The relations which should exist between great religions of the world - Dharm Anant Singh

n

'i€

~ fuof3....fuC0'5v i/ij g~ll ~f~'Ql ~fu Ol'Ov f~ (Vj~ 1\ ~

-.

-

-

"Harmonio'Usl!h ye Brethren, come together by mutual approaoA;

Repudiate duality being imbued with love."

THE RELATIONS WHICH Should exi.t between th. Great Religions of the World. .Being an acidres.

BY

DHARM ANANT SINGH SENT TO TBG

SIXTH INTERN.HIONAL CONGRESS OF FREE AND PROGRESSIVE CHRISTIANS AND OTHER RELIGIOUS LIBERALS. At PARIS (France).

Jul1l1 6-~~.

1918.

ON II&HALI' 0'1

lunnERENCE SAINT ATTAR SINGH 1 OF MASTUANA OlfZ OF IT.

HONORARY VICE-PRESIDENTS RErltE&£NT JlI; C .Tnx

SIKH COMMUKITY. PSINTID AT TUE CIVIL

&: l\h Lll'AHY OUGAN PH!:•••

LUDHIANA.

{\

'iB' II

THE RELATIONS WHICH SHOULI> EXIS'r BETWEEN THE GREA'r RELIGIONS OF THE WORLI>,"

Se\'eral years I may allot to the atlaium ellt of knowledge. whioh shouM Tender me sufficiently able to compose a thesi. on the specified suqjec.t, eRpecially 38 it has to pass belore the wise.t of eyes. Yet without milch thougM I unhesita tingly say that onty such relations should exist between lhe great religions of the wortd which Hre aule to effed lind estnblibh the .. Divine har.mony of the U'uivCl:se" Relalions, of course, con~i~er'iug metaphYllcaJJy f''01ll tho re.listie. and ub.vlu te iJealii;,!, poil1ts of view, llS roferring to sotne reul quuJity 0 :' esse;lce of tiJings by wh ich they may bo colln ecled wilh olle ~nother, and hence as d'esi'g nnling uui\"ersals, or ~em: ral clunactel's of reality, or as the e8senti .. ~being of reality itself, w hic!: is but a su m o/" ,·elutions.

The divine Harmony, howe ver, i~ ihe lllubicai harmony. 'But

since the harmony of mutsic is divine, lllus;e itself mu~t 'a l60 be diviue; as DO other ,,"tUI'C. bllt didne participate uf divine nature . . The pocts ha re .. dcur"teu it tit. food 01 love and havc. bl.nwd tho soul wuich is nob p058essing it. For it stil1\ulateB and excit•• the deWc energies vf the soul, whicl" parellthetj~"lly.

1. m.y 8ay, is the onlv cognm,ciLle divine agency :working iu the phenomenal w.orlJ, and' changes Ulem from their potenlial exihence into the kinetic form. Thc human soul or the s-onl

cf a!, "1I'lIlal' in OUr religious Sl;stem, contrary to the philosophy bf DeSCI)rtes who did not 'r eeognize eB.ential· jmru~rlality of ~he 8ou.ls of br~tes--iB an Immortal and £~lrm~tjve ~ntity. ~.'here is no partItion lietwcen the quality of tbe psych ic activity 01 maD ana that of brute, but the difference Hcs merely in th e d'c Jr"e of development. Hence conscionsllcss ..;.d eite ~ion fr om aunihil ation (\ro uu~ m, u'. rxcJ ush,c prerogati'·~s.

the

(

2

)

Every particle of eal,tb ultimately loses itself in Ihe Iilho.phore, every aqueous drop concil!8ivcly blends in the hydro,sphere, and every gaseous moleeule is finally commingled in the atmQlipbere. Slnce, therefore, an individual soul i8 a part d~ the cosmio Bani, it i. only reasonable to infer tbat she must " Iso eventually merge in the Soul of tbe Un;"eree Tbe cause of ber separation from . tbe Great Spirit is merely ignoranc~.

