DON’T CONVERT PEOPLE YET SPREAD YOUR RELIGION!

In today’s world, we have so many religions, cultures, languages, music, costumes, food etc. Instead of seeing the beauty in this diversity and celebrating it, people are busy in converting people into their religion (for whatever reason), environment of distrust growing and people end up seeing only bad thing in others and end up separating from each other.

Whenever we speak of religions it becomes very sensitive issue and many times people boast that only my way is the way, only my religion is true, only my religion’s followers will get heaven, my religion’s followers are highest etc. In this whole process main crux of our faith is lost, ego sets in and then whole list of issues arise including riots and terrorism.

Lets look at it in simple terms our religions and what we can take from all in simple way. I am not any religious head but fortunate enough to be born in India and have visited many religious places, I felt let me put my feelings & thoughts in simple way. There could be many more things about every religion. Lets look at few of them

HINDUISM – Oldest religion followed by many on this planet. It is so vast that you cannot confine it into fixed set of ideas, methods or procedures. If you go and try to strictly find a Hindu in India then you will be stunned to see that every 200 kilometers everything changes, language, costumes, food, style of rituals etc. Hinduism is encompassing all ways. It has freedom for all, to worship type of GOD you want, the way you want to worship. You will find people worship rivers, mountains, trees infact whole nature. Whole nature is given respect and worshipped. You can worship it in Aakar (form) or Nirakaar (formless). If you want to go to temple then fine, if you want to meditate then that is also fine. You need to travel across India to understand its vastness which fills us with wonder. I don’t think we confine this way of life even in the boundaries of religion. Because of this freedom, Hinduism has survived till far and so many other religions also flourished in India. You don’t need to convert people to make them Hindu. One who is on his path and not distracting others from their path is Hindu. One who is respecting nature, one who is respecting all creatures is Hindu. If you respect your motherland and live for it then you are Hindu. I feel this is the time when all people understand this freedom of Hinduism which is true secularism.

Look around you, in greed for money, people are destroying nature, polluting motherland (by pesticides, plastic), polluting air & water. Corruption is spreading, people are fighting over religions, wars are destroying countries. This is the time when teachings of Hinduism need to spread.

ISLAM : - Saints say real meaning of Islam is surrender and peace. Surrender to divinity and peace within yourself and surrounding. If you are not peaceful then how will you spread peace. If you yourself are agitated, irritated, unhappy then you are going to spread same thing. Today is era where people really understand its true meaning and become peaceful and happy. True surrender happens when one is helpless. When you have tried all your options, put all your efforts but nothing is working then helplessness comes. In this helplessness you pray and for prayer to emerge you need to surrender. Such prayers get answered and fulfilled. So one who is peaceful and surrendered to divinity is already Islamic. You don’t need to convert him/her; infact you need to spread peace and happiness & automatically Islam will spread.

Few years back, I visited Jerusalem first time, I was walking innocently towards Al-Aqsa mosque and but at entrance itself I was stopped and told that you cannot enter. I asked why? Got answer that you are not muslim. I got stunned and shocked. In India I had never experienced this as we can go inside mosques and offer our prayers. I prayed from outside but thought of what is Muslim or Musalmaan? I have come to conclusion that it is nothing but Musallam- Iman . Musallam meaning very strong and Iman means Character/faith/honesty -one who is faithful for his/her motherland, duties.

Look around and today we see that corruption is spreading like cancer and trying to be omnipresent. It is spreading because people are becoming characterless and they are not honest in their duties. So it is need of time that you make Iman of people Musallam and wipe out corruption from this planet and create peace & happiness. You don’t need to convert people as whoever on this planet has his/her Iman musallam, he/she is Musalmaan.

CHRISTIANITY: - If we say Jesus then you don’t need to say Love and If you say Love then you don’t need to say Jesus. Love and Jesus are so synonyms. Just see how beautiful is this. If someone tells you that ‘Jesus is only way’ then tell them ‘Yes, it is true. Jesus is love and love is the only way’. Spread this love and automatically you spread Jesus and Christianity. If you think only followers of Jesus will be in heaven then it is wrong. Whoever is filled with love and spreading love is already on his path.

Infact this is the time when you need to spread love. Look around, so many people are in sorrow. Wars, corruption, poverty, diseases, loot, fear, disbelief, illiteracy, unemployment, depression are taking over society. This is the most important time when people need touch of love and they will get healed. Without any expectation and returns from others, work towards bringing genuine smile on others faces. Spread love, serve people and no need to convert people.

SIKHISM: - Whenever we say Sikhism, image of robust, happy and always ready to serve community appears in front of us. I am lucky as I got a chance to visit few Gurudwaras and got blessings there. If you visit Gurudwara then you will realize the meaning of selfless service. Everyone is ready to help each other. Selflessly lunger is run and food is served to all. I was stunned to see same level of service maintained even in London, in such an expensive place every one is offered food.

Robustness and fearlessness of Sikhs saved India for many centuries. Each mother dedicated her elder son for country’s cause. We need to spread this robustness, fearlessness and attitude of service. I feel every town, village, city must adopt this and start lunger. Out of poverty, no one shall remain hungry and shall not sleep empty stomach on this planet. Every household must contribute towards his country, city, village, society.

One para of Guru Gobind Singhji is stunning and tells about valor and removes any fear if we have

“Chirian to mein baaz tudaun
Gidran to mein sher banaun
Sawa lakh se ek ladaun
Tabe Gobind Singh Naam kahaun”

Meaning “It is when I make sparrows beat eagle, I turn jackals into lions, when I make 1 capable of fighting with 125000 alone then I am called Gobind Singh”. One must surrender to such Guru and get this valor & serve people.

BUDDHISM: - There is no bigger manifestation of Silence & peace like Buddha. He was born in the era when there was huge prosperity in India and when there were huge number of intellectuals. He himself was born in royal family but he left everything in conquest of truth and got enlighten in deeper silence.

He showed path to many and many got liberated along with him. His message of peace got spread almost across Asia. This is the most appropriate time to spread Buddha when earth is filled with so much violence, decreasing moral values, corruption , greed & endless desires of people which are leading them nowhere. For this purpose as well we don’t need to convert people.

We can observe similar things in all other religions take it Jainism, Judaism etc. If we observe basic teachings of all religions are same and they are of Love, peace. It is we in our Ego started converting people, infact since last few decades conversions are happening for the greed of power. Particular religions people will vote only to their religions leader so convert people and capture power. Instead of choosing leaders at looking at their honesty, valor, knowledge & service oriented attitude, people choose leaders looking at their religion! This is not good, people are cheating themselves!

We need to know and see that all religions are like beautiful rivers which are finally meeting same ocean. Various saints, messengers, Avatars came on this planet, showered their knowledge, love on humanity and uplifted humanity. Converting people from one religion to other is like trying to convert water into water so pls stop this & spread love to fill this planet with happiness!