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Introduction
As every one knows, religion is not a matter of
mere rituals. Nor is it a matter of mere ethics. Morality is of religion, any more than
the gateway to a temple is the temple itself. So moral life is not enough for the
liberation of man. Hinduism, no doubt, insists on a man's acting according to his Dharma
and acquiring purity of soul by leading a righteous life. But it also teaches us that in
morality there is no completeness. The last word in the teaching of the Gita is:-
"Surrendering all Dharmas come unto Me alone for
shelter."
For after every moral success we see a higher ideal, which
condemns once again our life of littleness and sin. Morality is like the horizon, which
ever recedes as we approach it. It always keeps us at arm's length and perpetually reminds
us of our weaknesses. The unaided human soul feels that it is helpless and craves for some
thing, which will take it out of the region of perpetual conflict and give it the
assurance of victory and peace. This is religion, where "ought" gives place to
"is". A merely moral life cannot give us the feeling of love, joy and exaltation
and the spirit of courage and self-sacrifice which religious life gives.
Author : S.D.Sarma
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