The removal of ignorance i. the approKch of liberation. Thi., however is to be etfec~ed barely by soul's own exertions. For being ouce a denizen of the blissful beaven, this confinement i. eve. incommodious to her n.. ture. Cooaequently she i8 "I way. eage~ly .trying and c.wing to reacb home. But being as it were enveloped by the delu,ive ignor~nce she has woefully foro . gotten her o'>:n real self. The desires of the orgaus and' tempt.l,ions of the sensibl.. do not let her alone e,en for a moment.

If, bowever, in some lucky illstant sh. gallantly struggles for .w~e~ lib..rty, averts herseJf from the visible phantom., and introspects ardently for her august reality, she i. savagely psrsued by 80me benious wile which ~ou_rnfully beguiles her from the path of truth.

-Music has the power of bringing peace not only to buman 80uls but the Bouls of.mo.t wild and ferocious carnivora also it turns to " state of tranquillity. The lyre of Orphw.. could ch&rm· beasts and make trees and rocks move..

Tbrough luirmony move the planets etemany, through harmony a thW8Bnd million sun~ are controlled, through harmony peBce of the nations is ·held. and harmony alone i. Ihe cause of Creation . . And this strictly rnarvsllouB quality, which i. technically designated by th~ wise ..a. thus, seems, after pro• .found im'eatigation ~ bo not .at variance wit~ the notion of love.

On the contrary, they are synonymou" and the same in essentials: Harmony being con COl'll 'Let ween the many, and love, atLraction between the mony. The 'latter we are ju.tified to analogiz<~ with

(

3

desire "nd the former with tbe objeot of. desire, Harmony. bowever, I have selectet!, as best that of music, which, ag.ln, is sacred th,t of philOflophy, aye-, (" Philo.i)phiOB men ottadS megi.t'" ,nou.ilces")-, Pleto's Phedo) "philosophy, ind •• d, is the sublimest mUBic". This, in turn, eb~tr.cted ly, being tbe love of absolute wisdOlU, or, aspiration of tbe soul after reconciliation with the Soul of sOllls, is .Iso, the way towards tbe achievement of tbe sam • .

Religion i. given lEany and diverse defiuitions It is totally beyond the realm of reasonable grounds of presumption to determine and recognize nny precise or intelligible signification from the complexilies of their multif.rious incongrn.ities with ""owed principles. One is surprised to eee same of tbe th'!Ologians, even in defining tbis simple ward, turniDg upon question" rel ..ting to the most .. bstruse abstractions of metaphysics. It is but m~kiog a display of learning, Tho term in its tru. UD d priginal sense i. perfectly free from such per~lexitie.. Reli~iol means nothing more than a path of aalvation. Salv.Mon 'is soul's liberatioD from tho bondRge of sin. \Ybile sin is a deed .wl'ought, in consequence of being excited, under the influence

of the stupidity inciting quality of the mind, by a st.. te of coo.sciou.ness produced either by an extErnal ~timul\1s, or by some cb .. uge in tbe intern .. 1 state of the body, or by memory, merely to gratify the passions of the sensible orgauization. l'he result of sin is Ihe sonl's trl,nsinigration. Therefore. tb e bondage li! the transmigration ana liberation. the emancipation from it.

The Cre.. tor of tbe universe and whate\'er it contains is God Illone. ,He is the Cause of all, what is good. Previous to the generation of tbe uuiverse except Him no one else existed Nor aoy thlng against His will or knowledge can ever exist. JeBu~ Was put to d ...tb not against' His' ,will. Tbat w hicb i~ n<>t 'against tho will of Divinil.y is good. Satan, however, is said; to exist. 'Of coui'se, he was not, b.fore the existence of tbe uuiverse. The Omnisciont Father is, tI, e fabricator of Sat..n too-

( 4 )

It. koew that U,i'. c~cRted being w~uld w"ge war' ftgainpt Hin\ Knowing thi~ He still -created !J;18. Out of Himself. As ni thillg' .."cept tho. Divine Self exist.d'. ' But the Divillity being all good, beatitude, noul-ruLh , that, . which ,is ' . 1'nrt o('Him; must also pnrtieipate of ,these attributes, ' ,Sa,ao,<5, Lhere".';ro. , e6seDtiaUy good.

