Sai Babas views on Religion and change of Religion

The essence of all religions is Love. Religion is that which binds people together in society for the purpose of worship and other social services. Every religion is Gods religion and the core of each religion is love of God from which it extends to love of humanity, love of ones nation and love of all beings, and in this way love grows and grows and over flows so as to cover the entire universe. Religion is part and parcel of each individual as it is a social phenomenon bringing all individuals together for a common purpose of betterment of society and rising individual souls to a divine level. Therefore, to appeal to all individuals, the highest, the average and the lowest level of intellect, every religion includes some externals, like ways of worship, rituals, festivities, dress, external marks on oneself etc. Every religion has all these, that is, the essence of religion is surrounded by externals. In a way these externals are necessary through which one can easily get into the spirit of religion or can realize God. All these externals are focussed only on God. Hence, while following the externals of religion, our focus or concentration should be on the essential, the essence of religion that is the greatness of God, His grand qualities, especially His boundless universal love. The three main religions prevailing in India are Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity; and Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism being the off shoots of Hinduism. Apart from these three main religions, there are different religious doctrines or siddhantas and each has its followers. If we go deeply into all these religions and various religious doctrines we observe that each one gives different direction to reach the same goal, that is self realization or realization of God. Each religion has a set of externals, connected with the essence of religion. While every religion states distinctly that there is one God, the Universal Father who is omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, it gives different names and forms of God. Among the followers of every religion, there are also some who worship the formless God, Nirguna-parabrahman. In the methods of worship and also in the ways of uttering prayers there are lots of differences among religions. Sai Baba stresses the point that these differences should not be the cause for religious quarrels and religious conversion. He advised everyone to follow his own religion, his own way of worship and stressed the fact that change of religion is detrimental both to the individual and to the society at large. He advised His devotees to merge themselves in Gods love, then there can be no quarrel between one soaked in God and another soaked in God. Baba followed this cardinal principle in His dealings with His multifarious devotees including Hindus, Muslims, Christians and Parsis and others. He wanted to bring unity among people of different religions, castes and creeds. When different groups of people came to Baba and accepted Him as their Guru Deva, He united them as one solid block of Sai devotees under His kind care and advised them to tolerate each others views and peculiarities.

An incident to illustrate this can be quoted here. Kaka Dixit was a perfect gentleman with excellent manners and a very good heart. Dixit usually hates scandalising any one. But, on one occasion it so happened that he joined a group scandalising Jesus Christ. A little while after he went to Baba for massaging Him. Baba who knew everything, was angry with Dixit and did not allow him to massage. At once Dixit understood why Baba was angry with him and repented his mistake and resolved never to commit such mistake again. Another incident can also be quoted in this context. On one occasion a devotee came to Baba and deplored the fact that the newly appointed Foujdar (Police Inspector) at Rahata was neither a Hindu nor a Muslim but a Christian. Baba disliked this comment and His immediate reply was What of that .....? He is my brother. Baba always dissuaded people from changing their religion, from Hinduism to Islam or from Islam to Hinduism or from Christianity to Hinduism or Hinduism to Christianity etc. On one occasion a Hindu convert to Islam was brought to Baba by Bade Baba, who said, Baba, this man has been converted to Islam. Baba immediately struck the convert on the cheek and asked him, Have you changed your father ? Chaning ones father is absolutely unthinkable and an absurd idea. The followers of each religion consider God is their father. When one has got a father according to accredited lines which are useful, it looks absurd to think of changing either the physical father who begot one or the Universal Father who is adored in ones religion. For Baba what is most important is not mere external conversion that is changing the manner of worship, changing the attitudes and the religious marks etc. The real conversion is different. It goes on silently. People do not call it conversion at all as it has got no external marks to denote it. The real conversion of the heart, losing ones sinful and bestial nature, shedding off hatred, pride and prejudices, self conceit, anger, meaningless fear, passion vanity and other ill feeling. By this ones heart becomes pure and becomes an abode of God. Baba wants all people should be really converted and should have God in their hearts.

Freedom to all people to adopt their ideas of approach to God must be the basis on which any society must function. Baba wants His devotees to follow the principle of Live and let live. Any compulsion or even an attempt for conversion is absolutely destructive of the work of religion. We can have neither religion nor unity where compulsion is adopted. Conversion very often takes place either due to compulsion or due to low motives or temptations to material benefits. Religious quarrels occur due to external differences dress, personal habits or the formal practice of religion. For example I wish to go to the mosque. I perform the five Namazes. You wish to go to the temple, put on Namam vertically, do Arati to the idol at the sanctum sanctorum and wish to do Parayana of scriptures, and a third one wishes to go to church, lit candle and read the holy Bible, so we cannot agree. This should never be our attitude.

