Religion and harmony

                                      Religion and harmony


            A pigeon and her baby pigeon were on the top of a temple. They were quite happy and were leading a peaceful life. The annual renovations of the temple started. So the pigeon and her baby shifted to a church top. After sometime when the white washing and cleaning of the church started, they shifted their residence to a mosque and enjoying the serene atmosphere there. Suddenly after sometime , the cleaning and whitewashing of the mosque was to begin on the eve of Ramzan, the birds came back to the temple which was ready for occupation after the renovations. One day, they were enjoying delicious food given by the priests, all of a sudden, they were drawn to a loud noise and cries outside on the road. They saw people carrying sticks and guns and striking and shooting at one another. The baby pigeon was perplexed and asked his mother the cause of the turmoil on the road. The mother replied, ‘ My dear child, they are striking and killing each other in the name of religion.’ The child innocently said, ‘ we live in temples, churches and mosques. For us all the places are good and peaceful. They are the same. Then why these human beings , so called the best among the creation, fight over this, for nothing ? I don’t  understand , mom .’
The mother replied, ‘ yes , my dear child ! I too don’t understand this. We may not be considered superior to them. But we don’t quarrel , fight ,and kill others over petty things. That is why God has assigned our residence higher than them.
People constantly write and quarrel with one another in the name of religion. Christians, Muslims, Hindus, do not understand that the Truth is one, only it is called by different names and all are seeking the same truth.
The ignorance clouds them and is the cause of the friction among them, their misunderstanding and quarrels. The hatred and violence are the base instincts in the human beings that instigate fights and destruction for supremacy over others. The pseudo religious leaders, selfish politicians and social platforms add fuel to this. Furthermore, addiction to electronic devices have made the people insecure, sick and feel inner disharmony. Irritation, anger, hatred and violence are the results of this only. People have become intolerant. This intolerance towards those who hold different opinions from ourselves,is witnessed in different spheres of life like religion, race, culture, language, gender, region, nationality, class and caste.
Birds live in their own territory. They build nests on the trees, eat the fruits, and spread the seeds to other places furthering the growth of the trees that sheltered them ,and leave a landscape as it was before or even richer than the earlier one. It is only the ungrateful man who in the name of religion kills people and destroy  the countries without cherishing the country where he lives or where his brothers live,and without caring for the bounties of Nature. Not only that , in destroying others , he does not gain anything. Infact, in destroying others, he destroys himself and his family, and his family carries the stigma for generations for no fault of theirs.
Wild animals never kill for sport. Man is the only animal to whom the torture and death of his fellow beings is amusing in itself.
Though the musical instruments like Violin, Veena, Guitar, Sitar,Harmonium, Piano etc. appear so different externally, when they join in an orchestra, they all follow a basic rhythm and tune producing one delightful music. Similarly, we can also see the harmony among various religions, when we go to the basic spiritual values that lie behind them. So all religions which have different external forms of sacred texts, rituals, special days of worship, places of worship etc. appear different from one another but their core spiritual values like love, compassion, sacrifice, service, spiritual knowledge are the same. The customs, rituals and their applications arose according to different surroundings and other circumstances of different nations. But the end result is perfection of men and women who feel that they are divine in nature.
Since all religions have produced men and women of greatest purity, holiness, compassion and service, we have to admit that all religions are basically one in being good and true. Furthermore, when we read the stories and about them and their teachings, they are equally inspiring, their teachings are universal and ever-green, going beyond all the barriers of race, religion or nationality.

Actually, religion is not something external. Infact, as Ramakrishna Paramahamsa says, “ Religion at the individual level is an inner ‘ thirst’ for God. When this feeling expands, it transfoorms and uplifts man from selfishness to unselfishness, from intolerance to brotherly love. But this transformative power cannot come from mere dry religious scriptures and dogmas, but can manifest only in a heart that opens or awakens to the presence of the Lord within. And conversing with the inner divine being is the simplest way for achieving this awakening. A heart that sincerely loves the Lord, can never hate fello beings who are His creation, not different from Him.
We should have understanding of others’s outlook. It does not mean we have to lose our individuality. As Swami  Vivekananda says, “ My religion cannot be yours, or yours mine. Although the goal and aim are the same, yet each one has to take a different road, according to the tendencies of his mind. The Christian is not to become a Muslim or a Hindu or a Buddhist, or a Muslim to become a Christian or Hindu or a Buddhist. But each must assimilate the spirit of others and yet preserve his individuality and grow according to his own law of growth.”

God has given us this precious gift of life. It is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well in harmony , making ourselves blessed , and also the great mother the 'Earth ' blessed.