No:oDe deBiree to eee any tIring 'nn'ppenmg' a:gaiD~t i,is will God is lo •• t of all desirous of th It. - 8:\tao. th e ~, 4i4' not di~ob~y his Cre,tor ~~,.inst Hi. will, since it wo'uld be .xt~~I.Y ho':rible to asser~ th~t things occut 'eveD Ilgainst tlie witl of In fact. S~tan ne'i ther 'disobeyed God nor" raised iIDpicn. :;,\1' in hea.·el;". Ii 'c"n not Il<i, G)d aU light; while ,tiM> Fl\uen " •• , .. ' . , oJ :Angel is calle'd ',the Prioce of Darkness. How 'Can there'l!:>e da.kness iii the Pl'esence of light, Yea.~it might be',said .th'l\t he is a,vay f~um G "t. But. ah ! I ask, i. there any being wlii~h is away evcn I;'oi'n' the om niprosent deity 1 8~m<i ~ile OlRy a,rgu'e, tbnt1t.his p.~ rsol1i\l snprcme Rpitit.o·f e\'"il Rn'd unrighteous!'

ctlh.

is

ness. the ~mple.- of ,man and "a'v~;',ary of 'God Pl']O.. to hi" 1,.11 , ' ! . was good, True. But , I say. h ow did l,e becume wicl<ed after" , ' 'Yards 1 Is it possible fa.. goodness to bo elllLOged into vice 1 No: Then, who pt'ovol;e1 the'Devil il) fight with the Divinity 1 Can 'tlll;re be any otuer cause of it except vice 1 But that WIIS not existing yet, Else, Vice and God mUft Doth he eterll~l.

-4nd one as g....at a heing "" U!e other:, Which is absurd, Why then, the Parent C"eator, brought into existence ,a Croaln ..e which is the causa of mighty evils to Bi. child"en 1 WiIla!'y wise father do such n" thing 1 Is God :impoteDt 10 destt·oy bj~ 1 If it were so, how eoultl man , a.ct righteously. For one must first , overcome the Devil ere doing good. Hence it 'is in the .reael! of ,mort!,l. to 'vanquish bim, God must he strong enough to red lice bim to nothing, Wh;, then, does He riot employ His ,power 1 Has He let him free with some othor design l' Tlu,t -"bo lOu's t Le good,' For whatel'er i. done by Him i~ excellent

(

5

)

"II things are [or the sake of the good, and ·work · together rOl' t~i. 0"" CllU. 'Ibe Fount of wisdQm i. Dot our fielld as to cleats 8Om.tlling for oor di8l!~ vantage. Since, oei.t ber has til~ Vevil ,a. p;,rsonal existence. , What i<l, tben, meant by' evil or vice. and ,what .i •. badnea& L.t.caB Dot forget, in demoustrating, tb .. l. that which i. bad, mould be. .... 8Bchllniveftllllly and no~ . iodi.iduAl1y. But we ii.od tbat a oertaia doillg is bad to one, and goat! t!) the other. Is it not straQge I The same thing to be both good aDd bad. White colour i. white to' everyone, and not white to one and black t o· ';'nother. By cold everyone understand. ths diminution of heaL: Similarly, good i. good, and bad i. 'bad, alway. and oniveM!ally. . How must the" batlness" be defined in order to affirm the ~bove statement 1 To act contr..ry to the nature of heilig . is bad. It i., the improper use of thing... The .effect of a bad amion is, interferenoe in the illeeS!lJlocy of Harmony.

What is Harmony 1 SQUI'lf;b .ing ill tUlle with Ihe phel\om~rI,!1 -and the spiritual nni.er.... That is, uy ou t n 'ing th, former, to contemplate on 'be l~tt. r, and k.ep the 0"10' in retu.tubr.. nca.

Henee R sinful deed is bad. If on s•• ing " youllg beautiful datusel, one oJntempl~te" on GJd Whl m'ld. her bvely, it is divine, O~herwise he i. g,atifying his tlo, ire ohly, which \. sinful. The 8ame may be applied to IIll 'othOl' caselt, , .