These are all externals of religions and not to be given much importance. Externals no doubt differ. But, Baba wants everyone to stress the essence of all religions namely the approach to God, the Universal Father of all people. The one thing that religions must agree upon is God the Supreme Power is the ultimate goal of all religious striving. Baba sowed the seed of unity first at His own place Shirdi. Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Parsis and others thronged at His place. Some revered Him as their Samartha Sadguru, some worshipped Him as God, still others considered Him an Avalia. The crowd who came to Baba got what they wanted, both material benefits and spiritual upliftments. They looked upon Baba as their Beloved Father, or Mother, and among them there was brotherly or sisterly affection. This unity of religions was well visible at Babas life time, which continues even now at Shirdi and among Babas devotees. Baba loved persons of all religions equally and without difference. He put down intolerance and conversions. At Babas mosque or Dwarakamai, the Hindus performed Agni worship. Ladies made Pradakshinas around Tulsi Brindavan.

For the Muslims in the mosque there was a central pulpit called Mimbar where lamps would be placed to light up the place. Baba established the practice of both Hindu and Muslim scriptures to be read at the mosque. During day time Hindus performed their worship with the Aratis in the mosque and Muslims also came to the mosque for the Idga worship and for the recital of the Kalam or Shariat at night. Frequent reading of Quran was done by Abdul and others near the Dhuni. Hindus read Tukaram Gatha, Bhagavata Puranas etc. Thus both religious groups pursued their religious practices without coming into conflict with each other. People who gathered before Baba did not find any inconsistency in that. Baba made them understand that all religions are true and each one should adhere conservatively to his own creed, faith, Gurus tradition or Guru Sampradaya and practice. It is the principle on which all religions can unite. It is possible that the feeling of love can flourish amidst differences as it is possible to love people of different temperament, status, unequal intellect etc. When love strengthens all evils like aversion, self assertion, unkindness, feelings of revenge etc. vanish. By constant exercise of love one can become Serva bhuta hite ratah (interested in the welfare of all creatures). Thus Love unifies, synthesises and strengthens ones self or moral nature and brings the perception of unification of oneself with others. Baba went even to the extent of making His devotees realize the presence of God in all creatures, making them treat a cat, or a dog, as manifestations of God. Baba repeatedly made His devotees realize that Love is the one force which upholds the universe. Love can overcome the innumerable conflicts, obstructions and wars that arise in our imperfect civilization between individual and individual, group and group and nation and nation. At the contact of powerful Love all antagonism, bitterness, hatred and rivalries will melt. Baba wanted the future of humanity to be an integrated whole by the force of love. The dynamo or power which can produce this is Sai Baba who remains as an emblem of international unity.

To conclude instances to show how Baba laid the way to achieve religious unity among His followers are many and He achieved success in His attempt. He showed that Love is a principle on which all religions can harmoniously unite. This love is identified with God. It is true that many people in the past have attempted to achieve this unity and succeeded to a certain extent. But, complete success in this is possible only by a weird and an impartial Godman like Sai Baba whether we accept Him as an Avatar or Guru Dev. When masses of people come under the influence of such a saintly personality who takes care of them all equally, advocating the common essence of all religions, and at the same time allowing all sects, religions and creeds to have their own ways, they automatically, get united. Baba impressed upon people that God in all names and forms is the one Supreme Power. Hence people of all religions should make up their minds to think of God in essence, leaving all superficialities and externals that abound in each religion.

To sum, our hope in achieving world peace and unity lies in following the path of Sai, the soul of love, purity and peace with Superhuman Power and enlightenment. In effect Babas message is, Love one another even as I love you all. This is the essence of Babas teaching and practice and can be a proper basis for the unification of all religions in India and in the world. Let us remind ourselves of the following attributes of Lord Sai Natha.

Source : H. H. Narasimha Swamijis

books on Shri Sai Baba

 Dr. R. Rukmani

Old No. 8, New No. 13,

Sixth Street, Ramnagar,

Nanganallur, Chennai - 600 061.

URL:http://www.shrisaibabasansthan.org

E-mail : saibaba_anr@sancharnet.in

E-mail : saidadar@bom3.vsnl.net.in


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