So let there be a dialogue. Let
there be open,
friendly and also critical communication in religion just as in
science. But please let us expose and put an end to this missionary
business and let us not think that the missionary business is
tolerant. The
missionary business is not about freedom of religion. It is about
the triumph of one religion. It is not about secularism. The
missionary business accepts that only one religion is true. It is a
religious war aimed at religious control.
The way to challenge this is not through violence
or through intolerance, but through being properly informed. It is
through being open, friendly, dialoguing and talking to people, so
they understand what the Hindu point of view is, so that any
distortions about Hinduism are removed. We are all the same Divine
being. We all share the same human nature and we must recognise that
in all human beings for harmony to exist.
At the same time, we should not be naive about the
forces of the world and the forces that are trying to disintegrate
this society and this culture. I think it would be a tremendous loss
if India gave up Hinduism and became another Christian or Islamic
country. We have enough of these already. India has a wealth
of its own spiritual traditions that the rest of the world needs.
Why do Westerners come here?
They come here for this wealth of spiritual knowledge. In fact, you
should be exporting your religion. That is one thing you have enough
of. There are other more important things that you need to
import.
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