Let us now endea.vour to discover, if we ca.n, the caUIie of evil. According to the Pl~tonic epistemology, which i. perfect.Iy compatible with the Phostirian theory, 'knowledge i. tbe reminiscence of what i. once learnt. HeDc~, ignorauce. heing the .Antonym of know lodge, is simply forgetfullnas •.

auy

Tho,llgbt, of which the mind is not conscious .during pal'ticular jnterval of time. be it ever 80 infinitesimally abort, ,is said to be forgotten. l'be mind is n~t an apt instr'ument t~ be cou!\Cious of mrwy thoughts simaltaneously.·. But, by deep r81lco (ion, thoughts, of whi<:h .the impressions have once lJ9.'u

(6

,

made, can be brollght ~o con.oi"u.ness. tt, tben', it I. not pOBa!'\. ·bl. for the ·mind to ,he ,.ynchronously conscious of more th~ one thought, it mu.t he temporarily ignorant of other thougble.

Wherefore, It i. clear that the cause of evil is ignoranoe. When ' the mi"d is employed in performing Borne einful deed, .it is con.eioos of its being done, but uoconseioue of tbe feet that it ie Binfol. For no ' person willingly want. to injure his own Self. To act Sinfully i. injuring the Self. How, tben, is it re~sonable to say that anyone injures his Self volunt.rily. , The question bere might appropriately be raised that, very often 8 peraon knowingly sins.

For instance. somo one knows thRt,

to murder is a sin, anel it.. result the c.pit.l punishment, but commits it, Th.t is BO, But, see, ",hat we w.ould call him who, knowing that Sre burnB, may still thrust hi. hBnd In it.

Shall we not call him" mad man, and deranged in mind I Surely we would 1 Mad,ie.. is nuthing but profound ignorance, In the snme m:lnner, then, we

mll~t

unuerstanJ th is, that, when

• perso"! violates the law, ho i. mad, '\.",1 divine Plato is quite right in alleging t.llat (" Oudeis ekO'n kalros") DO one is voluntary bad". For the mimi, as s&id before, being able to be If

conscious o[ only one particular at " timo, i. stimulated to act passionately, h" ving forgotten at the .amo time of its ,beiog sinful The ct1.use ()f thii i~nort\,nce itself, however, is in~t1ffi· cient practice to remember' tho Diety, 'Accounting, in this way, for th3 base deeds, says Epe~t.etns thQ ornament of the Stoics; .. Let your talk of God he renelved every day, 'raU>'er th&n youI' food. Think of'God mare f~equent1y thah you brAath., If you always remember t1,;t wh.te"er yon aro ')oiog in the 60ul' or ia the body, God stantI. by as 'in'peetor, you will never err · in all your prayers aDd in all 'your deede", ' In 'I:!ible, too, is 'ordained, .. Watch and pray·, ' Whereail from amidst countless other similar ,'e"es the following l ' bring forward from thu Phostir Vivlos : -

( 7 Remember, o~.in,

r~inetliber

God ~ by remembering Him yeu 8'*11 ·

happin ...,

And era"e from your hoortil trouble "nd .Illiction.

Remember the praises of tlie' One .11 supporting God~. .. By remembering God' DIaa ,dotlr not "i,:.in ent~r the wotnb By remembering Ood the to;'tot••· at death Jimppell' ;' By remembering God death is reino'ed ;

By remembering God enemies retreat; ' By remembering God 80 """tacles are mot; By remembering God we. are watchful 'uight and day; By remembering God we obtain divine knowhl~.J, II,editation aod the essence of wisdom; Rememberu.nce of God is tl,e real d<>,'ot;"n, peuanoo, .. nd worship; .

By remembering God the conception ot duality is diApelied ; By romombericg'o'od we obtain the '8dv8ntages of bathing' at plaoo9 of pilgrima.ge ; By remembering God we are honoured at Hi~ court ;

By rememberiug God we become reconciled to His will ; "They whom H. bth caused to do' eo remeln:ber Him .:'......

Touch, 0 N anak, ~he reet of BUob .o~". .. To remember God j. til.. most en"ed of

all dut;':'s.

By remembe .. in r, God many aft' 8&ved .i By remembering God thirst i. quenched; .Ji,y remembering God man knoweth all things ;"

"S; .remembering God mental impurity'''!''mnved; Anil ·~eau:.brosial. Name filleth the heart.

God ~eth on tb .. tongue of the sa~nt."

"They who reoaemoor god are distiugqi6hed :'. "'Tbey wbo remember God rule the w~ld'·.

