What then is the Truth?
Let me take you on a journey backwards in
time ... Roughly 1800 years or before when
Prophet Mohammed was not even born... Would you still say Islamic Dharma
had its roots all over the place. Nay! There was nothing like Islam for its preacher
was not even born!!
Traveling further back roughly 2000 years from now when
Jesus Christ was not even born ... Were there any followers of Christianity ...
A non existent Word at that time!!
Traveling further 500 years back when Gautama
Buddha was not yet born ... No sign of Buddhism was to be seen!!
Further 77
years in time (Gautama Buddha was a contemporary of Lord
Mahavira born 77 years after him)... Jainism did not have any roots
as a Doctrine. Even though 23 Tirthankars had come and gone but Jainism took its
roots as a Religion only after the Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankar came!!
Further
back in time ... Roughly 3600 years from now ... A time when even Lord Sri Krishna
was not even born ... Where lay the Teachings of ‘Gita’!!
Going further back
by 1500 years i.e. 5000 years from now ... A time when Vedas are supposed to have
been composed ... Did Dharma exist? Yes, Dharma was very well there at each and
every stage.
Comparing Dharma and all Religions as a united front we find,
all part of the same whole yet different!
Now imagine a tree with roots and
a long single stem going straight upwards. Roots being the reservoir of all wisdom
and Knowledge i.e. the mighty Mind plus and Mind minus!!
The base stem being
Dharma ... An inherent Cosmic guide available to each and every atman soul manifesting
on Mother Earth! This was a time when literacy was not there and all jivas lived
together, their behavior towards one another prompted by Dharma!!
From Dharma
germinated the stem of four Vedas ... consisting of all applied knowledge ...
the first visible signs of literacy on Mother Earth! This knowledge was available
to all but, within the confines of Dharma!!
This stem grew straight up and
evolved Lord Sri Krishna, about 3600 years ago. The Humanity got a straight and
most upright document ... A code of conduct for all to follow ... The Doctrine
of Gita! Gita contains in itself a summary of all what God wants each one of us
to know ... The song Eternal, knowing which one can come out of the cast of ignorance
and see the self in full effulgence!! The culmination of spiritual practice of
Million of years brings one face to face ... With God the Creator of the cosmos!!!
Loaded with Vedas, Upanishads
and Bhagavad Gita ... Humanity evolved further and 1000 years thence, the stem
which was growing straight branched into Mahavira who evolved a different line
of thinking somewhat different from Gita (In Essence all Doctrines and Religions
finally meet at one point ... This becomes clear to one only after Self Realization!!).
The Teachings of Mahavira expressed that every individual had the capability
of becoming God! One who wins his real self (acquires Kaivalya Jnana (becomes
Omniscient) and realizes that he is a Cosmic power in its pure Atman soul form)
is known as a ‘Jina’ and followers of Mahavira thus came to be known as “Jains”!!
This branch of Jains (the followers of Mahavira) further branched into two
... One Digambars (Highest amongst these even leave the attachment of cloth and
lived nude) ... the other Svetambars who decorate Idols of their Gods with cloth
and believe in a more balanced and Earthly living order ... A being more mundane
and physically attached to the materialistic World!! Their Saints wear a loin
cloth and cover their mouth with a strip of cloth.
This branch of Svetambars
further segmented into 20 panthies, Mooh patti dhari and so on depending on difference
in their beliefs and decree of the elders!
The main stem still growing straight
after about 77 years branched into Gautama Buddha ... Who taught a different set
of Teachings. Finding the path of Gita and Jainism to be very arduous and difficult
to follow ... He recommended the Middle path! One could even while performing
his Earthly duties proceed on the path towards God. Keeping a balance between
prayers and household duties ... Become the mainstay of his Teachings.
Further
up after about 450 years (1998 years ago from now) Jesus Christ came on the scene
with his set of Teachings. Having born in the West and all earlier traditions
being confined to India (Hindustan) alone (Gita, Jainism and Buddhism being strictly
of Indian origin) the Teachings of Jesus spread throughout the West!!
West
... A region more colder in climate and to follow Indian traditions in the earlier
years when there was practically no Science and all was dependent on the mercy
of God would have been found externally difficult (most of the ancient Indian
Saints barely wore cloth and engrossed in serious Meditation ... Could increase
or decrease their body temperatures as per will). Teachings of Jesus Christ came
to be known as the ‘New testament’.
Jesus Christ thus taught man to live a
perfectly balanced homely Life ... Full of harmony with neighbors! Praying to
God before meals, every Sunday Mass became a practice with Christians, to remember
God in Daily Life!! (To live a perfectly balanced Life could remain a motto for
a few hundred years but what after when the basic needs of a man were fulfilled.
As on today most Christians are looking forward to India to teach them a deeper
meaning of Life ... the truth of ‘I’ within!!).
Further up after about 200
years came Prophet Mohammed who almost followed the same path as Jesus Christ
... The prime reason why Christianity and Islam are known as contemporary Religions!
Followers of both are more inclined towards physical well being rather than elevating
self to higher Spiritual realms (liberation of atman the soul within from the
shackles of birth and death was never their aim). Teachings of Prophet Mohammed
were incorporated in “Quran” and his followers came to be known as followers of
Islam.
Further up came Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th Century (about 1000 years
after Prophet Mohammed). He again voiced his concern on the down fall of ‘Sanatana
Dharma’ as Buddhism had developed strong roots in India owing to a very righteous
King Ashoka, a staunch follower of Buddhism! He succeeded in his attempts in giving
“Sanatana Dharma” (Combined Teachings of Gita, Upanishads and Brahma
Sutras) a foothold by writing detailed commentaries on Gita and Brahma
Sutras and that too at the young age of 15!!
In present times, following the
same traditions of Gita and Upanishads came Swami
Ramakrishna Paramhansa and Acharya Ramana Mahirshi. Both these Saints
Realized-God ... Never ever again to take rebirth on Mother Earth! Both were Saints
of the highest order ... True Yogis who preached Gita and whose services were
available to the commonest man!!
The Swami’s and Muni’s of today who meet
only with prior appointment ... Meeting whom is but a dream for a commoner (for
they do not have fat cheques for donations) ... Can such be expected to achieve
‘Kaivalya Jnana’ and Self Realization!!
It is only the grace of Almighty God
that one Realizes-self within this Life! How blessed are those who Realize-Self
and thereafter ... Spread the Teachings of Gita!!
Hurry ... Before the
Sunset of Life occurs!!!
A Cosmic tree (tree of Dharma) with roots and
branches spread all over ... Where is the cause of disparity!
It has always
been Unity in Diversity ... It is only the vested interests of few which takes
Humanity towards the wrong goals ... Individuals who fail to realize that the
strings of all lives is in the hands of God ... One pull and you are gone!!
All wealth, money and power which you consider now is yours will belong to others
once you leave this body ... Realize-Self before the Sunset of your Life takes
over!!!
All Religions, all individuals are but different paths towards the
same goal! There can never be a cause for Religious disharmony unless vested interests
are involved!!
Forget about Religions ... Follow any path ... Change as many
paths as you desire ... You shall reach the goal one day! (provided you aspire
to realize self within this Life)
Leave nothing to chance!! Never ever forget
that it is the Dharma of every individual which plays the lead role ... Religions
come next!!!
