vice-President of India

 

 

I  THANK  Kirpal Singh ji, sponsor of the Inter-religious World Conference on Unity of Man, organized by Manav Kendra, for his invitation to inaugurate this Conference. I congratulate the Sponsor on his enterprise in securing the collaboration of several religious and social organizations in conducting this Conference.  I am sure his endeavors will be fruitful and achieve the worthy objective of bringing about the spirit of oneness among the followers of different religious faiths and promoting universal well-being.

 

Man has made many conquests over nature and has acquired knowledge undreamt of, say, 25 years age, which he can turn to his benefit or to his own destruction. Crass materialism has grown out of the unprecedented advance of science and technology.  Distance has been annihilated and people living in remote regions have virtually become neighbors.  Yet they have not learned to live like brothers.  Conflicts persist both on the national and international planes. Nations are afflicted internally by evils like parochialism, casteism, stateism, inequalities, intolerance, ignorance, etc.  In the international sphere armed conflicts and wars still occur. Their causes, for example, racism, arrogance of power, chauvinistic nationalism and political greed-bedevil the affairs of mankind. However it is being realized—to use UNESCO’s language—that “since wars being in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed.”  But no fruitful effort has been made on an appreciably large scale to change the minds of men and to erect and fortify the inner defenses of life.  Not are determined and sustained steps being taken to give a clear and definite direction to human thinking and action so that science and technology may be used only for the welfare of humanity and an end may be put to the frightening possibilities of their evil uses.  Colossal amounts are spent on armaments every year which could be utilized to remove poverty, illness and ignorance of the less fortunate peoples of the world. No doubt Man represents a great advance in evolution. Yet it is manifest that in this evolutionary process he has still greater heights to scale. Something vital is missing in human affairs. There is a cul desac—a blind alley.  Unless the thinking processes are drastically altered, there is no may out.

 

We must have a proper understanding of Man and his place in the scheme of Nature.  By Nature I mean here not only the physical universe but also the inner world, “the Kingdom of Heaver.” For this it is necessary that there should be a dialogue between different religions in order to re-discover the meaning of Man, and to restate it in the idiom of universality.  In this connection I recall to my mind the observation of Professor Parrinder:  “The religions of the world face a completely new situation today.  Never before this century have they been in such close contact as they are now.  The ‘One World’ in which we live, with its close communications, makes nonsense of religious isolation.” It must be admitted that the unity of man must transcend all physical boundaries and override all man-made barriers.  The realization of the unity of man will impart an element of spirituality in human affairs.  This truth is beautifully expressed in the Svetasvatara Upanishad (6:20) which Swami Rangathananda translates as follows: “Man may try (through his technical advances) to roll up the sky itself as if it were a piece of leather; but with all that, he will never succeed in achieving peace and the end of his sorrows without realizing the luminous Divine within him.” I am happy to note UNESCO’s emphasis on the “influence of spiritual values on political structure and techniques.”  In this connection, organizations like Manav Kendra and Conferences like the present can play a vital role.  I share your hope that this conference will be a memorable event and the rallying point of fraternity of man, spiritual awakening and moral regeneration.

 

The element of “spirituality” of which I have spoken depends upon the correct understanding of the evolution of Man in the environment of Nature (in the Wider sense as explained by me above) and the discovering of the true relationship of Man with God or Super Consciousness.  This effort has been the constant concern of Man since he attained civilization. Religion is a relationship, personal and intimate, of man with his Maker.  It is a part of one’s being, and an integral part of one’s emotions and feelings.  There is a diversity of races and nations in the world, and a diversity of religions, but the object of all religious quest has been essentially the same through the ages.  All religions seek to know the supreme truth which pervades creation.  In spite of the diversity of approaches there is an underlying unity in the concept of the Supreme Reality.  All religions seek to lead man to a common goal.  They appear to differ from one another because they were originally preached at different times and in differing environments.  A conference like the present one will doubtless promote an understanding and appreciation of the essential unity of all religions and help us to perceive and comprehend the fact that all of them utter the same truth, though in their own idiom.