"Thoy who remember God live eternally." .. They who remember God are philnnthropic;

(

8' )

I Rm ever dovoted to those who remember God.Tile r..ces of thOfle who remember God look bright ;""" .. The way. of tb088 who remember God are holy; They who rememoor God reel extreme joy,; They w~o remember God dwell near Him," .. By: romemb.ring Goil man i. easily absorbed in HII)) ;'" " 'By remembering Ood the lotus of Dum's heart bloolllcth; By remembering Gt<l man heareth the unbenten melody; The happiness whi~h i. obtained by rememberillg God h~t" DO end 01' IinliL". " By rememberint;God His8)liD,tB I\av~ become di.tinguit;hc~ ;" "By 1'.lnembering God men haye obtait.ed supel'lmluml pl)WlJr, c_:m.tinence

end gOIl&rosity ~

By remembering God oven the low-ly are known ill e , cry d.irtctio ] ~ B.y remembering Oed the whoKl 'Hrth. is supported; Hcmemoof, remember God t1'e canse

or CI1l1ses.

For Lho romelUberance of God He cre,t-d the whole world ; ~Ler.e God is remembered thero i. God Himself: ~b.e pious, 0 Nanak, whom 6 0u hath mercifully in.tl'ucted, Have ubt..ined tb_e boon at remembering Him." Moa]eDls, 8\SQ, nre eaid to be enjoined by the", Prophet to. invoke U ';. Superemo Being, hefore C<lm'mencing to make any physiMI or i.. tcllrctual effi,rts,- di路\,e.t.d to an auspicious end.

Kris]mn no less Limn tho same recomm end. \0 his disciple, saying, "without doubt, 0 mighty-arme,}, the, mind is hard to curb, and restless; but it ' may be ' curbed hy constnn路t practice':- of

is

obvious and perfectly certain l'emembering God. " Thns it that by thA sa;'] means the doubo is completely disrelled fl'o m ths mind, .nd" the . serene Jight of pura bith the ignorance is destroy. I] like n I'cnt cloud, But thi. relUoval of igno,"uce and illllll~iuntio n of the millu call \101 be otic. ted except through t.bo guidance of tl metl i:itor who hlUlself shou!J be} u,1! light, aul

tn

9 ~,css what we seek. Such a one we' call GURU in.' Sanskrit., " Enlightener of the Soul in English, .and in G~eek ·he a" '!"y be. called Phostir ( .. I'hoBter" ). . The need of a ,phostir .. .,n ab.olute neees.,ity ill the .....ed of Theoll)Ql:p.hists (i e. Si:kh., the followers of the ,religion of . Phosti·, Nanal<. aDu his successora, the' nine Fbosti,s). It is •.cnsid.red. 9S. them to be a Bim q.ua "on for thee salY8tion of man., and the imroells•

. .yah16 attached

$0

it

JS

exp.ess'ld as £ol,lows by tbe P\lQlltir V,

i!iqJ,Self.

"The divine Phostir is my mother, tbe divine Phosti. is my father, the divine Phosti. i. my lord and supreme' Goo ;

'rhe divine 'PIiostir is my romp.nion !lnd di.'peller of spiritu's l ignopsnce, tb. divine Phostir i's iny relation !lnU my brotlfer; The divine Phostir is the giver aDO the tea'her of God'. ~ame, the divine ~hostiI: hath the spell that cannot be counteracted; The diviae Ph08tiF is peaee, truLh, tbe image of wisdom; the ·.!i vine Phostir 'is. a philusopher's stoDe b~. touching w'hicb maD it1 saved·;: The div'"e Phostir i$ a placa of pi.lgrimnge,. hi. dh'1!le ~now­ ledge & Jake of nectar, by . bathing ill whi~h th.l11iruitsbJe is obtained ;.

The divine Phostir is the Crento., the remove. of all "E'-In, the diviDe PL'Ostir i. the puri.fi~r ~f the impure ;

The divine Phasti. i. from the beginning, sinee the beginning of .time and in every age ~ the divine Phostiz is the spell of God'.

Dame .by the utterance of which ma.u 'is s""ed. {) God, mercifullybrio'g me-fuolbb and, siuner tl, .. t I am-ink the company of the ~bostir, SO th ..t by clinging to hilll I .may be .aved. · .

