SANATANA DHARMA AND THE MODERN WORLD

Are All Religions One?

There is only One Truth behind all religions, whether the so-called world religions or primitive beliefs. The different arts and sciences also represent various attempts, though they may be indirect, to connect with the One Reality. Recognizing such a Universal Truth, we should strive to develop a universal religion which includes not only what is good in religion, but what is good in art and science, and in all human endeavors to know Reality. All ways of connecting with Truth - whether formulated as religions or not - are like various rivers that flow to the ocean of Truth. They all have a common goal, though not each singly can reach it.

Yet to reach that Truth we must follow a path that leads to Self-realization. Few religious teachings regard Self-realization as the goal of life. Therefore they cannot take us all the way to it, though they may be of preliminary benefit. And religion is sometimes a mask for adharmic activities, for attitudes that do not enlarge our minds and hearts but narrow them down to some dogma or opinion. Such religion cannot take us even part of the way to Truth, which is universal.

Sanatana Dharma is not meant as another one of these streams but as an attempt to portray the reality of the ocean, which accepts all streams without being limited to any of them. For this reason all the spiritual practices that can be found in other religions - like prayer, ritual, mantra and meditation whether devotional or knowledge-oriented - exist within the greater Hindu tradition.

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