 

While it is natural that each individual should cherish a special feeling of reverence for his own religion, it is necessary that every endeavor should be made to appreciate the true meaning and depth of other faiths.  This is possible only through a dialogue with one who has personal experience of the particular religious faith which one is trying to understand.  It has been said that a religion seen from within is very different than seen from outside.  It is recognized that we must experience that feeling that has thrilled the followers of another faith if we wish to understand it.  The Hindu regards every religion as true if its adherents sincerely and honestly follow it.  Shankara had a comprehensive appreciation of different expressions of the One Truth, even though he spoke of six orthodox systems of religion.  Dr. Radha Krishnan quotes Ibn-al-Arabi thus: “My heart has become capable of every form; it is a pasture for gazelles and a convent for Christian monks, a temple of idols, and the pilgrims of Kaaba and the book of the Koran.  I follow the religion of love, whichever way his cows and camels take.” Paramhansa Ramaskrishna, who had a simple and firm faith in the oneness of God, himself passed through spiritual experiences peculiar to different religions.

 

Whether it is Christianity or Hinduism, Islam or Buddhism Jainism or Sikhism, or any other religion, the goal is the same though the paths toward the same ultimate Truth.  In the words of the Vedantic dictum:

Ekam sat vipra bahuda vadanti—“He is One without a second, but sages comprehend Him differently and cal Him by different names.” Vendantic philosophy illustrates the truth thus: “As different streams having their sources in different places all mingle their waters in the sea, so O Lord! Do the different paths which men through their different tendencies take, various though they appear . . . all lead to Thee.” The Sufi Rumi said, “The lamps are different but the light is the same.” Mahatma Gandhi realized the universality of religion and invoked God by the various names by which different religions call Him.  Yoynbee rightly held that “the missions of the higher religions are not competitive; they are complementary.  We can believe in our own religion without having to feel that it is the sole repository of truth . . .”

 

The principal religions of the world reveal a large degree of unity in certain of their tenets.  Toynbee observes that all the religions agree that out universe is mysterious, as the phenomena that we see must be only a fragment of a universe of which the rest remains obscure, that there is a presence in the universe that is spiritually greater than man; that knowledge is but a means to action leading to the goal of human endeavors; that man’s goal is to seek communion with the presence behind the phenomena with a view to realizing harmony with it. . . .It is not necessary to multiply quotations from the scriptures to demonstrate that all the great religions have spoken in terms of One God.  But if there is one God and one Fatherhood, all human beings must be brothers and members of the same human family.  In the Sanskrit language this is expressed as Vasudheiva Kutumbakam.  Thus, the unity of man is obvious.

 

A close observation and study of the phenomenal universe around us will lead us to the realization that the One God is manifested everywhere and that His law rules everything.  There is unity in the laws of Nature.  It is known that the release of immense energy in the sun is the result of the fission of the hydrogen atom.  The fission of the hydrogen atom in the laboratory results in the same spectacular release of energy.  It is evident that the manifestation of the Divine law is the same in the macrocosm as in the microcosm. . . .

 

If the process of the erosion of moral and ethical values continues unabated, world peace is in jeopardy, might will become right, and only the aggressive, wealthy and strong will be able to survive on earth.  It is necessary that religion should temper the pace of materialism and technological advance and make it possible for the good and gentle, the meek and poor also to survive and lead their own lives in peace, quiet and safety.  All religions proclaim the brotherhood of man, Islam emphasizes it and so does Christianity.  The message of Sikhism is contained in the words, “We are sons of the same one Father; Thou art my great Lord.” Jainism, Buddhism and Hinduism lay the same emphasis.  Nonviolence, toleration and respect for other faiths are the necessary corollaries.  Only by a synthesis of the values held aloft by our great religions can we safeguard the security and happiness of the people and ensure peace and good will on earth.

 

In the words of Dr. Radhakrishnan, “It is the aid of religion to life us from our momentary meaningless provincialism to the significance and status of the eternal, to transform the chaos and confusion of life to that pure and immortal essence which is its ideal possibility.  If the human mind so changes itself as to be perpetually in the glory of the divine light, if the human emotions transform themselves into the measure and movement of the divine bliss, if human action partakes of the creativity of the divine life, if the human life shares the purity of the divine essence, if only we can support this higher life, the long labor of the cosmic process will receive its crowning justification and the evolution of centuries unfold its profound significance.”

 

I have now much pleasure in inaugurating the world Conference on Unity of Man and wishing your deliberations all Man and wishing your deliberations all success. JAI HIND.