Nailak boweth ~o the diviDe ·Phostir. 'the ttue . Ph08tir, . the Supreme Divinity, the Supreme Pow.r". .

. It i. ll!08t impo.tant here to say" few woru. in cOlln.ciion with the que.tion of the ph.o.tir of the Phostira. For Dot Clily

(

10

)

some of the distinguished and learllP.d European 8cholors h..~e by mistake represented Kahir as the phostir of Phostir Nanak but Dumberless Indians too-the ever bigott<ld adherAr. and partisans of the false, eophistic, and mythulogical book. of ancient Inilia-have m.liciously, merely to gratify their own vanity, and that of their impious, ungrateful coUeagues, conteeted to ~heir utmost to stigmatize the majesty of our spotbeoBizad Preceptor, by calling him a disciple of Krisban, Ram, or some otber myth. This, bowever, is not nearly 80 great a caluinny a. their vain, ,ostentatious statement in pretending :sbat the whole of Phostiri~n wisdom had been originally deril''!d from the Vedic wilderne,. s. To re,:"ove the.e blunders and ,",crilegious errors from the minds of true In~n, and sbow the contrary, is a ,,?Iemn ..nd sBcred duty of " faithlul Tlleolnor'pbist, which, I shall prove without difficulty. fro~ the Phostirs' 路own words :PSOSTIR

I.

"',I'he eBBence without ignorance, the ligh~ all-diflusad, THAT I AM,-yes, without any heterogeneity; The Illimitable, beyond Being. the Perfect Divinity, yeo.

Nanak .with That Phostir bath come int:> contact".

" A. the

word of the Lord cometh to me. BO I make known, 0 Lalo-".

PsbsTIa IV . .. I lIlyself know not how t.o talk, h.iag o rd~ined by Him bave I eaid all".

PSOSTIR X. "Through Eternity who fashioned the entire univers., Be my ... Intation to Him "lone; , Through Eternity who fabricated the entire creation, And created god., m.. le6cent, and beneficent demo.ns ,; The One incarnate Deity from beginning to end, Him Illone must ye understand to be my Phostjt" . .. 0 holy God, by Thy f~vonr, it i. Dot I who lIa,路. been &peaking'; .

(

11

AI! that hath been said h.. ~h been said by Thee" . ... As He spaka to me eo I .peak unto men.

I hea' no enmit.y to anyone". .. As God spoke to me I speak, I pay DO regards to anyone besides".

The phostir of the Pho.tira was God Himself, and a. phostil1l they took birth iolo the world. They were, therefore, all of them Born-Phostire, tbough their revelations, except tbe First, took place loog .fter they were born. The definition of a true 'phoiltir i. thus gi veu by the Fifth: "He wbo hath realized the 'l'rue Being, the Tru. Phostir is his name ".

Now suffer me for a moment to go back bo the original paidt and see wether it is p088ible to establish aDY rel&tl* ootween ~he w ~at religions of the world, The relations; however, exist where there' is plurality of the Dumber. Should we ·then acknowledge the plurlliity of the religion 1 Are we right in doiug 80? I doubt.

ElectricIty is the same, DO matter by what means it is II generated". Water, if pure, is one a.nd the Harne everywbere-the same R' 2 O. No oue mauufactures it. It i. already present in perfect form. But there are diftereDt ways to o!>tain it OJle might get it from the well, another from the river, or tank and so on. Again, there are uiverse methods to get it from each of the.. Source.-one may use windlas•. auother

Arehirned e~ n

tlerew, another

~uction

pump, or Siphon etc.

Further still, it i. utilized in .. riOU8 ways. Yet, one ...eotial, universal and D81.Urai U'3e of water is the maintenance of life. To use it for t!Ji. purp,,"e there is only One way,-tl,e eame for man and brute, the 88Ule from East to West.,-through mouth "nd alimentary cansL ·Rreligiou likewise is only 00" "" alao decl"re. Nanak, the Teacher BeDt by God:" There 'iS bat one road, ooe door. the Phostir i8 t~ ladder to resch one'. home, Beautiful i. the Deity, 0 Nanak, all blisFi is in His name: 1)

Hu Himself is its founder ami

r~yealer

in our soul..

