Faith Perspective on other Religious Systems
SRI CHINMOY CENTRE
The following are quotes from Sri Chinmoy on the subject followed by some relevant
poems he wrote:
I wish to say, being a spiritual man, that I welcome all religions as my own.
Each religion is right, absolutely right in its own way, but when one cries for the highest
Ultimate truth, at that time God becomes his only religion.
I have expressed the greatest love, admiration and adoration for the Saviour Christ, the
Buddha, Sri Krishna and the spiritual Masters associated with other religions.
Mine is not a religion at all, nor is it a sect. Mine is a way of life. We try to become better
citizens of the world by virtue of our prayer-life. For me, there is only one religion and
that religion is love of God. I happened to take birth in a Hindu family and perhaps you
were born in a Christian family. Let us say, I was born in one house and you were born
in another house. But we go to school, the inner school, together. In this school, we
pray and meditate, each in his own way, and then we dive deep within and find our
path. So it is no religion; it is only a way of life that I follow. I try to be of inspiration and
service to mankind. This is my philosophy and this philosophy I try to offer through my
students all over the world.
If one has great faith in his own religion, then he should cultivate the same type of faith
in other religions, only he should not follow all the religions. Religion is like a road. If one
tries to walk along all the roads while heading towards his destination, then his progress
will be very slow. This moment he is on one road, the next moment he is on another
road and the following moment he is on a third road. Each time he changes roads in
order to reach the destination, naturally he is losing time. So the thing to do is to feel
that each religion is true in its own way but that he prefers to walk along the path of the
particular religion that he has. But all religions in God’s Eye are equally significant and
equally important.
My religion is my constant, conscious and sleepless love of God. Our love of God is the
living breath in us, and that is the one universal religion.
A true religion wants only to love soulfully the heart of the world. A true religion will
sympathize with other religions and experience its oneness with them, by virtue of its
tolerance, patience, kindness and forgiveness. So a true religion is one that, down the
sweep of centuries, will love humanity with all its imperfections. On the strength of its
oneness-love it will try to bring about a new world — not by force, not by lording it over
others, but by becoming inseparably one with all the religions.
Poem from Seventy-seven-thousand Service Trees, Part 45, 2006.
#44420
Each religion
Is a special blessing
That descends on earth-soil.
Poems from ‘My Religion:, Agni Press, 1999
#57.
My religion
Desires all religions,
With no exception,
To rest solely on God's
Compassion-Forgiveness-Pillows.
#38
My religion
Tells me that each religion
Is assigned an important role
In God’s Cosmic Drama.
#99.
My religion
Lovingly and cheerfully
Bows to all the other religions,
For each religion
Is a direct God-representative
Here on earth.
#52.
My religion
Is not only in search of excellence
In other religions,
But also has discovered uniqueness
In each and every religion.
#12
My religion
Deeply and equally values
All the religions of the world
For it knows that each religion
Is a beautiful, powerful
And fruitful branch
Of God’s Life-Tree.
Prepared By:
Karnayati Morison
November 14, 2019
Sri Chinmoy Centre Ottawa/Toronto
Family Federation.
MY FAITH’S PERSPECTIVE ON OTHER FAITHS
All regions share certain purposes in common, though with different emphases. For
Western religions, the primary purpose of religion is salvation. The ethymology of the
word “religion” derives from a Latin word meaning “to re-bind” with God. Human beings
are fallen and broken, and therefore God has established religion as a means of
repairing our brokenness, restoring us to our original goodness, and reconnecting us
with God. In contrast, the Eastern understanding of religion is contained in its Chinese
characters, which mean “foundational teaching”. This describes the purpose of religion
as the basic teaching for cultivating a good and virtuous character.
Each religion is a path to the same Supreme Goal. There are images to describe this
concept: many rivers flowing into the same ocean, or a mountain with many paths
leading to the same summit. The religions of the world begin by addressing the needs,
customs and circumstances of diverse cultures, but as they elevate humanity they draw
closer together as their paths converge to the One. In this regards Father Moon affirms
that God inspires each of the great religious founders with a message appropriate to the
culture and times in which he lived. He honors them as humanity’s true guides, who are
sent to the earth within the providence of God to help humanity progress towards the
ultimate goal.
The differences among religions should not obscure the core truth they hold in common.
“All great founders of religion were centered on God. They were not their own lords, for
above each was God, their Lord. These men knew God, that is why they could become
the founders of religion. That is why they taught a common message – one of
righteousness, peace and justice. They worked to spread that message and to establish
a world of goodness. They lives centuries ago, yet their teachings guide people to the
present day. (January 8, 1984)