Tllcre

(

t2

)

are, 11Owev~r ~ 'nia;ny sources to' H learn from" about it, a.~d manifold uses when learnt. One may aceept Socrates: Jesus, Or Nanak. It is a.1l the Rame. And one- may nse Jli~ reiigious knowledge to. preach to o~hers, or write books Ilud e'arn hi~ ,living, or by lecturing on it seek the world'Bappl.• nse, or p~sess

,'Simply-to inake uoe oE it as .. favour.i te ,p a.time. 'l'hat is" not religion but impious sa.crilege Foc " Religion J Battli the Pbo3tir, lI·com.h;teth not lna. patched coat, 01' in a. hermit's '8ta·-i", or in asf.es smell1"ed over the body ~ I( consistetb not in aSTrings worn, or in a sha.ven hea;d, or in >l

tbe blowing of harng. Abide pure amid the impurities of tm. wor:]d; thqs shalt thou find the way of religion. :Rel~gion cLnaisteth not in Jrtere words~ He who looketh on all equally is religiouB; Religion o(lonsisteth. not in wandering to tcmbs or places of crem"tion, or sitL';ng Lo,n ly) in

att~tudes

of contemplation;

Religion 'consi~eth -Dot in, wa.ndering in forejgn or in ,bathing at plllces of, pjlgrimage.

~ountriesJ

!\bide' pure amid tho impurities of the world; thus shalt thou find the' way of religion, On meeting a true Phostir GOQbt is dispelled and the wa.nderings of the mind restr~iaed. ri~raineth necta.r, slow ecstati-c music is heard', and man is happy 'within himself.

Abide pure amid the impurities of the world ; thUB Bhalt thou find the ·way of-religion . . 0 Nauak, in the midst of life be ill' death; practise BOlCh religion.

Wh'e n thy horn Bound.th without being blown, thou: shalt obtain the learleas dignity.

Abide 'pure amidthe inipurities of tbe world, thu8sb8lt-thou

"Bild the' way of .<el1'gion " Religion is but one,

89

water is one.

It has

'no

name, as

'Water h.,s· nO c\:llour, Tho la.tter assumes the colour of the vessel

(18

ir#which.it, is kept·, and in exactly the a.me m'anne, is religion dtnominated Academic, Clrristi.n, or Tlleowor.phic, after. the ..... peCltve name of ita g_tasc;.e«pouooers,

lr.. etern.1 and univereal llBe i8 also one-to .",ve the human 80ull The way to conceive ita glory strictly tbe same-through

thelipractice of Virtue and Troth, tbroogb tbe deed. of daily: life, aid througb the .Divine Meditation.

The , kin.hip between the nations of the world ie. recognized in high and emphatic ,terma, by the Phostirs; thue io tbe 'fenth:It Ooe man by Shaving his head is accepted 8S an ascetic.

R.noth~r as a hermit or a bacllt~lor, fl third as a con(.illeut. Some; m~D are Hindus Bud others MohsUllllcdanH; among the Ia.tter ar. Rafazis, Imams, aud · Sh.r~ia-kno", tbat ull me,n are of the ,same caste.

Tb~

Creator and tbe BeneScent Me .the 'lllooe, the

Pro.i.Je~

' and the Merciful are the same; let IIo'man even b:pni~t.ake suppo•• there is a Gifferenca

Wor.hip tbe one God' who i. ttw

ODe

divine Phostir for BII ; know that His FurDl is oue, and that HIl is the one light diffuF.ed in nIl. The temple and the ·mosque are the same : tbe Hindu wOTllhip

Bnd the Moha mmedan prayer are the eame; it is through error they appelLr dift·erent.

Deities, -demons, angels, 6erar;him, MobummedanFl and

HiD~

11:.- adopt the customary drese of their different cOUlltries.

'll.

men have the S8me eyes, the same ears, tbe same body,

the, ,""e build, a compound oE earth, air, fire, alld water.

AU;\\ snd Jebovab are the eame ; the Porana BDd the. Quran .. Te thc

~~~,

they are all alike; it istbeone God who cr~"ied all"

.. As frQm ono fire millions of sparks aris.; tbough rising s.p,rotely, they unite "gain in the tire;

(

140

)

, ~s

from on. heap of dust several particles of dust 811 the ail i9l:tj'on filling it again blend with tbe dust; As in ODe stream mWioD8 of waves Bra produced; the' waves

being made of water all become water; So from Ood'. form oon-seotieotand ,antient thingura manifested, and springing from Him, sb&1\ all be united in Him again". .. The dwellers of the East koow not Thy limit, tbe godd.8~ Juno who dwell.th on Olympus meditateth on Thee; the Gurde.is of Obor siog the praises of Thy oame.

The hermits pJ1lctise contemplation to be united with The.; how lOuny hold their breatb to ' obtaio Thee, The Arabo of Arabia worship Thy name, , The Frenchmen of France worship Thee, th. Kandharis and Qureehis know Thee, residents of tbe West recognize Thee as the object of their love. The Mar"thas, tbe Magadhis heartily do 1:1,i~e penance, the natives of Tilon:: fi x Tho. in their hearu, aod ,re~ognize Thee 68 the abode of religion," "ln the east in Palan, in Kamrup and KamouB, where'路.r ,nlan 'i!'oe'~ there Thou presidest, )i,y:.glory is perfect; written and spoken, incantations cannot?aff.,Ot Thee, 0 Lord, and Iloue can find the limit of Thy prai.es," Religion, thougn ODe in reality, does Got appea.r to be thus nnder the existing circumstances Tnerefore, some Buch affinity B~onld be brought about whereby we may al\ begin to couceive the uUlty of religion and erase absolnlely the idea of duality.

Philosophy we hA,'e, in Socratic words, an810gized wiLl! the highest music; and since tb. former i. defi.ed by the Platoni, ts as, the pnrifi~tion and perfection of human life, (it is the purification, indeed, from the material irratioD8lity, lI~d \lie mortal body, in conaequence of beiug the resumption of ollr proper felicity, and a re-ascent to the divine likeness, To efloct these two is the proviDce of virtuc aud truth ; the fonner extermiu&-

( 15 ) titg the . inmoder..tion of passion., and the'latter introducing tlj> di~ine form to those who Are naturally adopted to ite rl"l"Ptibn). , It i. indentical w th the de6nition of religion. Hence tbe litter may be deemed ... the Sublinl",!!- Music. .Come. th.n. noble friend.. establil!h . .. '.sneb relations 88 a1''' follnd between the performing musiCians in an Orch~~,..., Where. violins. viola•• violoncellos aod ooot,aba88e., lute. mllUl,dolin. harp. banjo. and triangle and rod; all might be heard sounded' ..like io pitcb. Eacb player trying to harmonize his iostrument with the other, and be Perfect unison. Instrument. individu"lIy would al.o produce music; all. howI>ver. tOgflther a divine harmony. imitating the eternal "ho;, of the coleeti .. l hierarcl,y. Th~ music of all religious 8e)llit~tely, undoubtedly is music. ' hut having C;od 3. our Conductur, let ua learn'" produce a uuive_1 h"rmollY. and ·invem-'

in

" Such r1olusic, Before

w&.s

88

'tie said,.

never made,

But when of old the ""n~ of morning sung; While the Creator great.

Hi. COIl8teliatiou8 And tbe woll balanc:d world on. bing.. hung, And o...t the <lark foundatioD8 .....

.0',

And bia the weltering wav"" their OOI\Y Ring out, ye Cl'ystel sphere., ~Once

"'-I keel"

bless our human ea.rs,

'" y., have power to touch our sens.. 61); Alid lei your 8.1 "or chim.,

Mo~. in melodioUB lim. ; And

let'too bass of Heaven'. deep orgBn bloW';

And, witb your ni.nefold harmony, Make up fill! concert to the .ngelic sY"'l'booy_ For, if such holy song,

( 16 ) . Enwrap

GIlI'

fancy long.

Time will .run back. and fetth 路U,e.age of gold; And Bpec>lUed vallity.

Will Bioken Boon and die, And.le!",ollS Sin will melt f\'Om earLbly mOJlI<;l; And aell itself will pass away.

4nd laavO' her dolorous maosions to the peering day:'.

(Mitton}.

PROSPERITY.